HAMBURG, N.Y. — Leaders at the Erie County Fair hope some changes are made to the scheduling of events this summer after the State Fair was extended.
Part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget address last week included adding five days to the beginning of the State Fair. This means the State Fair will overlap numerous county fairs, including Erie County's.
Think about all the vendors at the Erie County Fair — from the food to carnival companies, livestock exhibitors to merchants. Many of them have big concerns, months before the Best 12 Days of Summer.
"All of a sudden adding another five to seven days in the most expensive state they probably work in to have teams and staffing in both places when they're not accustomed to doing that is a challenge," said Jessica Underberg, the manager of the Erie County Fair.
Here's the deal, the Erie County Fair runs from August 12 through August 23. In the past, the State Fair would start two days after the Erie County Fair. But, Cuomo's budget proposal adds five days to the beginning of the State Fair, overlapping three days of the Erie County Fair, surprising many.
"Other vendors that I've talked to are trying to scramble around and put together a stick joint to go up there, meaning not a trailer, to go to Syracuse to be in two places at once," Underberg said. "And then the 4H kids that qualify at these county fairs to make it to State Fair obviously can't qualify and go to State Fair if it's at the same time."
2 On Your Side spoke by phone to the owner of Polar Bear Homemade Ice Cream, based in Central New York.
They'll still be at the Erie County Fair and the State Fair this year, but because of the change, won't be able to attend the Indiana State Fair.
"It definitely affects the revenue of the company because we're not able to play the amount of the events that we did," Underberg said.
Responding to the concerns, the State Fair would only issue this statement:
"The Great New York State Fair is excited by this new opportunity to attract more visitors and grow the largest state fair in the East. The State Fair is hosting a meeting Friday with our county fairs to hear and address any concerns they may have. Our goal is to accommodate vendors from Erie County or other fairs who will arrive after the start of the State Fair."
But for vendors like Polar Bear Ice Cream, they say the only resolution is going back to the way it was.
Leaders at the Erie County Fair hope that schedules can be staggered so that livestock exhibitors after they're done at the fairgrounds, can just go to Syracuse.
That meeting on Friday will be at the State Fairgrounds.
We'll let you know if there is any resolution after the meeting.