County and State Fair Season Begins!

Summer is in full swing, and that means county and state fair season is about to begin! In the coming weeks, fairgrounds in New York State will open their gates to fairgoers looking to fill their day with some classic summertime fun. There are plenty of fair options to choose from – eleven to be exact! – located near Amtrak stations. Here are five with some unique offerings that we think you'll enjoy:

Altamont Fair

August 11 – August 16

Altamont, NY (20.4 miles from Albany - Rensselaer Amtrak Station)
Enterprise offers station pickup car rentals. Call (518) 472-1111 for reservations.

Photo Credit: Altamont Fair

Celebrating its 122^nd year, the Altamont Fair offers classic fair fun like amusement rides, agricultural shows, and food vendors, as well as something educational and unique: museum set-ups! You can take a trip back in time at the Village & Carriage Museum and experience how the Village of Altamont may have looked and felt over 100 years ago, with visits to the cobbler shop, wheelwright, sleigh repair shop, the hardware store, and more! Also, view one of upstate New York’s largest collections of horse drawn carriages.

Discover what life was really like on a farm in the “old days” at the Farmhouse Museum, and learn about the evolution of farm equipment from the 1800’s to the early 1900’s at the Farm Machinery Museum. At the Blacksmith Shop, demonstrations show you the process of making nails, hinges, sled runners, scythes, wagon wheels, and more. Visit the Wildlife Sports and Education Museum, dedicated to the preservation of the art, artifacts, and memorabilia of hunting and fishing. Follow the progress of the American automobile and view a newly refurbished 1917 Vim and a refurbished 1927 Buick at the Cars: Past, Present & Future Museum.

Families will have fun at the Circus Museum, with photos and lithographs of circuses past, and a vintage mechanical five-piece circus band. Daily children’s activities are offered at the 1850’s Knox School No. 12 one room schoolhouse.

Erie County Fair

August 12 – August 23

Hamburg, NY (17.7 miles from Buffalo Amtrak Station)

Enterprise offers station pickup car rentals. Call (716) 884-6666 for reservations.

Photo Credit: Buffalo Spree

With an attendance last year of over one million people, the Erie County Fair is now the third largest county fair in North America! In addition to traditional fair rides and animal shows, there are plenty of unique activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Try some wacky culinary concoctions and vote for your favorite one at the New Foods Showdown, with treats such as Bacon Funnel Cake on a Stick, “Black Dog” Chocolate Donut Ice Cream Bar, Gator Mac & Cheese Bowl, and Salted Caramel Cracker Jack Sundae! Take part in the Erie County Fair 5K Run on August 15. Children can learn how to milk a pretend cow and how to drive a “tractor,” with a snack reward at the end for their hard work! Visit over 40 different buildings, each with unique offerings, such as Grapes and Hops and The Carousel Room, both offering alcoholic beverages in relaxed settings with live music, and ‘The Mall,’ home to a variety of vendors.

The Gusto Grandstand will feature concerts from big-name artists, such as 3 Doors Down, Collective Soul, Meghan Trainor, Little Big Town, Alabama, Blue Oyster Cult, and more. With so much to do, you just might have to stay more than one day!

Clinton County Fair

July 28 – August 2 

Plattsburgh, NY (5.6 miles from Plattsburgh Amtrak Station)

For a more "rugged" fair experience, the Clinton County Fair has plenty of down-and-dirty daily shows such as demolition derbies, truck and tractor pulls, and rodeo shows. For the kids, there will be an interactive dinosaur, the Zerbini Family Circus, and Pipsqueak's Party Time Crew. Have fun with daily magic and illusion shows by John Steven Bloom and hypnotist Michael Blaine! North Country's Got Talent will also be stopping by to showcase the talents and abilities of locals and traveling visitors alike. This year's performance highlight is the up-and-coming country music duo Maddie & Tae on July 30.

Dutchess County Fair

August 25 – August 30 

Rhinebeck, NY (3.1 miles from Rhinecliff-Kingston Amtrak Station)

Many summer fairs run for 6 days, and the Dutchess County Fair is the largest fair in New York State of that length, as well as the second largest county fair in the state. Located in picturesque Rhinebeck on 144 acres of beautifully-kept gardens and grass, this fair has been a classic summertime favorite for over 160 years.

Unique attributes include the New York Fiddle Contest on August 30, the daily "Agricadabra Magic Show," Oscar the Roving Robot, lovely themed garden scenes with koi ponds and water lilies, as well as over 300 vendors selling a wide variety of items - from clothing and jewelry to household items, toys to baked goods. Don't forget to check out the buildings full of homemade crafts and hobbies as well - including detailed handcrafted quilts and intricate woodworking, as well as the old-fashioned food buildings - offering treats such as classic country store candies, honey, real maple syrup, jams and jellies, fudge, caramel and chocolate covered apples, and more!

This year's Grandstand concert performers include Cole Swindell, the Doobie Brothers, the Spin Doctors, Dan + Shay, and A Thousand Horses.

The Great New York State Fair

August 27 – September 7

Photo Credit: The News House

Syracuse, NY
Special Amtrak station located on-site!

One of the oldest and largest state fairs in the United States, the 12-day Great New York State Fair continues to draw crowds of over one million people each year.

View the winning creations of the out-of-the-ordinary "Bucket of Junk" competition, where competitors are provided a five-gallon bucket of assorted and mismatched pieces and are asked to use every single piece to construct a unique creation. Adults will enjoy the Taste NY Wine & Cheese Seminars in the Horticulture Building, where wine and cheese samples will be provided, along with educational talks.

Visitors can also learn about the history of the New York State Fair at a brand new historical exhibit, and afterwards purchase vintage posters, pins, and other New York State Fair memorabilia from the past at the souvenir shop.

This year’s Grandstand and Chevy Court performers include big-names like Eric Church, Everclear, Melissa Etheridge, and Hank Williams, Jr.! 

Visitors riding Amtrak to the Great New York State Fair can take advantage of this current discount - one (1) free child's rail fare to the Great New York State Fair with the purchase of one (1) regular adult, senior citizen, or disabled adult rail fare! For all other fairs in the state, Amtrak travelers can use the 15% ILOVENY discount. Visit New York By Rail Discounts for more information! To discover more upcoming fairs in New York State, visit New York By Rail Events!