Janice Spagnola, the "balloon lady," left, and Rose Topolski, one of the chief Ag Society volunteer leaders, take a quick break from working Saturday while at Spagnola's exhibitor's booth during opening day at Genesee County Fair. Photo by Howard Owens.
Day One of the fair at Genesee County Fairgrounds was in its last hour Saturday evening as volunteer Rose Topolski made her rounds scooting around on a golf cart and checking on various people and things as BB Dang played on into a gradually dimming sky.
Although the multi-pronged event can get tense at times, Topolski joked around with balloon lady Janice Spagnola, who had been blowing up pastel blue balloons for Sunday's class. She will be teaching balloon sculpture twice a day at noon and 4:45 p.m. in the Exhibition Building all week.
“I taught her. Janice was my student in Alexander Central School, in seventh grade,” Topolski said.
As Topolski spoke, Spagnola made up years that were earlier than when her teacher was actually at Alexander. That seems to be a trend amongst Topolski’s friends and peers — her fellow Ag Society members recently said that she’s been around for each of the fair’s 183 years.
It’s a camaraderie that seems to work, and Topolski gives as good as she gets. However, The Batavian isn’t at liberty to repeat her favorite responses. There was her one-liner about “before the first supper, we had a picnic,” she said.
No matter her years, it has meant oodles of experience, and Topolski shared that Saturday was a darned good one for the history books.
“It’s the best opening day we’ve had, probably since I’ve been here,” she said. “I know that we had over $8,000 at the gate, and that doesn’t include anybody who has a pass, which there’s a number of people that have passes, and everybody who has animals back there has a pass, all of my vendors have passes. It’s just when you add that to it, it just is an insurmountable number of people that are in here today.”
“And I actually snuck out to go to a graduation party … (and someone told her) there are very few people at Blondies because they're here at the fair; they are pretty excited because, you know, the free events at the fair is a pretty good draw, and the fact that you can load your car up 16 deep, and for $10. Actually, they have to be belted in order to come in that vehicle. But to come in and just enjoy all the free opportunities, and they are very inexpensive.”
All of the 4-H and related animal activities are free, including:
The open class poultry show at 9 a.m., the open class rabbit show at 10 a.m., the stockyard classic beef show at noon and the empire classic sheep show at 2 p.m. Sunday;
The 4-H alumni master showman contest at 7 p.m. Wednesday;
The market animal auction sale at 6:30 p.m. Thursday;
A 4-H Family and Consumer Science Club activity at 11 a.m. Friday; and
NIOGA Dairy showmanship show at 8:30, 10 and 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Lori Embt and Dan Embt of Pavilion take photos of Theo Embt, 1 1/2, Nicole Calmes of Le Roy, and Melanie Calmes, 3, during Saturday's opening day of the Genesee County Fair in Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck.
Dan Embt of Pavilion and his family “just came to see the fair” in general. They stopped at an exhibitor booth, Hirsch’s Dairy Farm of Alexander, and posed for some selfies at the painted scene of 4-H kids with cut-out heads for visitors to insert their own faces for a candid shot.
“We used to be in 4-H,” Embt said, recalling what it was like during fair week. “We used to live here practically.”
BB Dang kicked off the 2023 live music lineup of the Genesee County Fair on Saturday with a set heavy on hits and tight musicianship in front of a packed entertainment tent.
BB Dang is:
Isabella Barbagallo, vocals
Reid Burton, vocals and guitar
Alex Sherwood, guitar
Mike Valle, drums
Abby Johnson, keyboards and vocals
Cameron Carlson, a Byron-Bergen graduate, performed his last show with the band before heading off to college.
Doing the final prep work on Friday for the 183rd Genesee County Fair are Norm Pimm and Amanda Gallo, Genesee County Ag Society treasurer and president, respectively, seen here inside the Exhibition Building at the fairgrounds in Batavia. The fair opens at 9 a.m. Saturday. Photo by Joanne Beck.
There may have been a steady flow of vehicles into the fairgrounds Friday, and while that didn’t mark the beginning of Genesee County’s annual event just yet, it was a sign of the traditional prep and move-in by vendors, exhibitors, volunteers and lead organizers from the Genesee County Ag Society.
Norm Pimm and Amanda Gallo, the Society’s treasurer and president, respectively, were busy driving around in one of the golf carts, assigned to the task of answering questions, helping to set things up, directing fair participants, and checking folks in, while Rose Topolski manned the fair office as the head go-to, per the note on the office door.
When asked how late of a night he and others will have in setting up Friday, Pimm sort of shook his head and shared how he answered that question from someone else.
“A lot of us, actually, probably a dozen of us, have a camper here. So I just took a phone call from another vendor wanting to know when I'm going to be here,” Pimm said. “I said, I'll be here until next week Sunday, so a week. I'll be here for the next nine days. And he's like, okay. Yes, we don't really leave. We'll be up very late tonight/early in the morning, still preparing.”
While he and Gallo were parked inside the Exhibition Building, others busily unloaded their tables and goods at their designated areas to get set up for the next morning. Genesee County’s 183rd Fair officially opens at 9 a.m. Saturday on East Main Street Road, Batavia.
“Tomorrow is Kids Day,” Gallo said, reminding folks that a third day has been added this year so that for a $15 wristband, kids can enjoy the Midway from 1 to 5 p.m. this Saturday, July 26 and again on July 29. “And then the small fry tractor pull will be tomorrow.I think a lot of people don't realize that Genesee County does have a fair,” she said.
Friday was more than just a prep day, as the grounds hosted 11 six-horse hitch teams in the evening for a spectacular show of strength and muster from draft horses in the North American six-horse hitch classic series competition. Classified as workhorses, these equines are typically up to about 17 hands high and weigh 1,400 pounds or more. In case you missed them, the teams will return for a show at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the horse arena.
Pimm believes it’s the second largest six-horse hitch show in New York State, largely due to the fair’s growing reputation — it drew a record 75,000 people last year.
Speaking of reputation, the fair queen contest is making a comeback after numbers dipped during the pandemic, Gallo said. There are a dozen worthy contestants this year, and the first round of competition is from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, followed by the pageant and crowning from6 to 9 p.m. Monday, both in the entertainment tent.
If you’re a bit dazed by the entertainment and activity choices, check out the schedule and update online at fair-schedule
And then check it out in person, Pimm said.
“Come on out and support it and see it. I mean, for $10 for a carload, you can get as many people you can pack into the car you bring, and you're not going to beat it for the price. And there's a lot of, some new vendors, some new entertainment, here every single day. Plus a lot of entertainment that has been here in the past,” Pimm said. “We just have a lot for kids to do, whether it's the midway, whether it’s, you know, the livestock exhibits, those little kids sections. And then it's family-friendly.”
Mona Doyon of All Babies Cherished setting up her booth at the fair. Photo by Joanne Beck.
Along with food, midway and animal vendors — the kangaroos were already set up in their section — were the exhibitors of businesses and nonprofits inside the Exhibition Building. Mona Doyon, program coordinator for All Babies Cherished, was decorating her table tucked into a corner for the agency’s second year at the fair.
“It’s a great outreach. You get to meet the community, and it brings in people, and one of the ladies that we got to meet last year, she worked with Fidelis Insurance. Now she comes into our center, and she helps our clients. She comes in once a week. So it was just a great outreach. And so we wanted to come back,” Doyon said. “And we are promoting, we're going to be opening a temporary housing for women and children. And we're doing a beef raffle. So we want to promote that and just get more awareness of what we do in the community to help women and children.”
“We have the house, and we're working on it. So it's planned by the end of the year or the first of the year 2024. Please do stop on by, come see us. It's a great program.”
She will have information to share with people about the agency’s services, which is why so many organizations set up booths at the fair. So far this year she saw sheep and signs for maple syrup products that she may buy later this week, and last year did some shopping.
“So I know last year I got soap and candles,” she said. “So it's a great thing, and it's great to see, you know, Batavia and Genesee County is thriving. We’ve got to bring more into this area.”
It was as if we arranged the tribute band The Eaglez to perform at Genesee County Fair during The Batavian’s debut, along with WBTA, for the first-time official Media Center at the Fair this coming week.
Along with the Media Center’s booth, The Batavian is sponsoring an eagle drawing contest, with the first prize being Harley Benton BigTone Trem guitar for some lucky artist aged 17 or under. The guitar for the winning eagle drawing (randomly selected from among staff favorites) will be presented during The Eaglez concert on Thursday (July 27) night!
This will now be the third such guitar giveaway sponsored by The Batavian, and it might seem like a completely incongruous thing for an online media company to do, right? A news site giving away a musical instrument? Shouldn't we give away a typewriter or a camera?
Well, first, let’s explain the eagle-drawing contest.
An eagle is the primary essence of The Batavian’s logo, borrowed from the Upton Monument, which sits at the intersection of routes 5 and 63 in downtown Batavia. Publisher Howard Owens wanted to capture that symbol along with the name of this city he now holds dear after setting down roots more than 15 years ago.
“The Upton Monument is our community's most important and significant landmark, and the eagle that sits atop of it represents independence and courage, two characteristics of good news organizations,” Owens said. "When planning our new logo, the eagle seems a natural way to represent our commitment to the community and to fearless and honest journalism."
The guitar contests are something Owens said he wanted to do to give back to the community to promote an appreciation for the magic and beauty of music among its youth.
Owens has been a music fan from his most formative years growing up in California, listening to The Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Elvis. He had musical ambitions early on, but his parents couldn't afford the investment in music lessons and instruments, and by the time he did get a cheap, almost unplayable guitar, there was nobody in his family or neighborhood to help him develop his skills.
"The world of music is so different today than when I was young -- there are guitars available that play and sound great, stay in tune, and are well made that are affordable," Owens said. "The online resources for players of all skill levels, from the first-day beginner to the advanced player, just didn't exist for most of my life. I get excited when I think about the musical opportunities available to kids today, and I want to help point them in the right direction."
No, not everyone is going to be a rock star, Owens admits, but he is aware of how many local musicians there are who have humbly started out on a family keyboard, a hand-me-down guitar or a used set of drums, who continue to gig today, or have found other avenues for careers and secondary incomes in music, or just continue to play for their own enjoyment.
“Batavia, Genesee County, the GLOW region is bursting with musical talent," Owens said. "I'm inspired by so many people, from Bill McDonald and Justin Williams to Tom Ryan, Daniel King, Ray Williams, Steve Kruppner, Dylan DeSmit, Michael Murray, Alex Feig, and the whole Del Plato family, among so many others, that I want to see that local musical tradition continue. Paul Draper shared with The Batavian recently how his musical career began with an inexpensive keyboard, and he's become one of the region's top gigging performers. It's great to see so much talent in our community, and I think we, as a community, can develop more young talent."
For the first two contests, The Batavian set up a booth for a one-day event and gave away an acoustic guitar and a knockoff of a Fender Telecaster. Since the fair is a bigger, multiday event, Owens said he wanted to find a guitar that would really grab people's attention and get kids excited about the possibility of winning a quality musical instrument. He figured an archtop guitar would fit the bill, and was excited when he found the Harley Benton BigTone Trem in white.
The guitar, he explained, is patterned after a Gretsch White Falcon, which among guitar enthusiasts is an iconic instrument. A new White Falcon costs thousands of dollars. The Harley Benton guitar is a fraction of the cost, and Harley Benton is considered one of the world's best budget-line guitar companies.
Steve Kruppner, an accomplished solo performer and guitarist for The Bluesway Band, played it on Wednesday and said he's impressed by it (see video above).
"This is extremely well built," Kruppner said during his test drive of the guitar. "Like I said, I learned guitar on what was probably an Italian-made copy of a Fender Strat. It was just a complete piece of junk. It was unplayable. The strings were this far off the neck and they wouldn't tune. But this guitar is really sweet. I wouldn't mind having one myself just to have at home right now."
Kruppner admired the tuners, neck, solid build of the guitar, its Bigsby-style tremolo, white finish, gold trim and clean sound of the pickups. The guitar is both a great lead instrument and a great strummer, like an acoustic guitar, he said.
"I tell you what, if I was 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 years old and I got this guitar, I'd be thrilled," Kruppner said. "This is a far better guitar than what I learned on, I can tell you."
To enter the contest, visit the Genesee County Fair, go to the Exhibit Hall, find the Official Genesee County Fair Media Center, where both The Batavian and WBTA will be set up with booths, and ask for an entry form. While at the booth, draw your best version of an eagle (entries must be drawn at the booth or nearby). The Batavian staff will select their favorite drawings to be entered into a random drawing. To enter, you must agree to return to the fair on Thursday night for the Eaglez concert (a free pass will be provided to the winner's family) where you will receive the guitar on stage during the concert.
For adults, there is also an eagle drawing contest, and the prize is a $100 gift certificate from the original Red Osier Landmark Restaurant. The winner will be asked to return to the fair at an agreed-upon appointment time for a promotional photo and to receive the gift certificate.
The People's Choice award is a harmonica. The Batavian staff will pick its 20 favorite drawings from all the entries, and visitors to the Media Center on Thursday and Friday will vote for their favorite of the 20 selected. The winner will be asked to return to the fair on Saturday for a photo-op and to receive the harmonica.
Steve Kruppner and The Bluesways Band perform at 7 p.m. on Friday in Jackson Square as part of the Business Improvement District's weekly concert series.
All eagles must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth during the fair.
All entry forms must be complete and signed by a parent/guardian if under 17.
Those entering for the guitar must be able to return for the prize during The Eaglez concert at 7 p.m. July 27 for a presentation/photo opportunity.
All prizes will be presented along with a photo for promotional purposes.
Winning entries will be randomly selected from among staff favorites, except for People’s Choice, will be selected by fair attendees from among the Top 20 staff favorites.
No purchase necessary to win.
The 17 and under winner of theguitar will be contacted via phone by noon on Thursday, July 27. The winner does not have to be present to win during the actual drawing but MUST be able to come back for The Eaglez concert that evening on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. to accept the guitar prize. There will be a photo opportunity on stage with The Eaglez, and the winning recipient for promotional (marketing and media) purposes for The Batavian. You will receive a complimentary entry to return to the fair for that day.
All entries must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth. All entries will be reviewed by The Batavian staff, and the winning drawing will be randomly selected from among the top favorites. Criteria include quality and creativity.
The winner of People’s Choice harmonica will be notified via phone and/or email on Friday, July 28. All entries must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 26. Top 20 staff favorites will be on display Thursday and Friday. The winner will be chosen by voting of fair attendees and announced on Friday, July 28, with prize presentation and a photo taken on Saturday, July 29 at the fair.
The winner of 18 and older Red Osier gift certificate will be notified via phone and/or email on Thursday, July, 27. Criteria and selection are the same as the 17 and under prize. The winner will receive the gift certificate and have a photo taken by Saturday, July 29. To win, you must agree to come back to the fair to receive the gift certificate and have your photo taken for publication in The Batavian.
No purchase necessary to win. This contest has been made possible with special thanks to The Batavian for sponsoring the guitar and harmonica prizes and to The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant for the gift certificate.
Trump enjoys a drink of water from the hose offered by handler Dave Bontrager, from Indiana, after his arrival at the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Thursday. Photo by Howard Owens.
The North American 6 Horse Hitch Classic Series has become a popular pre-fair event at the Genesee County Fairgrounds each year and the teams competing this year arrived in Batavia on Thursday.
Schedule of events for Friday:
11 a.m, Draft Horse Hitch Show (Horse Arena), Unicorn, Ladies Cart & North American Classic Youth Cart
4:30 p.m., Draft Farm Team Show (Horse Arena)
5:30 p.m.—North American 6 Horse Hitch Classic Class (Horse Arena)
Also at the fairgrounds on Friday, Stockyard Classic Hog Showmanship, Breeding Gilt & Market Hog show, starting at 3 p.m.
For Friday only, the cost to enter the fairgrounds is $5 per carload.
For daily fair schedules, check The Batavian each morning, and when you visit the fair, stop by the Media Center in the Exhibit Hall to meet the staff of The Batavian and WBTA. You can enter The Batavian's eagle drawing contest and sign up for Early Access Pass at a special fair-special discount.
Conn gets a good wash at the Genesee County Fairgrounds after his arrival on Thursday with Sam Monhney and Sarah Brockhoff, both of Dayton, Pa. Photo by Howard Owens.
All eagles must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth during the fair.
All entry forms must be complete and signed by a parent/guardian if under 17.
Those entering for the guitar must be able to return for the prize during The Eaglez concert at 7 p.m. July 27 for a presentation/photo opportunity.
All prizes will be presented along with a photo for promotional purposes.
Winning entries will be randomly selected from among staff favorites, except for People’s Choice, will be selected by fair attendees from among the Top 20 staff favorites.
No purchase necessary to win.
The 17 and under winner of theguitar will be contacted via phone by noon on Thursday, July 27. The winner does not have to be present to win during the actual drawing but MUST be able to come back for The Eaglez concert that evening on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. to accept the guitar prize. There will be a photo opportunity on stage with The Eaglez, and the winning recipient for promotional (marketing and media) purposes for The Batavian. You will receive a complimentary entry to return to the fair for that day.
All entries must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth. All entries will be reviewed by The Batavian staff, and the winning drawing will be randomly selected from among the top favorites. Criteria include quality and creativity.
The winner of People’s Choice harmonica will be notified via phone and/or email on Friday, July 28. All entries must be drawn at The Batavian’s booth by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 26. Top 20 staff favorites will be on display Thursday and Friday. The winner will be chosen by voting of fair attendees and announced on Friday, July 28, with prize presentation and a photo taken on Saturday, July 29 at the fair.
The winner of 18 and older Red Osier gift certificate will be notified via phone and/or email on Thursday, July, 27. Criteria and selection are the same as the 17 and under prize. The winner will receive the gift certificate and have a photo taken by Saturday, July 29. To win, you must agree to come back to the fair to receive the gift certificate and have your photo taken for publication in The Batavian.
No purchase necessary to win. This contest has been made possible with special thanks to The Batavian for sponsoring the guitar and harmonica prizes and to The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant for the gift certificate.
Musicians in a tribute band take on a special challenge. Fans are going to want to hear the hit songs just like they've heard them on the record, and they've listened to their favorite songs enough to know every nuance.
You can't flub your lines or miss a chord change, and you better get the harmonies right.
"That is the curse of the tribute band -- everybody knows those songs, and if you're not doing them right, they know it," said Bob Brummitt, leader and bass player with The Eaglez, an Eagles tribute band. "In a bar band, you can get away with it. You're a cover band, and everybody knows it and accepts it, but being in a tribute band forces us to be at the top of our game."
The Eaglez will perform at the Genesee County Fair on Thursday, July 27. Show time is 7 p.m.
The Eagles are a tough act to mimic, Brummitt acknowledged. Many of the songs are deceptively simple, suitable for a campfire sing-along, but the arrangements can be more complex, especially with studio overdubs, something players can't easily recreate live.
"To tell the truth, we play these songs all the time and have been listening to them our whole lives, but sometimes we'll be like, 'what is that chord change?' even though we've heard it a million times, and so we're like, 'now we know why it sounds the way it does.'"
The Eaglez formed about 2 1/2 years ago, a child of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're all veteran players," Brummitt said. "We've all been doing the bar scene for about 40 years. We decided that for some of us, before fading off into the sunset, this is always something we wanted to do but none of us had the time. COVID did us a huge favor. During the lockdown, nobody was booking any bands, so all we could do was go to the practice facility and grind it out. Then when things opened up, we were ready to fly." (No pun intended)
The current lineup is:
Randy Barnard, Lead Guitar/Keyboard
Dennis Makowski, Guitar/Vocals
Bob Brummitt, Bass Guitar/Vocals
John White, Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
Mike Nierenberg, Vocals/Percussion
Micky Judware / Rich Keigley, Drums
Paul Vanacore, Sax/Keyboard
"Most of us were straight ahead barroom rockers," Brummitt said. "There's where the business has been the past few years. We played Bad Company, the Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Skynyrd -- you name it, we've done it. We've just about played it all."
Not every musician Brummitt approached about joining an Eagles tribute band wanted to take on the challenge. He heard things like, "I can't take the time to learn it," "It takes too much commitment," and "It's too tough for me."
The players who did take on the challenge are attracted to the Eagles, Brummitt said, because "it's America's music."
"Everybody loves the Eagles," Brummitt said. "Even bar bands play one or two Eagles songs."
Drawing on influences such as the Beach Boys (those high harmonies), Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, the Byrds, and Graham Parsons, the Eagles took that nascent country rock sound of California and infused it with hooks and themes listeners could grasp.
"We all grew up with it, but even at our shows, there are people in their late 20s, early 30s, who weren't even born yet (when the Eagles topped the charts), and we're surprised," Brummitt said. "But they say, 'That's what my parents played when I was a child.' It's almost timeless."
The Eaglez have caught on in WNY -- band members live throughout the region -- and they play 20 to 25 shows each summer, mostly in outdoor venues, which they prefer. In winter, they mostly avoid bars, except as a favor to outdoor venue owners who also have an indoor venue, and to stay in practice.
The Eaglez is the only full-time Eagles tribute band in WNY, as far as Brummitt knows, which has helped fuel their popularity.
"(Tribute bands) seems to be where the market is," Brummitt said. "It's a narrower market. It's an upscale market. And you don't have to bring a crowd. When you try to book into a bar (as a cover band), bar owners want to know how many people can you bring? That's not the case with a tribute band."
A typical set from the Eaglez is 25 songs, and they pretty much play all the fan favorites.
The Eagles Greatest Hits (1971–1975) is certified platinum 38 times. It is the biggest-selling album of all time.
"We kind of pride ourselves on playing every single song on that album," Brummitt said.
The set usually includes a couple of songs from the solo careers of Eagles members Don Henley, Joe Walsh and the late Glenn Frey. Some of those songs sound so much like the Eagles, he said, that some fans don't even know they're not Eagles songs.
This will be the first appearance for The Eaglez in Genesee County, and Brummitt said he's hoping they're a smash so they get invited back. The band is looking to get more exposure in rural Western New York because the Eagles music, country rock, seems a natural fit.
"It's an inviting venue because we're all really familiar with county fairs," Brummitt said. "It's a real festival environment, there's usually some liquid refreshment flowing, and it's our kind of crowd."
The Eaglez concert will include The Batavian announcing the winner of its guitar-giveaway contest.
There is a total of five nights of live music at the Genesee County Fair. Here is the rest of the 2023 lineup:
Saturday, July 22 BB Dang, 7 to 10 p.m.
Photo courtesy BB Dang.
You could say BB Dang is a group of graduates from ROC Star Academy in Rochester, where band members all first started playing together. They've successfully transitioned from a class project to a gigging band. Manager Tony Barbagallo described the band's sound as high-energy rock, including current hits and classic rock with a bit of country thrown into the mix. "I think that's been part of their success," Barbagallo said. "They span current pop music, current pop artists, all the way back to classic rock and classic country." The band members are Isabella Barbagallo, vocals, Reid Burton, vocals and guitar, Matt Edwards, bass, Alex Sherwood, guitar, Mike Valle, drums, and Abby Johnson, keyboards and vocals. For the fair, original member Cameron Carlson will be on bass in one of his last gigs with the band before starting college. Carlson is from Bergen.
Sunday, July 23 Knight Patrol, 7 to 10 p.m.
Photo courtesy Knight Patrol.
Knight Patrol plays 80s monster rock hits, said manager Angelo Affronti. The band includes his son A.J. on lead guitar, lead singer Tim Burnett, Eddie Krysinski on keyboards, Zach Biern on bass and the drummer is Jon Bishop (with a sub on the GC Fair show). "We play all of the biggest hits of the 80s -- Bon Jovi, Journey, Motley Crue, Electric Light Orchestra, Bryan Adams -- all the greatest hits. All stuff that people know." A.J. Affronti said the band loves 80s music because they can relate to it better than today's music. "I think it's a bit of a different character, and it's more into how we feel. When you hear an 80s song, you know it's an 80s song. It just has an energy to it." He said his favorite guitarists include Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest, along with Neal Schon of Journey.
Friday, July 28 Audibull, 7:30 to 11 p.m.
Photo by Carla Coots
Audibull is a Genesee County band through-and-through, based in Pavilion, playing local gigs for a dozen years, and rooted in the local music scene. Members are Tim Pitcher on guitar, Bill Christiano on bass, Chris Iannone on drums, and Todd Tracy on lead vocals. It's a solid four-piece playing modern hard rock -- System of a Down, Korn, Drowning Pool, Disturbed, and Godsmack, for example. "We like the energy of the crowd," Tracy said. "I've always lived with the idea that there's a new crop of 21-year-olds every year who want to hear what they grew up with, but the older we get, the crowd gets younger."
Saturday, July 29 BarnStorm, 7 to 11 p.m.
Photo courtesy BarnStorm.
The Genesee County Fair will close out its live music showcase with a night of current and classic country from BarnStorm. Their set highlights such acts as Reba McIntire, Maren Morris, LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, Phil Vassar and Kenny Chesney. The lineup is Rick Polinsky on keyboards, Rich Ulinski on lead vocals, Leslie Trippi, lead vocals, Dave Dunkowski, bass, and Pete Militello, drums. The band has been together about 15 years and the current lineup are all dyed-in-the-wool country fans. "We're all veteran musicians," Polinsky said. "We all like country. That's the toughest thing, trying to get five people on the same page as far as the kind of music you're doing. We had people who did rock and roll and had no clue about country music these guys have been playing it for years and know it like the back of their hands."
File photo from 2018 Genesee County Fair Photo by Howard Owens.
No matter what you might think of fairs, Genesee County’s 183rd annual one this year has packed so many activities, there's an expanded eight-day schedule to keep kids and adults busy, entertained, well fed, and — if they come by the carload — financially intact by the end.
Of the many new offerings at the fair for 2023, one of the mainstays is Genesee County Ag Society treasurer Norm Pimm. He has been one of the steadfast volunteers for the event who knows the ins and outs of happenings, from musical groups and a welding competition to the talent show, stockyard classic and a power wheels race for kids.
So where to begin? The stockyard classic show has grown to be enormously popular, with 500 entries, Pimm said. It began with an event in May and will continue July 21 through 23 with a sheep, goat, hog, and beef show. Participants up to 21 will compete for showmanship prizes for the top five categories of peewee, novice, junior, intermediate and senior. The top two will then advance to the next round of competition.
“Any age contestant can show their animal, spectators are more than welcome to come and watch. We'll be running two different show rings all the time. So you'll have pigs in one, sheep in one or two, so they'll be moving around,” he said. “So there will be probably 150 to 200 exhibitors.”
As for music, fan favorites BB Bang will open things up from 7 to 10 p.m. July 22. A group of musicians 18 to 22, they’ve been playing for the last several years, Pimm said. “They are really good,” he said. “They do 75 to 100 shows a year. One kid is from Byron-Bergen school.”
Knight Patrol, a high-energy rock band from Macedon, will be playing tunes from the 80s from 7 to 10 p.m. July 23.
The Eaglez, as its name implies, is a tribute band to American soft rock band The Eagles and will give its fair debut from 7 to 10 p.m. July 27. This band’s performance will include a special giveaway of a guitar sponsored by The Batavian.
A “very big fan favorite” steps up from 7:30 to 11 p.m. on July 28, and that’s Audibull.
Country rock band The Barnstorm will cap off the county fair from 7 to 10 p.m. on July 29. It’s been a dozen years since they’ve been here, Pimm said, and they are coming back with toe-tapping favorites.
Tucked into that musical line-up are other fair staples and add-ons in the entertainment tent: Faith at the Fair, with a couple of Christian rock bands, from noon to 4 p.m. July 22; the fair queen competition at 3 p.m. July 23, followed by the queen crowning from 6 to 8 p.m. July 24; a crowd-pleasing double night of karaoke from 7 to 10 p.m.July 25 and 26.
Participants that sign up for the talent show by July 22 are guaranteed a goodie bag, and everyone will take to the stage on July 29.
File photo of Genesee County Fair parade in 2018 Photo by Howard Owens.
What’s the fair without a parade? That will be happening at 6:30 p.m. on July 25 around the grounds.
Gates open at 6 p.m. July 28 for the demolition derby, with a 7 p.m. starting time. That has been the biggest draw of more than 2,000 people, Pimm said, and this year there will be the addition of a power wheels derby. At 6:15 p.m., kids with power wheels will compete, and whosever battery lasts the longest wins. Featuring motorized jeeps, gators and cars, it’s like a real demolition derby but with children’s versions of vehicles, he said. He watched one at an Adirondack fair.
“It was so much fun,” he said. “There have been 51,000 hits on the post that’s been up for a week so far. People are excited about that. The next biggest is 50,000 hits for an Enduro race.”
The entry form for the kids' power wheels demo derby is on the fair website. There are two age categories of 4 to 7 and 8 to 12. For more information, call 585-709-9859.
The Enduro race is a family-friendly race at 7 p.m. on July 29. Older stock cars with the doors chained shut race some 100 laps for a $2,000 pot.
For anyone looking for some of your more traditional fair amusement, there’s 4-H, which begins July 24 with what’s predicted to be the most entries ever, Pimm said, of rabbits, chicken, sheep, goats, pigs, and the home goods, crafts, and clothing items.
“The barns are going to be full of animals all week,”he said, begging the question of how do they stay cool. “We have big fans that were installed two years ago in dairy, beef and swine bars, and we’re installing them in the sheep barns. They can keep air moving through the barns and shade them pretty good.”
Along with new fans, other updates have included a new sound system and LED lighting in the horse and livestock arenas.
What would a fair be without Future Farmers of America Day? And this year, Miller Welding is sponsoring a welding competition for FFA members on July 26. There are to be 20 to 30 kids showing their welding skills as a way to promote the trades, Pimm said, with plans to build on that with future events for tractor driving and “anything to do with trades.”
An attraction that most fair-goers can’t resist is the Hammerl Amusements midway, expanded for 2023, which runs from 1 to 9 p.m. July 22, 23, 26 and 29, and 4 to 9 p.m. 24, 25, 27 and 28. A Kids All Day (1 to 5 p.m.) special for $15 will be offered on both Saturdays and Wednesdays of the fair and feature Mr. Scribbles and a pedal tractor pull.
Other activities include pig races, balloon demonstrations, a Taste of New York selfie contest, kids Color Wars, an ice eating contest, and an Ag Awareness tent.
Don’t miss preview night that begins at 3 p.m. Friday with a special admission of $5 and the North American Six Horse Hitch Series at 5:30 p.m. at the horse arena, with a follow-up performance at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Regular admission is $10 per carload from Saturday through July 29 at the fairgrounds, 5056 E. Main Street Road, Batavia. The fair is hosting special deals for senior citizens, veterans, kids, and emergency responders on select days throughout the week. Fans can keep up with the deals and news HERE, where the fair will be holding four trivia contests to give away tickets to the demolition derby and coupons to the Ag Society’s food stand, the Chuckwagon.
What’s not new? The need for volunteers. The fair survives on them, Pimm said.
“It’s 100 percent volunteer; none of us gets paid, not one person, and, like, 12 of us work all year round. And then there's others that come in. I mean, just over the week of the fair, we get over 100 volunteers, which is fantastic,” he said. “Yeah, we can allow them on for various parts of the fairgrounds, whether it's the food stand or parking or helping with livestock shows or cleaning barns or, you know, just everything. So, we're always looking for more volunteers and or, obviously, joining the Fair Board, but even without that, we're still looking for volunteers.”
That’s mostly how the operation that’s been going since 1839 has continued, drawing families from across the region to meet and greet with animals — promised to be more than 1,000 this year. Genesee County just keeps thriving and beating the odds each year, Pimm said.
“Really, unfortunately, some fairs aren't even around anymore but we’re around,” he said. "We continue to grow, which is great. I mean, last year, we had almost about 75,000 people.”
Photo from the 2021 Genesee County Fair Talent Show. Photo by Howard Owens.
Now in her third year as the lead of Genesee County’s talent show, Laura Kauppi remembers perhaps the epitome of a fair contestant a couple of years ago: a young boy wearing big farm boots and work clothes ran in to register moments before the contest.
“And he got up, and he played this beautiful piano piece that he had composed himself, I think on the spot, actually. And, you know, that was just a fantastic experience. And I think that’s kind of what it’s all about,” Kauppi said. “He was really proud of himself. He got his prize and went back to taking care of his animals.”
And so it goes with a real down-home, rural fair filled with plenty of 4-H activities, animals and kids. If you've got some talent to share, register by Saturday to receive a goodie bag, or at least by 1:30 p.m. July 29 to participate in this year's talent show in the entertainment tent at the fair on East Main Street, Batavia.
This year’s event already has an impressively varied list of entries, about a dozen so far, Kauppi said, with a handful of pianists from the piano teacher's own lessons’ groups, a violin duet, a family band, and Chinese folk dancers.
She offered to organize the show three years ago to continue a tradition that Kauppi, of Corfu, enjoyed so much as a participant, she said. She broke up the categories so that ages 13 to 19 will be separated from the adults, and all ages will have the opportunity to perform and compete amongst their peers — under seven; seven to 12; 13 to 19; and ages 20 and older.
“There used to be a state level where people could compete at state, and that's just one of the things we lost due to COVID. Now that there's not a state level, I kind of added the tiny tots, I added the adult category, being different. It used to be age 13 and up as one category, so I added the adult category as being separate because I thought it was more fair to not have 13-year-olds competing against adults,” she said. “It’s a nice relaxed way to share your talent with the community.”
Anyone who registers by July 22 is guaranteed a goodie bag, she said. If you're still debating a decision after Saturday, you may register up to 1:30 p.m. on the competition day of July 29.
Then it’s go-time, when one by one — solo or group performers will be center stage to sing or play or dance, or otherwise demonstrate their hard work of rehearsals in front of the crowd. But not to worry, it’s a nice crowd, she said.
“I really like that it’s very relaxed, and I really like that it’s very family-friendly,” Kauppi said. “I competed in it, and I want them to have the same positive experiences that I had. You get to have a goodie bag and a participant ribbon and pride in knowing you performed for your community and shared your talent with the people around you.”
There have been a couple of outdated links of the entry form published, Kauppi said, and she provided The Batavian with an updated version. Register by July 22 for a guaranteed goodie bag and by 1:30 p.m. July 29 to participate in the show.
Photo from the 2021 Genesee County Fair Talent Show. Photo by Howard Owens.
Norm Pimm presenting the annual fair report, and Legislator Gordon Dibble to his right. Photo by Joanne Beck.
Record attendance of 70,000 people, the best year in recent history for vendors, the best midway year, and an increase in 4-H participants up from 35 two years ago to 165.
That upbeat news was in Norm Pimm’s 2022 annual fair report for Genesee County legislators; however, this year’s county fair is only expected to be bigger, better, and livelier than ever, the spokesman for Genesee County Agricultural Society said.
“People love our fairgrounds, they love our set-up,” Pimm said during this week’s Human Services meeting. “We have one of the top animal exhibits, at least one of the top three in New York State. That’s what the fair’s all about.”
The fair’s veterinarian went to check on the animals and “couldn’t believe how many we had,” Pimm said.
Ready for the numbers? There were:
81 Dairy Cattle
80 Goats
48 Beef
80 Swine
65 Sheep
204 Horses
90 Rabbits
155 Poultry
18 Cavies
The Empire Classic Youth Sheep Show had 55 participants and 270 entries; the Genesee County Open Beef Show had 75 participants and 190 entries; Genesee County Open Swine Show had 50 participants and 160 entries; Draft Horse Show had 12 six-horse hitch teams from all over the country, the second largest show in the state.
So, what’s coming this summer? Some of it is new, and other features are bringing back or adding to old favorites, he said, such as more remote-control race cars, which will be free for kids, Pimm said. They were “a huge hit last year,” and will be locally sponsored by businesses.
There will be three kids’ days, with entertainment and midway discounts; nightly entertainment throughout the week; a petting zoo; two nights of fireworks; karaoke; the demolition derby and figure eight racing.
The Ag Society continues to invest proceeds into the fairgrounds, including $250,000 of mostly grant funds for electrical and sound upgrades — a work still in progress; upgrades of new siding, roof and furnace to the Kennedy Building; another construction/remodel project in the works for a new Agriculture Education Building; and upgraded wastewater/drainage.
The nonprofit is not dependent and focused merely on the fair and grounds, Pimm said, but also on additional events:
Six large horse shows booked for this year
Stockyard Classic Show Series
Food Truck Rodeo
A state Junior Beef Producers Show in April
“New, beginning in May … Memorial Day weekend … we’ll have a Stockyard Classic beef/sheep/swine and beef cattle series,” he said. “We’re doing a lot outside of the fair as well, to keep bringing money back to the fair.”
The Human Services Committee approved a resolution for the county to give $11,000 to the Genesee County Agricultural Society, to be used for 4-H judging and premium expenses, fair operations and related costs associated with the 2023 Genesee County Fair.
A resolution will be passed on to the next committee and eventually to the county Legislature for final vote. Funding has fluctuated over the years, with the highest level at $25,000, when the Society requested additional funding to make fair enhancements in 1999 to 2001; and zero funding in 2020 when the Society did not seek funding due to COVID-19.
This year's fair is set for July 22-29. To keep up-to-date on all of the fair events and the main page countdown clock, go to GC Fair. As it stands, there are 77 days, three hours, 11 minutes and nine seconds, no, eight, seven, six ...
There was only one thing to say about the fantastic weather, record numbers, dependable help and community support at this year’s Genesee County Fair, volunteer Norm Pimm says.
“It’s pretty wild,” he said to The Batavian Monday afternoon. “When last year just blew away our numbers that we hadn’t done before — for the last 13 years we had double-digit growth — we figured that no way we were going to top that. After the first Saturday and Sunday, we were already ahead of the pace.”
The fair has risen from attendance of 13,000 a dozen years ago to this year’s intake of 75,000. That’s a 15 percent increase from 2021, which was touted as a record-breaking year for the Agricultural Society’s yearly event.
Pimm believes that, at least in part, people were really anxious to get out and do something after the pandemic lockdown. Plus, the event itself has added new attractions, a midway vendor, more 4-H participants and farm animals, and the volunteer group has invested money into water, electrical and other amenities to continuously improve the grounds, he said. Its reputation has spread beyond Genesee into neighboring counties, often due to word-of-mouth praise, he said.
“I truly believe we’ve had a great county fair; it’s sort of in the back yard of Western New York,” he said. “People say ‘this is the fair I grew up on.’”
There was an impressive 1,100 animals at the fair, albeit in shifts, since they all couldn’t fit into the barns all at once, he said. The meat auction drew 60 new bidders from last year, which raised more than $320,000, and “smashed” the current total. Most of the proceeds went to each youth participant, with a “very small” percentage to help cover Cornell Cooperative Extension’s costs, he said.
“This is huge for the kids, because many of them use the money to purchase their following year’s project,” he said.
About 150 Genesee County 4-H youths participated, with 88 in the auction, and another 100 from throughout New York State in the open livestock shows, he said. Come September, 20 of those youths will go on to participate in events at the State Fair in Syracuse.
Arcade resident Thomas Keele’s steer brought in a whopping $32,000, thanks to a community that agreed to jack up the bids to help his family out after his father was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Pimm knew the boy’s father, and also knew that people had loosely set a goal to raise $10,000 before the bids just kept going and going, he said.
“People just stood up for him,” Pimm said.
In addition to the animals, there was also a baked goods auction that helped the grand total, he said.
No slacker at the grandstand, the demolition derby seated 2,500 people, and opened up the infield to accommodate the overflow.
“So that we didn’t have to turn away people,” he said. “They were excited to see it.”
He credited Bruce Scofield of Stafford for overseeing the derby and securing a 25 percent increase in attendance from last year. Even the amount of cars broke a record, with 60 entered for the smash ‘em up event.
There were problems, Pimm said, such as running out of food at least three or four times at the Chuckwagon, and other vendors reporting that they sold out of products a few times as well. That was “a great problem to have,” he said.
A mini car race was supported by area businesses that sponsored each car, which helped to cover costs and made it free for kids to do. Pig races, a dog comedy act, “fantastic” bands and Hammerl Amusements were all new or fairly new additions that kept bringing the crowds in, he said.
As for the work involved, Pimm laughed as he shared his daughter’s reaction while riding in her dad’s car with him. He kept making calls regarding next year’s fair festivities.
“She said, ‘it never stops, does it?” Pimm said. “For us to continue to grow, we have to add new stuff, and we’re tweaking some things. If it wasn’t for the businesses … and the volunteers, there’s no way we could do this.”
Things got a little steamy for Genesee County legislators Tuesday night.
The group walked in the county’s fair parade and then worked the Chuckwagon for the evening.
“As we all know, we're probably still a little warm from last night,” County Chairwoman Shelley Stein said during the Legislature meeting Wednesday. “And I will tell you, this is a group of hard-working people. We were on the front lines, and sometimes we lost our way. But as a group, we worked really well together. It was team building.”
Never mind the heatstroke, slightly tinged fingers, or burned hands on those front line volunteers, she said, with one legislator serving as the fry guy, another tracking the money, others flipping burgers and all of them otherwise absorbing the grill’s heat.
It was for a good cause, Stein said: the proceeds went to the Genesee County Agricultural Society, a group of volunteers who plan, organize and implement the weeklong event.
“It was an opportunity to see Genesee County agriculture shine,” she said. “Hats off to the Genesee County Fair.”
Fair activities have been scheduled every day since a horse show kicked off the event last Friday evening. It runs through Saturday at the fairgrounds on Route 5, Batavia. Click here for the schedule
Top photo: Genesee County Legislators John Deleo, back, Gary Maha, center, and Christian Yunker, front, work the food service at the Chuckwagon Tuesday at Genesee County Fair. Above, the legislators participate in the fair parade. Photos submitted by Lisa Casey.
