Dear Fairgoers,
Thank you for another great year!
The 184th Erie County Fair served up our best iteration of “The Best 12 Days of Summer” yet. A huge “thank you” to everyone who helped make it a tremendous success and one of Western New York’s most anticipated and unique events.
Let me introduce this year’s Fair Impact Report by noting that you will not find attendance information in the report. Last year I hinted that there would come a time when we would no longer publish that number. That time is now, and we ask that you please respect this decision, which was made for a simple yet important reason:
The Erie County Fair is a source of immense pride for everyone involved in the agricultural fair industry, which, like many industries, is evolving. And so, we have decided to evolve with it, putting more emphasis on our proud agricultural roots and community impact and less on a single attendance number as a barometer of our efforts.This year’s increased focus on the Erie County Agricultural Society’s mission of agriculture and education brought more interactive exhibits, educational presentations, and unforgettable livestock shows to the Fair than ever before, giving visitors opportunities to meet, interact with, and thank the local farmers and exhibitors who keep our region’s agricultural traditions alive and put food on our tables.
I encourage you to consider a few of these lesser known “numbers” that reinforce our belief that there’s so much more to our Fair than an attendance statistic.
• Our hardworking youth exhibitors sold an astounding $400,000+ at the market animal auction that goes directly back to them to invest in their future livestock projects.
• We donated 153,125 pounds of canned goods, 2,567 pounds of locally raised meat and 498 pounds of locally grown produce to FeedMore WNY.
$154,221 in cash premiums were awarded to livestock and competitive exhibitors.
• $72,000 in college scholarships were awarded to 18 local students for participation in the Erie County Fair or Erie County Agricultural Society-related programs.
• Nearly $50,000 was raised by the WNY WoodTurners for Make-A-Wish.
(More of the Fair’s impact can be found in the Infographic found later in this report.)
I also want to shed light on some common questions we have received recently.
Q: How did the Fair go this year?A: This one’s easy—fantastic! As one of Western New York’s largest events, safety is our top priority, and I’m thrilled to share that it was one of our safest Fairs to date. Even more satisfying is the growing positive impact our event had on the community, as noted above. Fairgoers should take great pride in their contributions to both the WNY community and the agriculture industry nationwide. Thank you for your continued support.
Q: Does the Fair make millions in profit?A: No. While The Fair may generate millions in revenue, we also spend millions on expenses like insurance, entertainment, security, technology, waste management, advertising, awards, judges, signage, traffic barriers, equipment, and supplies, to name a few.
While we’re on the topic of money, I also want to dispel the common misconception that taxpayers pay for the Fair. In fact, the Erie County Fair is produced by the Erie County Agricultural Society, a private not-for-profit membership organization. We are not in any way part of a state or county government and do not receive major funding from either. We receive $12,000 for premiums (cash prizes) for exhibitors, the same as every other fair in NYS. This is 7% of what we pay out to our competitors.
Q: What trends emerged from the recent fairgoer survey?A: Thank you to the nearly 7,000 fairgoers who responded to the survey. Here are some notable trends:
• The #1 reason to come: FOOD! With 588 menu items offered this year, there was no shortage of choices, making food (again) the #1 reason to come to the Fair (followed by animals and shopping) based on survey data.
• Fairgoers are increasingly “making a day of it.” Fairgoers again spent an average of 5-6 hours per visit, consistent with 2023 data and a big leap from 2022’s 3–4-hour average. The Fair undoubtedly provides a full day of fun for guests, with no additional cost to enjoy entertainment, demonstrations, exhibits, live music, and animals. A bonus is that guests can bring their own food and drink into the venue, with ample picnic sites around the grounds offering shade, solace, and seating, in which we continue to invest each year.
• Fairgoers want to use their time wisely—and don’t want to get lost. Requests for “more wayfinding signage,” “info on what’s in the barns,” and “more details in the daily schedules” already have us thinking about new ways to bring this information to guests in an effort to meet them where they are.
• Variety is the spice of life. Some fairgoers expressed a desire for more variety in terms of food, shopping, and entertainment. We hear you and are committed to bringing that to you in 2025. We already are brainstorming ideas for next August!
• Gate prices were on a lot of fairgoers’ minds. We understand and appreciate the feedback we got related to this year’s gate price. We are continually looking for more ways to deliver both savings and value to the hard-earned dollars you spend on a ticket to the Fair.
Q: What are you most proud of from the 2024 Fair?A: In addition to the community impact and safety measures I noted earlier, my top takeaways from this year’s “Best 12 Days of Summer” are:
• Our connection to agriculture grew stronger. Our mission is rooted in agriculture. When I reflect on the 2024 Fair, I know that we built more connections between fairgoers and agriculture through new programming and exhibits like Dairy with Barry, Fair Bear’s Farmland, and the Celebrity Classic. It always brings a smile to my face to witness fairgoers interacting with local farmers throughout the barns... that is our roots.
• The Fair’s contributions to the local economy are noteworthy. Did you know that the Fair employs nearly 600 community members in administration, maintenance, livestock, security, gates, competitive exhibits, and building staff? And this figure does not include additional staff working in concessions, midway, or cleaning hired by our partners. This is a testament to the Fair's role in providing valuable job opportunities and supporting our community's economic vitality.
• We are willing to challenge the status quo. Balancing new ideas with valuable traditions is important to the Erie County Fair and can be challenging. I was thrilled with the new ideas and programs our team debuted this year, including Share Your Fair Gate Discount Day and Fairtacular Shopper’s Day; Dairy with Barry and the Celebrity Classic; Fair Bear’s Farmland, FAIRway Mini Golf and Touch-a-Truck; and the new military enlistment ceremony added to Veterans Day. The list could go on and on!
• We know how important accessibility and security are and we are committed to improving both. This year we made significant accessibility improvements to Nya:Weh Village, with concrete paths and a new, permanent building for the Village’s learning center. We also installed weapons detection systems at all gates, tested Reverse ATMs and added more self-service kiosks to cut down on time Fairgoers spent in line. As always, we have plans to continue improving accessibility and security (and technology) on the grounds each year.
• Our performers and programs truly are one of a kind. I’m confident that many things you find at the Erie County Fair cannot be found anywhere else in the region. Entertainers like Hilby the German Juggle Boy, Ultimate Stunt Circus, and Mighty Mike; agricultural programming like the Moo-Ternity Ward, Horse Headquarters, Little Hands on the Farm, and access to thousands of animals across our barns; and areas like the Firemen’s Building, the Heritage Museum, the 4-H Youth Development Building, the Historical Building, the Ag-Grange Building, the Creative Arts Building, and our community stages are just some of the unique experiences you’ll have at the fairgrounds, which adds up to a lot of value for your ticket.
Thank you again for supporting this year’s Erie County Fair and for your thoughtful feedback and ideas. Planning already is underway for the 185th edition of the Fair, which will be held August 6-17, 2025.
Here’s to the next “The Best 12 Days of Summer!”
Jessica Underberg, CFE
CEO & Fair Manager
Erie County Agricultural Society, producers of the Erie County Fair
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