Erie County Fairgrounds

Erie County Fairgrounds
Location	Hamburg, New York
Coordinates	42°44′12″N78°49′13″W / 42.7366°N 78.8203°W / 42.7366; -78.8203
Area	275 acres (111 hectares)
Operated by	Erie County Agricultural Society
Status	Open
Website	www.the-fairgrounds.com

The Erie County Fairgrounds is a multi-purpose venue based in the town of Hamburg, New York, United States. It has hosted the annual Erie County Fair since 1868.

Facilities

Buildings and grounds

• 275 acres
• 112 permanent buildings and structures, the oldest of which is the Octagon Building (1885)
• showplex
• 4 green parks (Baker, Slade, Fries, Hickory Tree) ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Buffalo Raceway

The Buffalo Raceway is a renowned horse race venue known primarily for harness racing. James J. Dunnigan, a resident of Hamburg in New York was responsible for the opening of the raceway as far back as June 1942. This entrepreneur chose Hamburg’s Erie County Fairgrounds to be the location of his project, which he undertook after the State of New York approved a bill permitting harness racing under the pari-mutuel betting system. ^{[1] [4]}

Hamburg Gaming

Hamburg Gaming at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, N.Y features 940 gaming machines on the main gaming floor and an outdoor gaming patio. ^{[1] [5]}

Events

Erie County Fair

Main article: Erie County Fair

The annual fair brings rides, food, live music and myriad attractions to the region for twelve days. Free Grandstand shows and roaming acts feature live music and entertainment, and other attractions include, Touch-a-Truck displays, equine vet exhibits and rider simulations, CPR training, and 2,500+ animals on display across 16 barns. ^[6]

Festival of lights

Each December, the Festival experience includes drive-through light displays, a visit with Santa, live reindeer, the all new Santa's Christmas Express Train Ride, an illuminated pixel show choreographed to music and an outdoor European market. ^{[1] [7]}

Stock car racing

Operating as the Hamburg Speedway, the one-half mile oval on the premises hosted auto racing from 1946 until 1997, including sprint cars and dirt modifieds. ^[8]

In 1949, the facility presented one of just eight inaugural stock car races for what was to become the NASCAR Cup Series. ^[9] Jack White of nearby Lockport, New York, was the victor. The only return of the series to Hamburg was in 1950, and was won by racing pioneer Dick Linder. ^[10]

References

1. "The Erie County Fairgounds". Business View Magazine. August 31, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
2. "WBBZ-TV Helps Raise $9,000 for Prevention Focus at the Erie County Fair!". WBBZ-TV. May 30, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
3. "Erie County Fairgrounds". Hamburg Historical Society. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
4. Wijesinghe, Pushpitha (January 7, 2011). "Buffalo Raceway, a historic race course". Well Known Places. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
5. Kwiatkowski, Jane (October 5, 2017). "Hamburg Gaming unveils first phase in $7 million renovation plan". Buffalo News. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
6. Nossavage, Colleen (July 28, 2025). "The Erie County Fair returns for 185th year with new events and attractions". Buffalo NY: WGRZ-TV. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
7. Janaswamy, Revathi (December 2, 2022). "Festival of Lights returns to Hamburg Fairgrounds". Spectrum Local News. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
8. "Hamburg Speedway". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
9. "1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Recap". howstuffworks.com. HowStuffWorks. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
10. "Hamburg Speedway – NASCAR Cup Series Race Recaps". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved January 6, 2023.