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An uptick in ticket scans, expansive community and agricultural programming, and promotions addressing affordability strengthened the now 186-year relationship between the Erie County Fair and its fairgoers. By relying on its inherent strengths, beginning with opening day, the fair delivered a very solid 2026 run.

The fair's community-centered approach was perhaps most evident in its traditional start: free admission with a canned food donation to benefit local food banks. Jessica Underberg, CEO and fair manager of the Erie County Agricultural Society, producer of the Erie County Fair, said, “On Opening Day, fairgoers donated 160,905 pounds of food to benefit FeedMore WNY, pushing our partnership beyond the incredible milestone of one million pounds donated since 2013.”

The Erie County Agricultural Society has not released official attendance figures since 2023, when the fair drew 1,125,347 visitors. Instead, the organization now emphasizes agricultural participation, educational programs and community impact when measuring the fair's success.

Opening Day Record

According to Strates Shows, the fair's midway provider for more than a century, this year's opening day set a record. “The midway also made history on Opening Day, as the Fair's annual canned-goods donation promotion at the gates helped generate the most successful opening day on the midway of our 102-year partnership,” said Marty Biniasz, manager of fair and community development for Strates Shows. “Strates Shows enjoyed an outstanding 2026 Erie County Fair, marking our 102nd year in Hamburg in partnership with the Erie County Agricultural Society.”

“I thought it was a very strong Fair,” said Underberg. While developing this year's event, she remained mindful of two trends affecting fairs. Widely reported incidents involving disruptive teens at malls, downtown districts and outdoor events have caused some people to view fairs as unsafe. At the same time, affordability remains top of mind for most Americans, requiring fairs to remind their communities that the annual fair can be among the best staycation values.

“Heading into 2026, we focused on two areas: affordability and safety,” she explained. “We knew families were feeling pressure on their discretionary spending, and we also knew that people need to feel comfortable bringing their families to a large event. So those became priorities in our planning.”

As for discounts, Underberg said, “We made fairly significant changes to pricing and value, and fairgoers responded well. All indicators were up: ticket sales, concession gross and ride gross.”

“In response to consumer concerns about rising costs, Erie County Fair CEO Jessica Underberg challenged all stakeholders to develop promotions and pricing options focused on affordability and value,” said Biniasz. “Despite higher fuel and operating expenses, Strates Shows maintained its weekday pay-one-price unlimited ride price at the same level offered since 2023. Strates Shows also introduced two new midway discount promotions at the 2026 fair: the first $2 Ride Day on the opening Thursday and a Sunday matinee pay-one-price option, the first unlimited ride offer available on a weekend. Together, the promotions delivered added value while expanding choices for families.”

He added, “The Sunday matinee sale, compared with the first Sunday of the 2025 fair, increased sales during the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. period by 28 percent, while total daily revenue rose 25 percent. Because rain significantly affected attendance and revenue on the final Sunday, the first Sunday provides the most reliable year-over-year comparison. Overall, the 2026 results demonstrated meaningful growth and a strong response to new, value-oriented midway promotions.”

Family Vibe

In addition to the focus on affordability, “the Fair concluded without any significant security incidents,” said Underberg. The result was a fair atmosphere she described as “positive, comfortable, and very family-oriented. There was good energy on the grounds, but what struck me was that it also felt relaxed. People seemed happy to be there. We saw generations of families together, kids in the barns, people staying into the evening, enjoying food and entertainment, and simply spending time together. I think our safety work contributed to that. We concluded the 12 days without a significant security incident. You don't necessarily want guests thinking about your security program; that's really the point. You want them to feel comfortable enough that they don't have to think about it.”

Favorable weather also helped the fair. Underberg described Mother Nature as benevolent. “For Western New York in August, it was about as favorable a stretch as you can reasonably hope for. Most days were in the upper 70s to low 80s, and the majority of the Fair was dry. We had some rain the morning of August 19, then a cooler, wetter closing Sunday when we ceased operations twice, but we didn't have a prolonged weather event that can really disrupt a Fair.”

The favorable weather positively influenced the fair's performance. “Compared with 2025, ticket scans were up, but we also saw growth in several mission-related measures: almost 10,000 entries were brought to the Fair to try to win the coveted blue ribbon, the youth market animal auctions increased 20 percent to $513,329, and we awarded $128,000 to 41 deserving students.”

She added, “I wouldn't characterize 2026 as having a single record day. We certainly had some very strong days, but what impressed me more was the consistency across the 12-day run.”

Marketing Reimagined

Consistency seems to be a hallmark of the Erie County Fair. The fair revived its tagline, “Best 12 Days of Summer,” which is now “part of the equity of the Erie County Fair brand. It is an established part of our identity. The challenge is that a perennial tagline can become wallpaper if you don't continue to give people something fresh underneath it. Our approach is to retain ‘The Best 12 Days of Summer' as the established tagline and then develop an annual creative theme to shape the messaging, tone and visual look of that year's campaign. That gives us consistency year over year while still giving the campaign a fresh story, look and feel each summer.”

The slogan was augmented in 2026 with “Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights,” allowing the fair to recognize America's 250th anniversary and give the campaign a completely different visual and emotional personality without sacrificing the brand recognition built over many years.

With budget concerns in mind, this year's marketing placed renewed emphasis on digital media and intentionality. “The changes people saw in the 2026 campaign weren't driven by simply throwing more money at marketing. We were more intentional about the mix of traditional and new media, staying current with trends, and making the different pieces of the campaign work together. We were much more focused on the message by communicating the value of coming to the Fair, the variety of what there is to see and do, and the unique experiences you can only get at the Erie County Fair.”

While the “media mix continued to be a combination of traditional and digital media, in 2026 we were more intentional about what role each channel played. We were looking at who we were trying to reach, where they consume information, and what we wanted that particular piece of media to accomplish. We continued to use traditional media, including radio, television, print and outdoor. At the same time, we continued to build our digital, social and email efforts because those channels allow us to be more targeted, timely and flexible. Paid digital allowed us to reach specific audiences and support ticket sales, while traditional media helped maintain broad visibility for the Fair.”

Social media spearheaded more proactive messaging. “People come to social media looking for information: what's happening today, what's new and where to find something. But information alone doesn't necessarily sell a ticket. We also wanted to create that feeling of, ‘I need to go see this.' That's where the food, entertainment, unique experiences, behind-the-scenes content and real-time moments become important.”

The multiplatform strategy also revitalized an established technology: the email blast. “A 12-day Fair is almost 12 different events. What's happening Wednesday is different from what's happening Saturday, so there is a legitimate reason to communicate with somebody every morning. The daily e-blasts were effective, and our post-Fair survey really reinforces the importance of email marketing. The results from our fairgoer survey ranked email No. 2 among the ways fairgoers said they heard about the Fair the most. Over two million emails were sent throughout the weeks leading up to the Fair, as well as during the run of the Fair itself. Email was coordinated with our broader daily social messaging, so the channels reinforced each other rather than operating independently.”

She added, “Social media provides immediacy and reach, while email gave us a direct, reliable way to package the day's information in one place.”

FunCard Kiosks

The Strates Shows midway featured 70 rides. According to Underberg, “Ride gross was up approximately 10 percent from 2025. One of the major things we did this year was create more value-oriented ride options. Lowering the barrier to participation did not mean generating less business. In this case, it encouraged engagement.”

“The Erie County Fair continues to challenge Strates Shows to provide the best value and experience possible for the community,” said Biniasz. “Jessica has a professional, well-trained staff who continue to learn from mistakes and implement the best practices across the fair industry.”

Although Biniasz did not identify any new rides at the fair, the midway showcased the latest transaction technology. Strates Shows introduced new automated, cashless, self-service kiosks from its longtime ticketing provider, FunCard. “The technology performed flawlessly, providing greater operational control, immediately reducing staffing needs and delivering much-needed line relief during peak attendance periods,” said Biniasz. “The kiosk structures were built by Doug Dills' Uni-Glide Trailer Co. of Venice, Florida. Gene and Sue Wodzicki of Color Image Designs in Belleview, Florida, created and installed the graphics.”

The fair featured 121 food stands. According to Underberg, “Trending foods were tanghulu, Dubai and boba teas. Peachey's donut stand remained a fan favorite. Birria was popular. Guests still want the outrageous item they can photograph and talk about, but they also want something recognizable and affordable.”

She was quick to add, “Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.” While that might be a task for Instagram's hashtag inspectors, affordability was top of mind for fairs and fairgoers alike. “Food concession revenue was up over 2025, which was particularly encouraging given how much attention we put on affordability. Every food concessionaire was asked to have an option at $7 or less.”

From food and rides to marketing and programming, affordability was key to the 2026 Erie County Fair. “We weren't responding to the belief that the Fair itself had suddenly become unaffordable. We were responding to the reality that families have less flexibility in their discretionary budgets. Our goal wasn't to make the Fair ‘cheap.' It was to provide choices. A family could build a day that worked for its budget rather than feeling there was only one way to experience the Fair. Affordability today is about more than simply getting families through the gates; it is about the future of the Fair. We wanted to see whether we could make some meaningful changes around affordability, continue raising the bar on safety, and still maintain the quality of the Fair.”

She added, “There are things we'll change; we've never had a Fair where we finished and said, ‘Don't touch a thing next year.' But the major strategies we set out to test in 2026 worked.”

Unemployment in Erie County, NY was at 4.3% in July 2026. That's a 0.1 percentage point increase from a year before. The unemployment rate is the percentage of people in the labor force who are actively looking for work but not currently employed. It's a common way to measure the health of the job market and economy.

In July 2026,

4.3%

of the labor force was unemployed in Erie County, NY

July 2026 had a

+0.1

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

County-level unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not account for fluctuations due to seasonal employment patterns, such as tourism or agriculture. That means the data may show large changes month to month. It is important to view this local data with a long-term lens.

Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, January 2019 to July 2026

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment rates differ between areas within states due to various factors. Counties with many job opportunities and different industries often have lower unemployment rates. In rural areas, or places where industries are shrinking, the rate can be higher. Seasonal work in industries like tourism or farming can lead to unemployment rising or falling. Population changes and local policies also play a role in how many people are employed.

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How does unemployment in Erie County, NY compare to other counties?

The latest county-level data from July 2026 shows that Erie County, NY's unemployment rate was ranked 16th out of 62 counties in New York, from highest to lowest.

Unemployment rates in New York counties ranged from 3.0% to 6.1% in July 2026.

Not seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment rate, by county in New York (July 2026)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Sheriff John Garcia is asking Gov. Kathy Hochul to reverse a state decision denying more than $617,000 in reimbursement for parole violators housed in county jails during last year’s state prison staffing crisis.

Garcia says Erie County incurred additional costs while holding people who otherwise would have been transferred into state custody during the 2025 correction officer strike.

The state has already reimbursed Erie County more than $2.2 million for other state-ready incarcerated people who remained in county custody. But Garcia says the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision denied a separate $617,700 claim covering parole violators.

“We collectively kept custody of thousands of incarcerated individuals who would have otherwise been transferred into state custody, including some who were arrested after violating the conditions of their parole,” Garcia said in a statement to Spectrum News 1. “This increased both our census and our operating costs. It is only fair that we are properly compensated by the state.”

In an Aug. 24 letter to Hochul, Garcia said the extended stays increased costs for housing, food, medical care, transportation and staffing. He said Erie County’s jail population reached 900 during the summer of 2025, a level the county had not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dispute centers on whether the state is required to reimburse counties for parole violators who remained in local custody while awaiting transfer back to state facilities.

Garcia argues New York Correction Law Section 601-c supports the county’s claim. The law provides for reimbursement under certain circumstances when a state-ready incarcerated person remains in local custody for more than 10 business days.

Garcia contends parole violators who have been ordered returned to state custody should also qualify. In his letter, he cited a 1988 New York Court of Appeals decision in support of his interpretation.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is backing the sheriff’s effort.

“Normally, some of their inmates that would have been transferred to state facilities would have been in our facility for, say, like 10 days, 15 days,” Poloncarz told Spectrum News. “And some of them were there for three or four months.”

Poloncarz said the county wants to recover the full cost of providing those services.

“I just want us to get fully reimbursed for the cost that we have incurred,” he said.

Garcia also pointed to the state’s spending on the National Guard during the corrections crisis. In his letter, he said New York spent roughly $700 million in fiscal year 2026 to deploy Guard members to state correctional facilities and plans to spend another $535 million in fiscal year 2027.

Garcia questioned why the state would spend that money responding to the prison crisis while denying reimbursement to local governments that also took on additional responsibilities, writing that Erie County taxpayers were left “holding the bag.”

The sheriff is now asking Hochul to overturn DOCCS’ denial and approve the $617,700 claim.

Spectrum News 1 asked DOCCS to explain why the reimbursement request was rejected and whether the department would reconsider its decision.

Spectrum News 1 also asked Hochul’s office whether the governor supports DOCCS’ decision and whether she plans to intervene. Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It remains unclear whether other counties have submitted similar reimbursement claims for parole violators housed during the state corrections crisis. Garcia said sheriffs across New York collectively kept thousands of people who otherwise would have been transferred into state custody.

Severe thunderstorms throughout the night brought strong winds that ripped trees from the ground, snapped utility poles, and blocked roadways throughout Erie, resulting the City of Erie declaring a state of emergency. Trees have landed on homes, cars and fallen across many roads.

“It’s extensive across the city, I mean, you can just turn down one street, it’s blocked off. It’s like a maze, it really is, and these trees are literally across the roadway. Also, we’re seeing those power lines down,” said Erie Countywide Engagement Officer John Stehlin.

That damage led to multiple closures on Thursday, from the Erie Public School District to the Erie County Courthouse.

Officials said throughout the process of assessing the damage and taking action to clean up after the storms, crews will be working around the clock.

“Our priority is to get the streets clear. That’s the most important thing, so we need to get the streets and the right of ways clear, we need to make sure that the live wires are handled so that there’s no public safety concern. After that, then we’ll work with our residents to understand, you know, where we can assist,” said Daria Devlin, mayor of the City of Erie.

“The Erie County Department of Public Safety and the emergency management agency, they have given the city chainsaws and other materials to help clean up the trees across the area, so county is giving equipment,” said Stehlin.

Officials say thousands are still left without power, and with no air conditioning, from the storms as temperatures reached into the 80s Thursday.

Beyond the cleanup, officials told us another priority is making sure residents have the resources they need in the aftermath.

“People that maybe are in their home and have a medical emergency, they need to call 911 and let the 911 operator know what’s happening, maybe that they’re trapped in their home and they’re having some sort of issue, so that we can make sure that emergency personnel get over there,” said Mayor Devlin.

If you see downed trees or branches in the city, call (814)-923-3597 or click here.

Watch JET Action News’s live noon coverage at West 5th and Liberty Steets:

BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — The Erie County Sheriff's Office partnered with Mercy Hospital Saturday for a free child safety seat check event behind the hospital on Mercy Street in Buffalo, kicking off a week of similar events across Erie County in recognition of

Certified technicians were on hand from 9 a.m. to noon to inspect car seats and child restraint systems. The sheriff's office also had a limited supply of car seats available at no cost for families who needed assistance obtaining one, made possible through grant funding.

Sgt. Simon Biegasiewicz of the Erie County Sheriff's Office said the partnership with Mercy Hospital was a natural fit.

"Obviously people having newborns, also we're in the city of Buffalo, so access to help a lot of families," Biegasiewicz said.

WATCH: Erie County Sheriff's Office and Mercy Hospital team up for free car seat safety checks

He said child seat safety is one of the most important things a parent can do for their child's wellbeing.

"The way we usually tell parents is to think basically the place besides your home that you're going to spend the most time with your child is taking them in your vehicle, and having those child restrained properly and safely and adequately is probably one of the most important things you can do for the safety of your child," Biegasiewicz said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 325 child occupants age 4 and younger were saved by the use of child restraints in 2017 alone.

Biegasiewicz said some of the most common errors technicians find involve convertible car seats and harness tightness.

"A lot of them, especially when you get into convertible type of seats, are making sure they're either in the forward facing position or the proper rear facing position," he said. "Also belt tightness, we want to make sure you don't have any more than one side to side slide and making sure that the seat is secure and safely put in."

Saturday's event is the first in a series running through next Saturday. The sheriff's office publishes dates and locations for all upcoming checks on its Facebook, X, and Instagram pages. Biegasiewicz said the events are spread across the county to give as many families as possible the opportunity to have their seats inspected.

"We try to go most of north of the county, south of the county, so we give everybody an opportunity to come and get their car seats checked properly," he said.

The NHTSA data underscores the broader importance of proper vehicle restraints. In 2017, seat belt use saved an estimated 14,955 lives of occupants age 5 and older, while an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes had worn seat belts.