•         FREE Concert on August 8^th at 8PM
•         ‘The Best Beatles Tribute on Earth,’ says Rolling Stone Magazine
•          The “concept is performing a show that gives you an idea of what it was like to see the Beatles when they were touring” says Benson (Benson plays a Rickenbacker guitar like that used by Lennon).
•         Band members: Tom Work as George Harrison, Mark Benson as John Lennon, Graham Alexander as Paul McCartney and Bobby Potter as Ringo Starr.     Gary Grimes, the original Paul McCartney the passed away in 2010 with brain cancer.
•         Rolling Stone Magazine has stated 1964, “The best Beatles tribute ever”
•         Featured on Entertainment Tonight, PM Magazine, CNN, The USA Network and the Nashville Network.
•         Readers of the Campus Activities Today Magazine voted the Tribute “Best Major Concert Act” and “Best Contemporary Act”
•         Voted by National Association for Campus Activities “Contemporary Music Artists of the Year”
•         Voted “Campus Entertainer of the Year” by Canadian Association for Campus Activities.

The Erie County Agricultural Society, Hamburg Casino and Alltech are proud to present the Western New York Hog Preview Classic on June 2nd and 3rd in the Showplex building on the Fairgrounds in Hamburg, NY.  This is a NJSA recommended show that is open to exhibitors of all ages; this show gives individuals experience prior to showing at their local county and /or state fair.  Showmanship classes will be held on Saturday, June 2nd at 6:00 p.m. and the Market Hog show and Purebred Breeding Gilt show will be Sunday June 3rd at 11:00 a.m. The judge is Daryl Real of Dallas, TX.

The early entry deadline is May 18, 2012.  Late entries will be accepted up until 9a.m. on Sunday, June 3rd.  The show will have a skill-a-thon on Saturday June 2nd which will be followed by a potluck dinner.  A free Pork Quality Assurance certification class will be offered Saturday night following showmanship.

For more information or an entry form please check out our website www.the-fairgrounds.com and click on “Year Round Events” then click on “Livestock”, where an entry form can be downloaded.  You can also call the Fairgrounds at (716) 649-3900 and an entry form can be mailed to you.

Erie County Fair is looking for eight to ten interns to work with The Fairgrounds’ Marketing Department primarily as media escorts and to assist in various marketing projects and public relations duties for the Fair, which will run August 8-19, 2012.

An informative session will be held on Monday, May 21, 5-7PM and Tuesday, May 22, 2:30-5PM in the Meeting Room B and C of the Event Center on the Fairgrounds in Hamburg.  Details of the internship will be explained and interviews will be held on the spot.

Students majoring in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations or a related field should consider applying.  Applicants must possess excellent written and verbal communication skill, be self motivated and have a flexible schedule with the ability to work a minimum of 15 hours per week.  The position will run from August 5 through August 23, 2012 with two orientation sessions prior to that.

Interested students need only attend one session and should bring a resume with them.  For more information, please contact  Hollys@ecfair.org.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to sleep in the barns at the Erie County Fair, or to take care of those precious animals that stay right there too?  What about riding in the parade or seeing just how cotton candy and taffy is made?  Well, now here’s your chance!

The Erie County Fair is inviting all 8, 9, and 10 year olds to fill out an application for the chance to be one of the “campers” chosen in the fourth (4) year of Fair Camp.  Campers (& their same sex parent or guardian) will sleep in the barns, help take care of the Ag-Sperience animals, have the opportunity to show an animal, learn more about that yummy fair food, and even ride in the parade.  Campers & their guardians will come away from the ultimate Fair Camp experience with a greater knowledge of agriculture and livestock, not to mention and inside view of the great Erie County Fair, through hands-on activities under the supervision of qualified staff (camp counselors).

The Erie County Fair will choose lucky participants to camp on the Fairgrounds for 2 nights and participate in actual farm “chores” of all types, for FREE!! For 2012, campers can choose between August 10, 11, 12 or August 17, 18, 19.

Hurry to get your application in, it’s easy (1) click on the Fair Camp logo on  www.ecfair.org; (2) email lwoloszyn@ecfair.org;(3) or calling 649-3900 ext. 407 to have one mailed to you.  Applications are due by May 1^st . 

“Fair Camp was without a doubt one of the best experiences me and my daughter have shared” Mom from B-lo

“Thanks to Fair Camp my daughter will be  working this winter with the 4H, and will be showing at next year’s fair as an exhibitor”

For more information call the Competitive Exhibit Office 716-649-3900 ext. 407

Auditions for the 2012 Erie County Fair Pepsi-Cola Marching Band will take place on Monday, April 30 from 6-8pm in the Grange Building on the Fairgrounds in Hamburg.

All WNY high school students (grades 9-12) that play clarinet, flute, piccolo, saxophone, cymbals, trumpet, bass drum, snare drum, trombone, tuba, bells, French horn, sousaphone, mellophone, quads or euphonium and color guards are invited to try out for the 2012 season.

 Approximately 80 musicians will be accepted; students need to be available to play at various events during Erie County Fair, which runs August 8-19, including the Daily Parade and various events throughout the community in July and August.  There will also be rehearsals twice per week beginning in June.

Find an application online.  They are also available at all Erie County High School Music Departments or by calling Russ Marquart at 716-649-3900 ext. 403.  Applications must be submitted to Erie County Fair, Pepsi-Cola Marching Band, 5600 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg, NY 14075 by April 16, 2012.

High school seniors and/or college students can be awarded up to $20,000 total in scholarship money by the Erie County Agricultural Society (ECAS) and Hamburg Casino.

 Applications are being accepted now through April 13, 2012. To qualify for an ECAS scholarship, students must be enrolling or already enrolled in an accredited college or university pursuing studies in any, but not limited to the following fields: Agriculture, Agri-Business, Business/Liberal Arts, Ecology and Environmental Technology, Family & Consumer Sciences, Flora-culture, Home Economics/ Industrial Arts, Horticulture, Forestry & Natural Resources, or Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Technology.

Hamburg Casino is offering scholarships to students who are pursuing other fields of education and that have shown participation during the Erie County Fair. Fair participation can be obtained by entering in one of the many competitive exhibits and by participating in the Erie County Fair Marching Band as well as through various types of employment or activities.

Click here to download an application, or they are available in the Guidance Office of all area high schools, at various college Financial Aid Offices, as well as at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension 4-H Office located at 21 South Grove Street in East Aurora. If you have any questions regarding the scholarship program, contact Russell L. Marquart, CFE at the Fair Office at 716-649-3900 ext. 403.

The Erie County “Friends of the Fair” is a dependable group of men and women from all walks of life that numbers approximately 225 members.  The group is comprised of people who truly love the Fair and willingly contribute their time to make the Fair experience better for all.

 All of us are volunteers who can make a difference.  A positive attitude, from the time someone walks through a gate, stops at an Information Booth or walks into one of our many buildings will determine how our guests perceive their day at the Fair. 

 Our goal is to provide reliable people for support in the various departments during Fair.  Each department has established reasonable expectations for each job.  In all cases, willingness to accept direction, timeliness, and reliability are paramount to accomplishing any task.

 The Friends of the Fair, founded in 1987, is always looking for new volunteers who believe as we do. Each prospective “Friend” is interviewed by a group coordinator in the spring prior to the Fair season. New volunteers are expected to attend an orientation meeting in June and a site tour/credentials distribution session in August.

 All Friends of the Fair are required to commit to twenty hours or service during the twelve days of the Fair. Each volunteer receives a 12 day credential, parking on work days, meal vouchers, and a volunteer uniform. Each October, all volunteers who meet the minimum requirements are invited to an appreciation banquet sponsored by the Erie County Agricultural Society. For more information please feel free to contact the Supervisor of Volunteer Services, Warren Schmidt @ 716-492-3812 or by e-mail at : warreng1244@gmail.com

We would like to congratulate Dawn Schultz of West Seneca for winning the “People’s Choice” with her penguin light bulb ornament at the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights Tree Ornament Competition.

 There were 33 exhibitors that entered handmade ornaments into the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights Tree Ornament Competition at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg.  There were over 600 votes from visitors to the festival.  The winner of the people’s choice award, by a  landslide, for the Tree Ornament Competition was Dawn Schultz of West Seneca, New York with her penguin light bulb ornament.

Click here to check out a photo of the winning ornament.

34 exhibitors entered their delicious cookies into the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights Holiday Cookie Competition on Sunday at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg.  Below is a list of the winners.  Congratulations to the winners!

 UNDECORATED COOKIE WINNERS:

1^st Place – Rita Gabel of Lawtons with her Fudge Tartlets

2^nd Place – Jeannette Pawlak of Buffalo with her Venetians/Neapolitans

3^rd Place – Kim Solly of Orchard Park with her Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies

 DECORATED COOKIE WINNERS:

1^st Place- Christine Enser of Springville with her Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies

2^nd Place- Debra Vertoske of Lancaster with her Mini Gingerbread Birdhouse Recipe

3^rd Place- Dawn Fleming of Orchard Park with her Christmas Cutout Cookies

The Erie County Fair is a proud recipient of seven prestigious first place awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) in the areas of Communications, Agriculture and Competitive Exhibits.  The IAFE is headquartered in Springfield, MO. 

 Award of Distinction for Communications – there are a total of twenty one award categories for the Communication Awards.

•    2011 Erie County Fair Website (www.ecfair.org)

Awards of Distinction for Agriculture – there are a total of thirteen award categories for Agriculture

•   Special or Specific Agricultural Educational Event, Exhibit or Program for the Fairgoing Public – Daily Calf Feeding in Ag-Sperience
•   Non-Fair Agricultural Event or Program – Farm 2 Table

Awards of Distinction for Competitive Exhibits – there are a total of nine award categories for Competitive Exhibits

•     Use of Fair’s Theme Throughout Competitive Exhibits
•     Interactive Competitive Exhibit – Watermelon Carving Contest
•     Competitive Exhibit Display Photo

·         Competitive Exhibit Display Photo Series

Additionally, the Erie County Fair was awarded the ‘Competitive Exhibits Supreme Champion’; this awarded to the fair with the highest number of points awarded in all categories.

 Fifty seven Fairs in three countries compete and the entries are evaluated and judged by a team of industry leaders.  These individuals are selected from the membership of International Association of Fairs and Expositions, which has over 3,000 members from around the globe.  The Erie County Fair is seated in the top division (Division 5) based on the 1,053,150 attendance from the 2011 Fair.

 The awards were presented during the Awards Reception on November 30, 2011, during the 121^St annual IAFE Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Erie County Fair takes great pride in being selected for this prestigious honor.

 The purpose of these competitions is to encourage fair members to share methods, ideas, in an effort to improve and enhance communications and programs at fairs.

 The Agricultural Fair and Expo Industry is not only very important to rural and urban economies globally, but also is steeped in tradition and has a tremendously positive impact on the social well being of our rural and urban society.

 The 2012 Erie County Fair dates will be August 8^th – 19^th, and the theme will be “Wild About The Fair.”