fair

Alianna Baris, a 2021 graduate of Le Roy High School, is the 2021 Genesee County Fair Queen.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day at the fair. Here's the schedule:

7 AM—4-H Livestock may arrive (Beef steers, dairy steers, sheep, goats, hogs)

10 AM – Exhibition Halls & Buildings Open

NOON—4-H Market Auction Final Weigh In (steers, lambs, goats, hogs)

1 PM—4-H Livestock Skill-a-thon (Main Show Ring)

4 PM— 4-H Market Auction Goat Show (Main Show Ring)

6 PM—4-H Livestock Judging Contest

10 PM – Exhibit Halls & Buildings Close

Alianna Baris and 2019 Fair Queen Taylor Schofield.

Jasmine Turner, who won Dutchess.

Gabriella Zocco, who won Princess.

Zoe Castro.

Alivia Kennedy, Little Miss winner.

Brook Pagels, winner Miss contest.

The OHMS Band at the Genesee County Fair playing "Nobody to Run With," originally by the Allman Brothers Band.

Here are some shots from last night's Genesee County Speedway races as part of this week of the Genesee County Fair. There will be more races during the fair this coming Saturday.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

The Genesee County Fair is underway and yesterday's first official event, and only event, was the North American Six Horse Hitch Classic Series competiton.

Today's schedule:

7 AM—4-H Beef may arrive

9 AM—Empire Classic Youth Sheep Show (TBD)

9 AM—NY Hereford Beef Show (TBD)

10 AM – Exhibition Halls & Buildings Open

10 AM – 4-H Kennedy Building Exhibit Judging (Kennedy Building)

10 AM – 4-H, Rabbits, Cavies & Poultry Must be in place

12:30 PM—North American Six Horse Hitch Classic (Horse Arena)

2 PM—Rabbit & Cavy Show (Merton Building)

2 PM—Fair Queen—Speech & Talent (Entertainment Tent)

4 PM—Farm Hitch Draft Horse Show (Horse Arena)

5 PM—4-H Club Exhibits must be in place (Kennedy Building)

6 PM – Genesee Speedway Racing

7 to 10PM—Band – OHMS Band (Entertainment Tent)

11 PM – Exhibit Halls & Buildings Close

Photos by Kristin Smith.

One hundred and eighty one years ago, the local farmers invited the Genesee County community to a fair and the Ag Society has been hosting a fair every year since -- well, except last year when a pandemic forced the fair's concellation in history.

In 2021, the Genesee County Fair is back and fair managers are promising a good time.

"We have a midway Tuesday through Saturday," said Rose Topolski, one of the fair managers. "We have a demolition derby Friday night at seven o'clock. We have a big draft horse show tomorrow at 5:30 (p.m.), and that continues Saturday at noon. We also have stock car racing, both Saturdays of the fair.

"We're expecting between a thousand and twelve hundred animals to be on the property during the entire week. We have tons of fair food. All the fair favorites. Pretty much every aspect of the fair will be here again this year."

To celebrate, the Chamber of Commerce organized a ribbon cutting at the fairgrounds this afternoon.

The fair has been quite popular the past few years and comanager Nick O'Geen thinks after a year of COVID-19 restrictions, the fair offers area residents a way to get out and rub elbows with their friends and neighbors again.

"You've been cooped up long enough," O'Geen said. "It's time to come out and have some fair fun."

For the complete 2021 schedule, click here.

Shianne Foss, of Alden, won the 4-H Club's annual Overall Master Showman competition at the Genesee County Fair on Saturday.

The competition is among the six members who won their respective showmanship awards for their animals but in the master showman contest they must demonstrate their ability at handling four different animals -- in this case, goats, lambs, chickens, and beef steer -- as well as their knowledge of those animals.

Pictured with Foss are judge Kirby Dygert and the 2017 winner Ben Kron.

Saturday was tractor pull day at the Genesee County Fair.

SATURDAY, July 21st – Farm Bureau Day & Bring Your Tractor to the Fair Day

• 8:30 a.m.      NIOGA Colored Breed Show (Show Ring)
• 9 a.m.           ECYSS—Youth Breed Show (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 10 a.m.         FARM STOCK TRACTOR – Bring your tractor!
•  Enhanced Tractor & Garden Pullers (Grandstand)
• 10 a.m.          EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
• 10:30 a.m.     NIOGA Holstein/Open Class Dairy Show (Show Ring)
• 1-11 p.m.       MIDWAY OPEN (Amusement Area)
• 12 p.m.          Talent Show (Entertainment Tent)
• 12 p.m.          Cowgirl Couture—Barrel Racing (Horse Ring)
• 3:30 p.m.       Small Fry Tractor Pull (Exhibition Ring)
• 4 p.m.            4-H Market Animal Master Showman Contest (Show Ring)
• 6:30 p.m.       Empire State Puller Tractor Pulls (Grandstand)
• 8 p.m.-12 a.m.  Band - UNDER THE GUN (Entertainment Tent)
• 8 p.m.            4-H Non-Market Animals – Beef, Goat, Sheep & Swine released
• 8 p.m.            4-H Non-Animal Exhibits Released    

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time.* 

DriVen -- a power trio comprised of Dylan Desmit on guitar, Mike "Thunder" Warran on base, and Alex Desmit on drums -- beat out Invictra to win the 2018 Genesee County Fair Battle of the Bands.

I first saw Dylan Desmit play a few years ago and he was a good, young guitarist. He's become a great guitarist.

As the winner, DriVen is tonight's entertainment at the fair. They are scheduled to play from 7 to 11 p.m.

It's also Demolition Derby night and there will also be barrel racing at 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, July 20th – “Community Day & Thrill Night”

• 9 a.m.          ECYSS—Showmanship Clinic (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 10 a.m.        EXHIBIT HALLS AND BUILDINGS OPEN
• 10 a.m.        4-H Livestock Costume Contest (Show Ring)
• 12 p.m.        ECYSS—Fitting Clinic (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 1-11 p.m.     MIDWAY OPEN (Amusement Area)
• 3:30 p.m.     4-H Cloverbud Show (Show Ring)
• 4 p.m.          ECYSS—Showmanship (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 5:30 p.m.     4-H Tractor Driving Contest—Via Pre Registration (Kennedy Building)
• 6 p.m.          NIOGA Dairy Showmanship (Show Ring)
• 7-11 p.m.     Band Winner of Battle of the Bands (Entertainment Tent)
• 7 p.m.          COUNTY FAIR GRAND DEMOLITION DERBY (Grandstand)
• 8 p.m.          Cowgirl Couture—Barrel Racing (Horse Ring)
• 10 p.m.        EXHIBIT HALLS AND BUILDINGS CLOSE

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time.*

Wednesday evening the 4-H Swine Club held its annual competition at the Genesee County Fair, with members judged on their showmanship and the quality of their swine.

These pictures are from the showmanship contest, where members are judged on their ability to herd their hogs.

The awards went to: 

Senior Swine Showmanship

• 1st place -- Mellisa Keller
• 2nd place -- Ben Kron
• 3rd place -- Becky Kron

Junior Swine Showmanship

• 1st place -- Cody Carlson
• 2nd place -- Hudson Weber

Novice Swine Showmanship

• 1st place -- Brendan Pimm
• 2nd place -- Chase Zuber

Melissa Keller won the Master Showman award.

Tonight is the annual 4-H meat auction. This evening, the Original Red Osier Landmark Restaurant's food trailer will be offering a pulled-pork dinner for $12, with 20 percent of all sales going to the 4-H Swine Club's scholarship award. It is given to a member who has shown sportsmanship and leadership during fair week.

Click here for a schedule of fair events.

Melissa Keller and Ben Kron competing for master showman by demonstrating for a judge their ability to herd their swine though a figure eight around a pair of chairs.

THURSDAY, JULY 19th – Veteran’s Day & Chapin Manufacturing Day at the Fair!

• 9 a.m.        Open Sheep Show (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 9 a.m.        4-H Horse Show—Gymkhana Classes (Horse Ring)
• 9 a.m.        4-H Dairy Cattle Show (Show Ring)
• 10 a.m.      EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
• 2 p.m.        4-H Goat & Sheep Quiz Bowl (Merton Building)
• 5-10 p.m.   MIDWAY OPEN (Amusement Area)
• 5:30 p.m.   4-H Market Animal Auction Buyers Dinner
• 6:45 p.m.   4-H Market Animal Auction Awards
• 7 p.m.        Genesee Speedway SPECIAL STOCK CAR RACES (Grandstand)
• 7 p.m.        Battle of the Bands (Entertainment Tent)
• 7 p.m.        4-H Market Animal Auction (Show Ring)
• 7 p.m.        4-H Horses Released
• 10 p.m.      EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS CLOSE

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time.*

At the fair yesterday, we took in a couple of events at the Draft Horse Show.

Mark Barre (top photo and fourth photo), of Lor-Rob Dairy in East Bethany, won in the Unicorn Class and Doug Laurence, of Arkport, won the Farm Team Class (pictured below with his ribbon stuck in his hat and in the third photo).

Yesterday's classes also included Six-Hitch, Farm Single, Open Cart, Farm Obstacle, and Feed Team.

Steven Beardsley, one of the organizers of the event, said the teams are judged on how well they work as a unit, the horse animation (for example, how well and high their pick up their legs on a trot, their headsets (straight and high), and the uniformity and cleanliness of the whole hitch. Some classes have slightly different criteria, such as the Farm Team, where horses must also demonstrate their ability to perform commands.

For the fair schedule, click here.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18th – Children’s Day/ 4H Family Night - Kids Ride Special 1-5 p.m.

• 9 a.m.         Open Draft Horse Show—Halter Class (Horse Ring)
• 9 a.m.         4-H Meat & Dairy Goat Show (Show Ring) 
• 9 a.m.         Open Class Goat Show (Old Draft Horse Barn)
• 10 a.m.       EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
• 12 p.m.       4-H Sheep Show (Show Ring)
• 12:30 p.m.  Small Fry Tractor Pull (Exhibition Building)
• 1 p.m.         Open Draft Horse Show—Hitch Class (Horse Ring)
• 1-5 p.m.      MIDWAY OPEN for KID’S DAY (Amusement Area)
• 4 p.m.         4-H Hog Show (Show Ring)
• Open Swine Show to Follow 4-H (Show Ring)
• 5-10 p.m.    MIDWAY OPEN (Amusement Area)
• 5-8 p.m.      Car Cruise (East Lawn)
• 6 p.m.         Fair Queen Pageant (Entertainment Tent Stage)
• 10 p.m.       EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS CLOSE

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time.*

The Genesee County Fair for 2018 is underway and one of the big events for the first day yesterday was the fair parade.

There are events all week. Click here for a schedule.

To purchase prints click here.

Daily at the Genesee County Fair: $5 Carload Admission Every Day & Night! *Midway Rides. *Daily Wristband Specials Available. Agricultural Awareness Exhibit * Livestock Exhibits. Container Garden Contest -- Exhibition Building. Chainsaw Carver

TUESDAY, JULY 17th – “Senior Citizen Day”/Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center. 

• 9 a.m.        4-H Horse Show—Western Classes (Horse Ring)
• 9 a.m.        4-H Market Animal Auction Hog Show (Show Ring)
• 10 a.m.      Open Class Rabbit Show (Merton Building)
• 10 a.m.      EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
• 12 p.m.      4-H Market Animal Auction Lamb Show (Show Ring)
• 1 p.m.        4-H Poultry Showmanship (Merton Building)
• 4 p.m.        4-H Market Animal Auction Dairy Steer Show (Show Ring)
• 4-10 p.m.   Faith at the Fair—Christian Music (Entertainment Tent)
• 5 p.m.        4-H Market Animal Auction Beef Steer Show (Show Ring)
• 5-10 p.m.   MIDWAY OPENS (Amusement Area)
• 6 p.m.        North American Classic Six-Horse Hitch (Horse Ring)
• 6 p.m.        4-H Rabbit Show (Merton Building)
• 10 p.m.      EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS CLOSE

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time.*

MONDAY, JULY 16th “Emergency Responder Night” 

• 9 a.m.   -- 4-H Horse Show—English Classes (Horse Ring)
• 9 a.m.   --   4-H Market Animal Auction Goat Show (Show Ring)
• 10 a.m.  --  EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
• 11 a.m.   --  4-H Beef Cattle Show (Show Ring)
• 12 p.m.  --   Open Beef Show (Show Ring)
• 1 p.m.  --   Rabbit Showmanship (Merton Building)
• 5:30 p.m.  --   Parade Lineup -- Genesee Speedway Pits (Fairgrounds)
• 6:30 p.m. --   Genesee Co. Fair Grand Parade through the Fairgrounds

*This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time*