There’s only one place to see a car get dropped 40 feet; a cow give birth; and teen bands rock the house: the Altamont Fair.
This year’s fair opened on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 16.
Andrew King, the fair’s president, said there is an abundance of new attractions and old classics for everyone in the family.
The buildup has been tremendous this year, said King.
He said usually the fair has one or two new attractions, but this year has stepped up its efforts.
`This year we got several new, large, engaging things,` he said.
King said the Hometown Heroes demonstration will feature emergency service responders showing fair patrons how certain rescues are done, including car rescues, underwater and fire related operations.
He said a car will be dropped from 40 feet to demonstrate a crash, and responders will simulate a rescue of a dummy-passenger.
Jane Lyman, the event’s promoter, said the State Police and Albany County Sheriffs Department will participate in the demonstrations, and puppet shows from the Guilderland Police and Fire Department are slated.
She said simulated fires in a dormitory would be presented, one with a smoke detector and one without, to highlight their importance.
For those looking for local talent, Lyman recommended the Teen Battle of the Bands.
Twenty-one local bands have signed up for the battle, which runs from Wednesday, Aug. 12, through Friday, Aug. 14. The bands must be comprised of more than 50 percent teenagers, she said, and there are competitors from Guilderland, Colonie and Bethlehem schools.
Gauge 57, Adrenaline, Seven Second Delay and Drift, of Delmar, are some of the local bands competing in the battle for the title.
Radio Disney star Joey Page will also perform on Friday.
`There’s a synergy of new events,` Lyman said. `There’s something new happening every hour of every day the fair is open.`
Loyall Dog Food is sponsoring the Country Canine Dog Show, in the Dog Magic tent, that King said `looks to be a great show.`
There is a Chili cook-off, and there is also a `mamma mia` meatball contest, held in the new Blue Ribbon Cooking Center.
The auto museum has been redesigned to show off the `past, present and future,` of automobiles, and on Friday night, Aug. 14, autos featuring flames shooting from the exhaust will be on display in the grandstand.
The fair will also have its staple events, like agricultural and horticultural exhibits, the Miss Altamont Fair contest, arts and crafts, cooking competitions and a display showing baby chicks hatch, which King said can get lost in the commotion, considering the popular Miracle of Birth exhibit where spectators can watch a cow give birth.
`I remember as a kid, I got to see it,` King said of the chicks.
The Miracle of Birth exhibit, which King said was a fan favorite last year, will be back and will feature more space for spectators.
Dr. Stuart Lyman will again be presiding over Miracle of Birth, which features the gestation of a cow, and its eventual birth. That exhibit will be located near gate two.
King spoke highly of the Draft Horse show. The open show is Tuesday Aug. 11 at 10 a.m., and there will be as many as six teams of six horses working together.
`Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Belgians, we usually have quite a variety,` King said.
The mammoth beasts can reach up to 2,000 lbs, he said.
King said last year the fair was dampened by poor weather, and being in the agriculture business, noted that July broke records for its cool temperatures and rainfall. He said he hopes this week the weather holds out for the fair.
`I want sunny and in the 70s,` King said. `Obviously weather plays a big role in our attendance.`
He said in the last ten years, there have been major facility improvements, and there is shelter, but the fair is a primarily outdoor event, and is weather dependant.
Parking on the grass fields too, can be affected by bad weather he said, but his inspection of the fields the week before the event yielded positive results.
Tickets are available online for the first time this year, and can be picked up at a will call window.
Tickets are $10 for adults in advance, and $12 at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted for free and seniors pay $11.
King said the price of a family of four to attend the fair is cheaper now than it was in 1999, citing the $8 price for adults, and $4 for kids, plus $3 parking, totaling $27. Parking is now free he said.
`We’re trying to recognize that it’s a tight economy,` he said.
He said a family of four pays $24 for adults, with kids under 12 years old, and it could be as low as $20 in advance.
A Capital District Transportation Authority bus will shuttle people from the mall and leave every hour.
CDTA will charge a $4 fare and require that it be paid using a day card. Once a person has the card, they can use it on any CDTA bus for that day, according to information from the fair’s Web site.
For a complete list of events, visit the fairs Web site at www.AltamontFair.com.“
