Brigade FMX, Wine Festival, Air Race, and Zero Gravity will be new at this year’s tri-county fair

It is almost Altamont Fair time! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Aug. 12, to Sunday, Aug. 17.

New this year, “Brigade FMX” will showcase incredible freestyle motocross stunts with multiple shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — motorcycles at their best!

Returning this year is the Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum, featuring exhibits dedicated to the preservation of memorabilia of the centuries-old sporting traditions of hunting, fishing and all sports afield.

Brand new this year is the Altamont Wine Festival, a festival within the fair. It will be held on Friday, from 3 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, from 1 to 8 p.m. The wine festival will host numerous New York wineries offering their best wines for your tasting pleasure. The festival is supported by Taste NY. For only $5, try out a variety of New York wines, and then purchase a bottle of your favorite! Tasters must be at least 21.

Unlimited rides are hosted by Reithoffer Shows, the largest traveling midway in the world, providing rides for “kids” of all ages. Brand new for this year is the super spectacular Air Race. This one-of-a-kind ride is imported from Italy with a very special LED light show; it will surely please our Altamont Fair thrill-riding patrons! Also making its first appearance at the fair is a new ride called Zero Gravity. Visit all your favorites and try some new ones.

Back by popular demand: one-price admission, which includes unlimited rides, Circus Hollywood under the big tent, attractions, and parking. Admission is $15 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and $17 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Wednesday is Senior Day and Armed Forces Day: seniors who are 65 or older and veterans and active-service military personnel are admitted for free until 4 p.m. Free admission does not include rides.

Chauffeured golf carts will be made available to seniors and veterans to assist with transportation around the fair grounds. The golf carts are provided by St. Peter’s Health Care Services.

The fair will be chock full of contests this year. Check out “Exhibitor Information” on our website: www.altamontfair.com. Showcase your talent and amaze your friends: You can enter your best — flowers, vegetables, artwork, arts and crafts, jams, and so much more. Give it a try! Paper entries are due July 28 at 5 p.m., online entries are accepted until Aug. 4 at midnight.

Be sure to visit all the exhibition buildings: the Flower and Fine Arts building, Arts and Crafts, Ag and Science, the Grange Hall, the 4-H Exhibit Hall, and more. There is so much to explore in every nook and cranny of the fairgrounds. Volunteers will be standing by to help you find your way. 

Calling for entries: The Miss Altamont Fair contest! Judged on poise and public speaking, the contest is open to girls of all ages, who are evaluated in their age groups. In addition to receiving a crown and other prizes, the winners are responsible for representing the fair in a positive way all year long.

The Altamont Fair is hosting performances, with all kinds of music, in the Reid Northup Memorial Stage every day. The Battle of the Teen Bands finals are on Tuesday, followed by performances from other musical groups, including Bobby Stillwell, Funk Evolution, Betsy and the Bye-gons, Fulton Chain Gang, Playing with Fire, Drew Polsun and the Fascinations (an Elvis Tribute), Joey Pucci and the American Longboards, Johnny Hirsch, Standing Room Only, The Lateshift.

And last but not least, our local country favorite, Skeeter Creek, will close out our fair week on Sunday evening.

All the museums will be open, including the Antique Farm Machinery, Farm House, Carriage, School House, 1890s Village, and Circus and Auto — Past and Present. Be sure to visit and enjoy the collection of items to illustrate how Americans lived in the past.

Visit the Blacksmith and the Lumberjack Show with amazing ax throwing by the Sherman family. As a special treat this year, the Auto Museum will host the Cadillac-LaSalle Club of the New York Capital District Region exhibiting Cadillac high-horsepower models from the past to the current day.

And a fair wouldn’t be complete without animals. This year, there will be a variety of exotic-animal displays in the Giraffe Menagerie petting zoo and the Two by Two Zoo. The Disc-Connected K9s World Championship Frisbee dogs and Hollywood racing pigs are back by popular demand.

The fair opens every day at 10 a.m.; exhibits open at 11 a.m.; and the midway opens at noon. 

For a full schedule of events and contest entry information, visit www.altamontfair.com

Come to the Altamont Fair: Summer. Fun. Tradition.

Editor’s note: Pat Canaday is the treasurer of the Altamont Fair and a director.

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