HAMBURG, N.Y. — Wednesday, August 7, begins the self-proclaimed “Best 12 Days of Summer” at the Erie County Fair. But there are some things you should know to have the most fun, and get the most bang for your buck, before you make your annual summer pilgrimage to the Hamburg Fairgrounds.
ADMISSION:
Adults $12, Seniors (60+) $9, Children 12 & under are free everyday.
Early Morning Admission on weekdays- $7 admission before 11 am
Students are $7 everyday after 5 pm with proper student ID
SPECIAL DAYS
Opening Day- Wednesday, August 7- is Channel 2 Day. That means there’s FREE admission with the donation of 2 canned or non-perishable food items to benefit the Feed More WNY. Without the donation, admission is $5 on Opening Day.
Friday, August 9- Firefighter’s Day (6:30 pm parade)
Sunday, August 11- Veteran’s Day (1 pm parade)
Tuesday, August 13 & Thursday, August 15- $5 admission
Gate hours are 12pm-10pm on Opening Day Wednesday August 7 and 9am-10pm August 8 – 18.
Parking for passenger cars, SUVs and minivans is $5 everyday.
For more on admission and parking, click here.
RIDES:
New rides include the Sky Wheel, the Crazy Mouse Coaster and the Frisbee. The James E. Strates Midway is open daily from 11 am to 11 pm. Rides are approximately 5-10 credits each.
Here are some of ways to save money on rides:
Weekday One Price Ride Days- available to purchase at the Fair for $30 ($25 if purchased by August 6 at Tops Friendly Markets). Valid Monday through Friday on the Midway and Kiddieland
Weekend One Price Ride Days- available to purchase on the midway $40 ($25 if purchased by August 6 at Tops Friendly Markets). Valid Saturday and Sundays on the Midway and Kiddieland
For more on rides, click here.
MOOTERNITY WARD:
Who doesn’t love baby cows? Text ILOVECOWS to 88588 and you’ll be notified when a cow is going to calve at the fair. Alerts will be sent between 9 am-10 pm only. If you signed up last year, you are still in the system. If you’re not at the fair, you can watch the Mooternity Live Stream by clicking here.
FOOD:
For many, (fried) food is the favorite part of the fair! New food options this year include Buffalo chicken stuffed banana peppers, peanut butter and jelly cheesecake, hot Cheeto fries, and hot candy wings. Download the Fairgrounds App to vote for your new favorite food at the fair. Voting runs August 7 through August 13. The winner will be announced August 15.
Click here to read more about the new foods.
To try more food, and save some dough, check out the Taste of the Fair on Monday, August 12. Dozens of food vendors will be offering select food items for just $2. Checklists are available at the gate or see a list here.
Here is a link to food coupons or pick them up at any Guest Services location at the fair.
GUSTO GRANDSTAND:
Highlights of this year’s performances include national touring comics and current chart toppers with five nights of free shows. By the way, all Grandstand tickets purchased prior to the day of the show include admission to the fair on the day of the performance.
August 7: Darci Lynne
August 8: Foghat (free show with admission to fair)
August 9: The PettyBreakers (free show with admission to fair)
August 10: Gabriel Iglesias Beyond the Fluffy World Tour
August 11: North American Masters Drone Race (free show with admission to fair)
August 12: Kane Brown
August 13: FreestyleMX.com (free show with admission to fair)
August 14: Happy Together Tour
August 15: Diamond Rio (free show with admission to fair)
August 16: The Australian Pink Floyd Show
August 17: Ultimate Night of Destruction
August 18: World’s Largest Demolition Derby
Here is a link to more information about Grandstand concerts.
Finally, remember to snap photos of your favorite Fair moments and share them with Channel 2 on our social media platforms. Remember to use the hashtag #BeOn2 so we can share them on air and online!