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Photographer Laura Luft shared with us some shots of 4-H activities at the Genesee County Fair.

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello and enter our eagle-drawing contest in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

A 53-year-old Rochester resident on parole for a prior robbery conviction has been charged in Monday's Key Bank branch robbery in Batavia.

Stacy R. Moss is charged with robbery in the third degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree. 

Moss is accused of entering the Key Bank branch at 69 Main St. shortly before 9:36 a.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money.

Police said the suspect did not display a weapon or threaten use of a weapon.

The suspect then left on a bicycle with an unspecified amount of money. 

Officers from Batavia PD, along with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, checked the area and were initially unable to locate the suspect. 

Batavia PD detectives worked quickly to obtain an identification of the individual involved using the Monroe County Crime Analysis Center's facial recognition software. 

Batavia shared the suspect's photos from the robbery scene with local media, and officers checked the last known addresses of the person they believed was identified in the photos.

While gathering further information, investigators received information that the suspect was hiding inside a residence on South Spruce Street.

Moss was taken into custody without incident.

Investigators determined that the suspect acted alone

Moss was released on parole in January after serving seven years on a 2016 convict for three counts of robbery in the third degree, grand larceny.

He also has prior convictions for robbery in the first degree in 2004, robbery in the second degree in 1989, and burglary in the third degree in 1987.

Following his arrest, Moss was arraigned and ordered held pending his next court appearance.

You can support local news coverage and help The Batavian continue to bring you local news by signing up for Early Access Pass.

The 4-H Market Sheep Show champion is Colton Sugg, and the reserve champion is his sister Makayla Sugg. 

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello and enter our eagle-drawing contest in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

Ever wanted to check out birds up close and personal? Tammy Sweet came up with an idea for you to do just that, and boy, does she have birds. There are 200 colorful parakeets available in her 30-foot trailer, Wings on Wheels, parked at Genesee County Fair this week.

Employee Sydney Hurlbut explained that it was a new concept that Sweet wanted to try out after operating a petting zoo for about 10 years. The trailer travels the Western New York area from Rochester to Buffalo.

"We travel around, we've seen other things, and we've done the petting zoo for a while, and (Sweet) always saw enclosures that you could visit. But this idea kind of came from, there's nothing like it. So you could go to other enclosures on site, but we bring the birds to you. So we do birthday parties, fairs, different events like that. And it's just, it's exciting. Kids love it. It's just a different experience,” Hurlbut said Monday afternoon. “And we're all about different, we love to bring new things to new places."

Step inside, but be mindful to shuffle as you go. The delicate little birds might be on the floor, as well as on shelves and window sills -- or fluttering in the air -- for your viewing pleasure. There are prices for sticks of millet, $2 for one or $5 for three, and visitors hold them out for the birds to land and munch on the tasty seeds. 

"And so you can come in, and you get a stick. And that is your entrance fee into Wings on Wheels. So you go in one side, and the birds will flock to your stick, and they eat the millet off of the stick. And so they'll actually land on you; we get a lot of birds landing on heads and arms and things. And so you can just kind of admire them and their beauty," Hurlbut said.

Once the stick is empty of millet, the tour is over, and visitors exit on the opposite end of the trailer. 

"It's kind of a different experience, that there's nothing really quite like it. So we usually have an employee on both sides, so if you have questions, you can always ask us. We always give a spiel about how you have to shuffle your feet through so you don't step on the birds,” she said. “They're all parakeets. They're just kind of a house bird anybody can have them. It's just, you know, people that can't afford to have a bird or things like that, it’s very interesting for them to see, and we get a lot of bird lovers, and we also get a lot of people that are scared of birds, so we have an option to feed them from outside of the bird trailer, so you can put your stick in from the outside so that the birds can come to the window and you can see them like that too.” 

The fair runs through Saturday.

Editor's Note: The Batavian has a booth at the fair in partnership with WBTA as part of the official Genesee County Fair Media Center. Stop by to say hello and enter our eagle-drawing contest in the Exhibition Building. We are an exhibitor and are providing coverage of the fair all week long as a proud supporter of the county fair, 4-H and the dedicated volunteers of the Ag Society. 

Here are some photos today from a walk-through of the 4-H barns to see the livestock that members are showing during the Genesee County Fair.

If you appreciate our fair coverage, as well as all of our coverage of Genesee County, you can help us continue news coverage by signing up today for Early Access Pass.

Knight Patrol headlined the music tent on Day two of the Genesee County Fair, a day full of sun and fun and games at the Midway, along with animal contests and pig races.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press Release:

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) held their National Championship shoot at Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio July 4 - 15. This year brought a record setting number of youth athletes with a combined total of over 4,000 competitors from all over the country!

New York was well represented and Kyle Smith a 9th grader at Byron Bergen CSD from Bergen, participated along with others on the A & B Clay Busters team from Rochester Brooks Gun Club. For his first time participating and competing at the SCTP National competition Kyle did very well, placing 3rd in both doubles trap with a score of 182 (out of 200) and singles trap with a score of 194 (out of 200).

SCTP exposes youth to all clay target disciplines including: sporting clays, skeet, trap as well as Olympic disciplines of bunker trap and international skeet. For more information on SCTP visit: www.mysctp.com.

The Key Bank branch in Batavia was robbed at 9:35 a.m. on Monday and Batavia is seeking the public's assistance in identifying the suspect.

The suspect is descirbed as a balding black male wearing a black T-Shirt, gray shorts, black socks, and no shoes.  

According to police, the suspect passed a note to the teller demanding cash.  

He arrived and left on a black colored bicycle last seen heading West on Main Street.  

Police did not say how much or if any cash was stolen.

If anyone recognizes the suspect in the photos please contact Batavia Police Department Det. Jason Ivison at (585)345-6312.

UPDATE: The suspect has been apprehended.

Police-submittted photos.

When a dozen girls aged 6 to 17 talked about agriculture and farming Sunday, followed by quickly changing out of their dresses and heels and into colorful dance outfits, it was clear it was time for the 2023 fair queen pageant at Genesee fairgrounds.

Competitors in varying age categories reviewed facts about beets, showed off their rabbits, read essays about the importance of agriculture and how it has affected their lives and the community, performed jazz, ballet, acrobatics, read a story, led a cheer, and some -- like Katherine Ewert of Batavia -- took a chance for the first time. 

“I guess I really just wanted to do it this year, I kind of just felt like it. I saw the ad, and it seemed like a good idea. And I mostly just wanted to put my experience with agriculture to use, and the fair, and how much it's impacted me. And I wanted to maybe inspire some people to start being more involved in 4-H and the fair in general, so that way, agriculture can grow even more,” the 17-year-old said, sharing what she’s learned from working with horses in 4-H. “I’d say it's taught me a lot about hard work and what's really important in life and just how to be a good person and how to inspire change in others.” 

Contestants with a full range of essays, talents and personalities took to the stage over the course of two hours in front of an enthusiastic audience. The yellow and white striped entertainment tent was filled with spectators during this first day of a two-round competition. 

Girls first demonstrated their speaking abilities, followed by the talent portion, which was a more lively, musical part of the event on yet another very warm day at the fair. The aroma of nearby kettle corn blew into the tent area with occasional compassionate breezes as audience members clapped and cheered for their favorite queen contenders. 

Ewert said that she wasn’t so taken with the title of queen — “it doesn’t mean a ton to me” — as what it would mean to achieve it.

“But it's nice to accomplish something if I do win I mean, I know Panorea, she's an amazing contestant. And if she won, she deserves it,” Ewert said. “But I guess it just means that I touched somebody with the most features and that I inspired someone. I think I would want some little girl who was like me to walk away and be like, I want to do that. I want to be involved in the community and be involved with agriculture.”

This is the second time in the pageant for Panorea Tsoukalos, 16. She has what she referred to as her family “farm” at home, a menagerie of dogs and cats. Suffice it to say she loves animals, though she’s not in 4-H. 

The Batavia contestant also chose to share about agriculture in Genesee County, and her talent was dancing. Perhaps a bit shy at first, being up on stage is helping with that, she said.

“I feel like I get more confidence just talking in front of people,” she said. 

Eleanor “Ellie” Hudson, 9, was one of the few contestants paper free on stage. She began earlier this month to memorize her essay and recited it without the use of notes. Wearing a turquoise and white checked dress and glittery silver Maryjanes, Ellie is not shy about her goals and pursuits in the ag business.

“I said to my mom when I grow up, I want goats,” she said. “We have 11 to 12 goats, and I will name every single one of them for you. My favorite one is Lovey, she had a 7 percent chance of living. We kept her in my mom’s room.”

Ellie is kind of like a speech machine, she seems to know exactly what she wants to say, and she just keeps talking in matter-of-fact form. A resident of Alabama, her precociousness and charm has not gone unnoticed, earning her a spot on regional TV twice so far, she said.

Still, she had a tinge of uncertainty heading up to the stage, she said.

"I was a little nervous. But once I started doing it, I was feeling great,” she said, heading for the restroom to change into her jazz costume. “My nana was giving me a hug.”

Monday is the finale, after introductions and bios of each contestant and questions from the judges and the pageant host. It’s likely to be a tough choice for queen in the end, given the line-up of girls, Pageant Director Verginia Zocco said.

“Because this year for some reason, the girls have gone above and beyond. I don't know if you were listening to some of the speeches, but we got like, information on history this year. We got information on local farms this year. How actually the Genesee County Fair impacts their lives. It has just been stunning this year,” Zocco said. “It seems like girls are really giving 110 percent to the pageant. I don't know what it is. But it must really be just taking shape, I guess. Like, I don't know how to explain it. But it's just, like this year, I saw during the fair girls up on stage practicing for their talent yesterday before the pageant even started. Everyone has just been really serious about it. And I think taking pride in it.

“You know, it's been amazing this year. And I wonder if it's because we have more girls, that they're talking to each other, getting ideas from each other, making more friendships with each other,” she said. “Because last year, we only had like seven girls; this year, we’re up to 12. And it was really cool because one of the girls actually pulled the tractor, put on her dress, and she was running over to the pageant. Yeah. So girl, I'm like, ‘you're my kind of princess,’ pull your tractor and then you put on a gown.”

The fair queen pageant and crowning runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday in the entertainment tent.

A. J. Affronti, lead guitarist for Knight Patrol, tries out Harley Benton BigTone White Trem guitar at the Genesee County Fair.

The guitar is a featured contest prize from The Batavian at the Genesee County Fair. The guitar contest is open to kids 17 and under. Visit our booth in the Exhibit Hall on the fairgrounds, and while at the booth, draw an eagle on an entry form.  The winner will be randomly selected from among staff-favorite drawings.  The winner will need to be able to attend the Eaglez Tribute Band concert on Thursday evening.

The other big prize from The Batavian at the fair is a $100 gift certificate from Red Osier Landmark Restaurant.  Same rules apply, except you can arrange to pick up the gift certificate any time before the last day of the fair.

The best 20 drawings from the two age groups will be selected for a "people's choice" award, with voting at The Batavian's booth on Thursday and Friday. The prize is a harmonica.

Knight Patrol is playing at the fair tonight (Sunday) in the Entertainment Tent.

Today at the Genesee County Fair.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

The Batavia Notre-Dame Hockey team is having a drive-thru car wash today behind Notre Dame High School parking lot, 206 Richmond Avenue until 2 p.m. to help fundraise for upcoming hockey tournaments.

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.

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.

The rest of the week's lineup:

• Sunday at 7 p.m., Knight Patrol
• Thursday at 7 p.m., the Eaglez Tribute Band
• Friday at 7:30 p.m., Audibull
• Saturday at 7 p.m., BarnStorm

See previously: The Eaglez highlights GC Fair's five nights of live music that spans genres and eras

Photos by Howard Owens

It was a full house in Jackson Square for the Business Improvement District's weekly Friday night concert, this time featuring The Bluesway Band.

For one song, Guitarist Steve Kruppner played a Harley Benton BigTone White Trem that is a featured prize in a drawing contest at the Genesee County Fair this week sponsored by The Batavian (see video above).

The Bluesway Band is:

• Chas DelPlato, keyboards, vocal 
• Anthony DelPlato, guitar/vocals 
• Brad Kujawski, bass/vocals 
• Pete Metzler, drums/vocals 
• Steve Kruppner, guitar/vocals
• Special guest for Friday night: Frank Minuto, Congas/percussion

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Genesee County Fair hosted the 2023 North American Six-Horse Hitch Classic Series Competition, featuring 11 teams from across the country. The series was a preview treat at the fairgrounds, and another show is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the horse arena.

Also see: Organizers work all day, night to prepare for GC Fair kick-off

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 from  6 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.”

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.”

Press Release:

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes will once again present, Summer Serenade, featuring the Genesee Symphony Orchestra.

The Serenade will take place on Saturday, September 9, at Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility, beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature hearty hors d’oeuvres, a concert by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, and desserts. A cash bar will be available. 

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Genesee Symphony Orchestra and United Way’s Backpack Program in Genesee County.

United Way’s Backpack Program provides easy-to-make meals for school-aged children in need throughout Genesee County. Currently, the program is supplying over 700 monthly meals to children throughout four school districts.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra is a dynamic, regional orchestra that presents an ambitious portfolio of concerts for the enrichment of our community through high-quality performances, educational opportunities, guest artists, and partnerships.

Tickets for the Serenade are $50 and can be purchased through any Genesee Symphony Orchestra Board Member, Lawley Insurance in Batavia, or online at unitedwayrocflx.org/summerserenade.

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.