As un-American as it might seem, I’ve never been to the Erie County Fair, despite numerous people asking each and every year if I’m planning on attending. For some reason, the fair never much piqued my interest, probably because there are always myriad other events going on at the same time. With a little coaxing, I suppose that I could be swayed. After all, 1.2 million people attend the fair over the course of 12 days!
For the first time in the 176 years of the fair operating, GObike Buffalo, with the assistance of avid cycling supporters, is orchestrating an inaugural bike ride to the Hamburg Fairgrounds (home of the Erie County Fair).
On Saturday, August 22, 2015, a group of cyclists will embark from Wilkeson Pointe at the Outer Harbor. From there they will ride together for the duration of the 22-mile roundtrip. Upon arriving at the Hamburg destination, all of the riders will be allowed into the fair (10th largest fair in North America) for free. There will be a safe place to lock up the bikes, so that cyclists don’t have to worry about their rides while enjoying themselves on that day.
According to co-organizer of the bike ride, Marty Biniasz, the cyclists will leave the Outer Harbor at 10am, returning to Buffalo at 1pm. On that day, during that time frame, the following main primetime events will be underway (among countless other rides and activities):
11:00am: Swashbuckling High Dive show
11:30am: Pro BMX biking (Gate 5)
12:30pm: Chainsaw art-making
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get to the fair, but the tedious hassle of driving and parking was a deal killer, consider joining up with this fun-loving group of cyclists who plan on making a day of it on their bikes.
*This event is FREE for GObike Buffalo members, $6 for non-members. To register, for the “Bike to the Fair,” visit GObikeBuffalo.com. Deadline for registration is Friday, August 21 at 9:30am.
Photo: The Fairgrounds