I hadn’t been to the Dutchess County Fair in many years. It seems the last week in August I was always somewhere else but when I was young the two big events were the Dutchess County Fair and the Great Danbury Fair. The latter is now a regional shopping center but the Dutchess County fair keeps on rolling.
There was a famous sign at the Danbury Fair “Babes in Arms Free.” They never said anything about age so if you could pick your kid up without getting a hernia he or she got in for nothing.
I went over to the Dutchess County fair this afternoon. It was jammed but it’s good I did because Irene is coming and as you can see from the below notice. They are folding the tent tomorrow. took a slew of pictures which I will post above.
TO: WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
FROM: BOB GREMS, GM DUTCHESS COUNTY FAIR
DATE: AUGUST 26, 2011
THE 166TH COUNTY FAIR WILL CLOSE TONIGHT AT THE USUAL TIME. WE WILL NOT BE OPEN TOMORROW OR SUNDAY. THIS WAS AN AGONIZING DECISION THAT WAS REACHED ONLY AFTER HOURS OF DELIBERATIONS, TAKING ALL FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION. OUR FINAL DECISION WAS PREDICATED ON OUR OVERRIDING CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY MAJOR STORM AND WE SIMPLY MUST GIVE OURSELVES THE NECESSARY TIME TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND OUT OF HARM’S WAY. WE REALIZE THIS IS A MAJOR FINANCIAL BLOW TO ALL OF OUR VENDORS, CONCESSIONAIRES AND CARNIVAL OPERATORS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A BETTER OUTCOME AT THE 167TH DUTCHESS COUNTY FAIR, AUGUST 21ST THROUGH THE 26TH WHEN ALL UNREDEEMED TICKETS WILL BE HONORED. WE APPRECIATE THE UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYONE IMPACTED BY THIS DECISION.
Experience A True Classic
The Dutchess County Fair