New flat-rate ticket grants unlimited access to fair attractions
Days and weeks of trucks rolling down Route 146 to the Altamont Fairgrounds can only mean one thing the village’s yearly celebration is nearly upon us.
The 117th Altamont Fair will run from Tuesday, Aug. 17, to Sunday, Aug. 22, and as always, there will be both new and old attractions to hold the attention of every age and taste.
Perhaps the most significant development for this year’s fair is the new all $15 inclusive ticket, which grants fairgoers parking, admission to the fair and all shows and unlimited midway rides. Children 3 and younger get in free.
Wednesday will be seniors and grange members day, and Sunday will be military day, when members of these groups will receive free admission.
The all-inclusive ticket should make the fair even more accessible, said organizer Jane Lyman.
We took a look at budgets and the economy, and decided that we really wanted to do something to make it a little more family friendly, cost-wise,` she said. `It was a recognition of realities and a willingness to share the fair with everybody.`
Lyman’s husband, Stuart Lyman, is taking the reins as president of the fair for the first time this year, and he’s also hoping the new price point opens up the fair to more people.
`To me, the fair is something that’s really exciting and something you can’t see anywhere else all summer,` he said.
(Fun fact: the Lymans have celebrated their anniversary at the fair for the past 30 years.)
And just like previous years, admission will buy you access to more than one person can reasonable see in just one day. The fairgrounds will be home to hundreds of attractions, vendors, rides and refreshment options during the six-day event. The biggest ones promise to satisfy all tastes, with animals, vehicles and daredevil performances.
Sunday is reserved for the Stoney Daniels Demolition Derby, when local drivers will face off in two shows at 1 and 6:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand.
Once again, young area musicians will face off for the Battle of the Teen Bands, which will run from Wednesday through Friday. Finals will be held on Saturday. Bands have to have a makeup of at least 50 percent teens to enter the contest, and last year, acts came from as far away as New York City to compete.
For those interested in a more natural spectacle, `Wild About Monkeys` will be showing off what Hollywood-trained baboons are capable of during showtimes running the length of the fair. Kevin and Martina Keith’s baboons have appeared in films, on television and at fairs around the country.
Yet another national act is the Nerveless Nocks Stunt and Thrill Show, which will run three shows a day for the entirety of the fair. The daredevil troupe impresses not only with aerial acrobatics, but motorcycle stunts like the iconic `globe of death` and even a motorcycle highwire act.
And following the Nocks’ performance on Thursday night will be the return of a fireworks show to the fair, sponsored by Quick Response.
But not all of the fair’s offerings will be big, fast or loud. Craftsmen and artisans will show off their wares, cooks will offer jellies and baked good and eateries will serve up food to suit all palates .
And in the middle of it all will be the fair’s farmland component. As a not-for-profit educational group, the fair seeks to keep visitors connected to agriculture.
Perhaps the most dramatic example of that is `The Miracle of Birth.` Each day at the fair, a baby calf will be birthed for an audience. It has been wildly popular since its introduction two years ago.
`Where we live, this is not an everyday experience,` Stuart Lyman said. `For this project to happen the week of the fair, we have to start planning 11 months ago, when the cows are bred.`
Even with 100,000 annual visitors on average, the Altamont Fair is still staffed by local volunteers and is very much a hometown attraction, said Jane Lyman.
`It’s a place to see your friends and old acquaintances,` she said. `It’s definitely a community vision and a community undertaking.`
The Altamont Fair runs from Tuesday, Aug. 17, to Sunday, Aug. 22. The grounds open at 10 a.m., with exhibits starting at 11, and the fair closes at 10 p.m. The fairgrounds are located on Altamont-Voorheesville Road south of the village.
Visit altamontfair.com for a full schedule and more information. A $1 discount per ticket is applied to advance online orders.“
