Last year's Genesee County Fair was so popular there was actually a run on waffles one Friday night.
"The waffle person said they used his entire week's supply on that Friday," said Norm Pimm, treasurer of the Genesee County Ag Society. "There were people waiting in line for like an hour and a half for a waffle."
Pimm was speaking Monday at the Human Services Committee of the County Legislature during an annual review of the Ag Society.
"We had a little over 55,000 people at the fair this past year, which was a 52 percent increase over 2019," Pimm said.
It was the highest attendance on record and the 10th straight year of increased attendance.
All of the vendors ran out of food multiple times, Pimm said.
Several shows drew larger participation, including the open beef show, the open swine show, and the draft horse show, with 12 six-hitch teams. Some of the teams came from Virginia, Vermont, and Canada.
"There's also a waiting list of teams that want to get in, but we just don't have any more facility," Pimm said.
The Ag Society board will attempt to outdo itself in July with new attractions and events.
This year's fair will include radio-controlled race cars that children can operate. The six cars are sponsored by local businesses. There are also going to be pony rides, a trick dog show, three kids' days with children's entertainment and possibly free rides on the midway, a petting zoo, and some sort of entertainment every day, including the return of karaoke, and a couple nights of fireworks.
"We're gonna have a Country Jamboree," Pimm said. "We're gonna have three country acts in a row starting like midday, rolling through the night. The last band is gonna be a Waylon Jennings tribute band that's really, really good."
During the year, especially in the summer, the Ag Society is putting the fairgrounds to good use to generate revenue, Pimm told the committee.
Saturday night stock car races are continuing with a new operator. The New York Junior Beef Producers are planning a show. There are six large horse shows planned over the next few months. And once again, the fairgrounds will host the career-development event, GLOW With Your Hands.
There will also be three food truck rodeos -- on June 17, July 8, and Aug. 26. The food truck rodeo is looking like it will be popular, Pimm said, so the board is planning on adding trucks. The nights will include live entertainment.
With all of the activity, there are several upgrades to facilities that the Ag Society is planning. The total investment will come to $250,000 this year, Pimm said.
Top Photo: Norm Pimm provides an update during the Human Services Committee meeting this week. Photo by Howard Owens.
