The Erie County Fair is going on, and AM Buffalo will be live at the fair all week. Today we start off in the Mooturnity Ward at the Erie County Fair.
Every day is a great day at the fair but today, folks at the fair will experience a first. The fair will hold sensory hours. Rides will run without flashing lights and the volume of music and announcements will be turned down
Dave Whalen, ADA coordinator says, “The intent is to bring the sound down, have an environment that is welcoming for all. Some individuals may have a hard time with all the bells and whistles of the fair, it can be really loud here, over stimulating. He says our intent is to pull away some of that stimuli so that people can attend, maybe for the first time.” Dave tells us the response has been very positive. They had 95 people visit it on Saturday and 80 on Sunday
Mercedes and Emily are with Barry Flansburg in the Discovery Center. The baby ducklings are in the duck pond and then they walk up the ramp and reach for something to eat and then they slide down into the pool. Barry says the ducks you are seeing are about 4 ½ weeks old.
Also in the Discovery Center are baby piglets and the mooturnity ward, where a cow is in labor and about to give birth. If you want to see a live birth the fair has a “calf alert.” You can send the text message saying “I love cows” to 866-866-1002 and they will send you a message about a half hour before they think the cow is going to give birth between the hours of 11am and 10pm which are fair hours.
Mercedes and Emily take a ride on the Erie County Fair tram. Paula D’Amico is a friends-of-the- fair volunteer tour guide and she talks about all the things you can see and do at the fair while you are taking a ride around the grounds.
It’s time to eat. Emily and Mercedes are joined by Megan from Slider City and Griffon from Polar Bear Ice Cream. They are both winners of this year’s Taste of the Fair. The belly melon salad from Slider City consists of a balsamic glazed pork belly on a bed of field greens with chunks of watermelon, feta cheese and a balsamic drizzle. Next is a homemade sweet potato ice cream with waffles, mini marshmallows that are torched, also candied bacon, and maple syrup from New York State. This ice cream treat is called Southern Comfort.
For more information about the fair go to ec.fair.org.
