Bryan Wittman grew up in Hamburg, New York, and like most in the Southtowns, he made the most out of “The 12 Best Days of Summer” at the Erie County Fair (5600 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg). From a young age, Bryan loved the excitement he found around every turn on the sprawling footprint that included an event center and thoroughbred horse racing track and grandstand and now includes indoor gaming.
A dream came true for Bryan 50 years ago when the St. Francis High School of Athol Springs graduate was hired as the fair’s Entertainment Manager, responsible for booking and producing talent for the main stages at the nation’s top county fair. The venue he was most responsible for was the Avenue of Flags Stage. The mainstay on that stage back then was Louis Albert “Ramblin’ Lou” Schriver and his family band.
Ramblin’ Lou, who grew up in Tonawanda and lived with his family on Grand Island, died at 97 in 2016. A pioneer in country music and radio, his career included his purchase of WXRL Radio Station in 1970 and 51 straight years of performances with his family on the Avenue of Flags Stage during the Erie County Fair. He was inducted into the Country Radio Broadcasters, Buffalo Music, and Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fames.
Bryan became very close with Ramblin’ Lou and his family and also with Joe Romanowski, owner of Indigo Productions in Buffalo, and the best in the business when it comes to producing shows. For the six seasons Bryan worked at the Fair, he learned from the best in the entertainment business.
That is why Bryan will be celebrating his personal 50th anniversary of working at the Erie County Fair on Wednesday, August 19 at 5:30 p.m. when he returns to The Avenue of Flags Stage on Avenue of Flags Street for his “Final Performance.”
During Bryan’s six years as Stage Manager on the famed Avenue of Flags Stage, he never performed on the stage. He played the guitar when he was younger and would perform in the musical ministry at St. Peter and Paul Church in Hamburg but never at the Fair.
Bryan commemorates his special milestone anniversary by performing one song with his guitar and accompanied by the Ramblin’ Lou Band, comprised now of his children. The song he chose is most appropriate – Country Roads. “It’s a great anthem song about coming home which is quite fitting for this performance,” Bryan told me after one of his recent practice sessions as he sat with his bride, Kathy, inside their Hamburg home.
“I will play only one song on Wednesday and will then put my guitar away and will never play it again,” he said with a sense of reverence for this special performance. “There are two aspects to this event that mean a great deal to me—Joe Romanowski, the man who taught me the production side of this business and is still working the fair at 85 years young, will be in the front row with my wife, Kathy, and Jessica Underberg (CEO of the Erie County Fair).
“Second, while my dear friend Ramblin’ Lou will be watching from above, I get to play on his stage with his kids,” Bryan added. “How cool is that?”
Every year since he was a toddler Bryan has been going to the Erie County Fair. While working all over the world for the Walt Disney Company, he would come home for at least a day or two during the Fair so he could see his pals and favorite food vendors.
“Today, the Erie County Fair experience is the best it has ever been,” explained Bryan, who escorted another Hamburg native, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and her husband, Bill, to a concert at the fair on Friday. “The grounds look amazing and the food, rides, barns, displays, and entertainment is outstanding. I am so proud to a part of this 186-year-old legacy.”
In 1982 Bryan was recruited by the Ice Capades to become its Promotions Director and he left his hometown for Hollywood, California where he was the creator and director of multifaceted advertising/promotional campaigns for their famous touring shows throughout the United States. He managed relationships with such talent as Dorothy Hamill and a variety of internationally celebrated Olympic champions. His career continued to climb in the entertainment industry during the 1980s with stops at the Great American Theme Parks in Chicago and Arlington, Texas before being recruited by The Walt Disney Company in 1985 where he advanced to Vice President of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts throughout the world before retiring in 2014.
During his career at Disney, he was an integral part of the executive management team that propelled Disney from a $5 billion company to a $150 billion international corporate empire. He influenced and established company standards of operational excellence and team leadership. His achievements at Disney are remarkable and include managing international movie premieres, producing Super Bowl halftime shows and promotional events at such renowned venues as Times Square, Hollywood Boulevard, and The National Mall. He also organized and produced Disney Cruise Line christenings, NHL Stanley Cup and MLB World Series victory celebrations, the Pasadena New Years Day Tournament of Roses parade, the Disney 50th Anniversary Spectacular and major Disney theme park rides and attractions, including the development and elaborate openings of Disney Hong Kong and Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
He cherishes his long-time friendship with Mickey Mouse.
As he reflected upon his years away from his hometown, Bryan said, “I cannot thank the Erie County Fair for giving me that base knowledge and experience to ultimately be recruited by the Walt Disney Company where I was an executive for 30 years.”
When his Disney career ended in 2014, he could have lived anywhere in the world. He chose Hamburg, his and Kathy’s hometown. Together, they operate The Dry Creek Group LLC, a multi-faceted business consulting company focused on creative solutions for clients in areas of marketing , special events, hospitality, operations and guest services. Among its clients and events is the annual “Bash for Mercy Flight” fund raiser throughout the entire sprawling Buffalo River Works, which will be held on Saturday, September 19. The evening features a spectacular Skylighters fireworks display and a flyover by the Mercy Flight helicopters.
Who says you can’t go back?