Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - "Each year, the '12 Best Days of Summer' keep on getting better and better," says Erie County Fair Manager Jessica Underberg as she highlights some of the new fair food, competitions, exhibits and performances coming to the Erie County Fair on Aug. 9-20.
Over 120 free performances will be put on throughout the fairgrounds. Some new acts this year include Jet Pack Flying Water Circus and a Buckets and Boards Comedy Percussion Show.
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Fairgoers will also find over 60 educational, interactive exhibits. One of the new exhibits is the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit, located near the Showplace on Aug. 9-14.
In addition, try your skill at some of the new competitions this year. New added competitions for 2023 include, craft cocktail construction, flower arranging, mural making and more!
This year, the fair planners turned their commemorative poster into a competition. This year's winner is Hamburg's own Jeff Dean of Napping Cat Press studios, who created a nine-color reduction woodcut using shina plywood block and renaissance Graphics oil-based ink.
"The fair has always been a huge part of my life since I was a child and still continues to be," says Dean. Each of the 12 block represents something you can see or do at the fair. You can purchase the poster in the Fair's gift shop.
Get ready for the new fair food
What's a good fair without new, crazy and exciting food selections? 125 food vendors will take part of the fair this year with over 500 food options. Vendors this year have submitted 26 new food items for the New Food Showdown event this year.
Some foods that stood out to me were new gluten-free options at Silly Yak, a new business and vendor that will be serving up gluten free deep-fried apple pie and chili cheese corn dogs.
"The Silly Yak started this year, in 2023, following my wife's diagnosis of celiac disease," explains Silly Yak owner Michael Krupski.
Krupski says they have found success in avoiding gluten and finding substitutes when going out to restaurants and eating at home, but fairs and festivals were tough to find those gluten-free options.
I was pleasantly surprised with the apple pie, it was delicious, as was the corn dog, both of those items will be part of the traditional New Food Showdown.
Remember the Niagara Falls restaurant, Page's Whistle Pig? The owners at Pizza Amore, David and Diana Perri, decided they would honor one of their favorite restaurants and where they first met by making a wood-fired "Whistle Pig Pizza," with the OK of the Whistle Pig owners, of course.
"It's a cheddar base pizza with hot dogs, chopped bacon, onions, mozzarella cheese and a chili sauce and a homemade cheese sauce," described Diana Perri.
Some of other new food and drink items new this year include fried spaghetti from Salvatore's Pizza, "Chicken Coop" loaded potato by Dirty Bird Chicken and Waffles and Dragonberry Boba Tea by Eastern Pearl.
The best way to try all the new foods is on Taste of the Fair Day on August 14, where vendors will be giving sample size portions for $2 a piece.
Reminder, if you're looking to save money at the fair, buy your tickets online instead of at the gate. Tickets online are $3 cheaper. If you go to the fair on opening day, bring four cans of food to donate to FeedMore WNY and you can get free admission into the fair.