When you think of the Erie County Fair, you might reminisce fondly over your favorite carnival game or midway ride, or drool over memories of the deep-fried treats and fresh-squeezed lemonade. The crowds, the sights, the sounds—it’s an annual extravaganza for the senses.
However, those are all just a small taste of what WNY’s largest event has in store. One entry ticket unlocks access to hundreds of attractions for no additional cost, all with the goal of entertaining, educating and connecting visitors with the fair’s core heritage: agriculture.
“The fair gives us the opportunity to put agriculture on center stage,” says Alison Bukowski, chief marketing officer for the Erie County Agricultural Society (ECAS), the organization behind the fair since 1820. “Our biggest focus every year is ensuring we are helping people learn where their food comes from and connecting fairgoers with the 2 percent of people who are dedicated to and working within the agriculture industry in New York State.”
More than 2,500 animals are on site across 16 barns, and a majority are there for livestock competition shows, from showmanship to market animals and skill demonstrations. These livestock and horse shows are open to the public, with nearly 50 to choose from.
The fun doesn’t end there. The Agriculture Discovery Center is all about immersive, hands-on learning—visitors might see a calf being born, observe robotic milkers at work as they help demonstrate the milking process or check out real-time maple syrup production. Across the grounds, the Ag-Grange building is host to fruit, vegetable and farm products as well as a farmers’ market and live honeybee display.
Bukowski’s personal favorite exhibit? Horse Headquarters, home to all things equine.
“Having not grown up around agriculture, I was in awe of the gentle, giant animals and the people who make the experience inside so memorable,” she says. “My daughter even petted her first horse there when she was just 9 months old last summer.”
Free entertainment is another of the fair’s priorities. With more than 60 daily performances—from live music, family entertainment and eyebrow-raisers like Hilby the German Juggle Boy, Swifty Swine and the Ultimate Stunt Circus—there’s always something to see or do. New this year, fairgoers will also find sea lions and rescue dogs performing tricks, and a return fan favorite: the Strolling Piano.
“Our performers are truly one of a kind,” Bukowski says. “I’m confident that many things you find at the Erie County Fair cannot be found anywhere else in the region.”
Craftsmanship and skill are also embedded into the fair experience. There are over 20 daily demonstrations, featuring everything from artisan crafts, flower arranging and woodcarving to hands-only CPR, life-saving techniques and rappelling exercises by the New York State Police.
Arts, history and indigenous culture all have their places too, from more than 9,000 artistic exhibits throughout the grounds to the Erie County Fair Museum, Historical Building and Nya:Weh Indian Village.
At the fair, there is something—or more likely, a few dozen somethings—to pique anyone’s interest, whatever their age or background.
“We are on nearly 300 acres, and there is essentially something in every nook and cranny of this place during the best 12 days of summer,” Bukowski says. “There’s so much that someone can discover just by walking around the grounds.”
This year, the Erie County Fair will run from Aug. 6-17. Tickets are $17 each through July (online only); after that, they will be $22.60 each. Daily schedules and more information can be found at ecfair.org.
