Duffy Fairgrounds

Last updated

Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds
Duffy Fairgrounds
Duffy Fairgrounds.jpg
Duffy Fairgrounds
Former namesWatertown Fairgrounds (Until 1978) [1]
Address970 Coffeen Street
Watertown, New York
United States
Coordinates 43°59′07″N75°55′40″W / 43.985353012178074°N 75.92772068813214°W / 43.985353012178074; -75.92772068813214
TypeFairgrounds
Capacity 5,000 (1948); 4,500 (1951); 3,500 (1995)
Field size325-402-325
Acreage 67 acres
Current use Baseball
Fairgrounds
Construction
Opened1851
Renovated1936
Rebuilt1948
Project managerAlex T. Duffy
Tenants
Watertown Athletics (1946-1951)
Watertown Pirates (1983-1988)
Watertown Indians (1989-1998)
Watertown Rapids (2017-present)
Website
www.jeffcofair.org

The Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds [2] is a multi-purpose facility in Watertown, New York, spanning 67 acres. The stadium capacity is 3,500. [3] It contains the longest-running fair in the United States, The Jefferson County Fair, [4] [5] and was named after Alex T. Duffy.

Contents

Events

Baseball

A baseball park on the grounds serves as home to the Watertown Rapids of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. The ballpark has a capacity of 2,500 people and opened in 1936. It served as minor league baseball home to the 1936 Watertown Grays of the Class C level Canadian-American League and Watertown Athletics of the Class C level Border League from 1946 to 1951. [6] [7] From 1983 until 1998 it was the home of the Watertown Pirates and Watertown Indians of the Class A level New York–Penn League. [8] In 1999, the New York Penn-League franchise moved to Staten Island and became the Staten Island Yankees through 2019. [9]

Football

The Watertown Red & Black play their home games at the fairgrounds. The stadium's namesake, Alex Duffy, was a longtime member of the Red & Black during its prime days as a professional team.

Ice hockey

The Watertown Municipal Arena is located on the fairgrounds. Since 2012, the arena has been used for a minor professional hockey team now called the Watertown Wolves of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. It was originally called the 1000 Islands Privateers when it moved from Alexandria Bay to Watertown, and it took the 2015–16 season off for arena renovations.

Other events

As its name implies, the area is home to the Jefferson County Fair in late July of each year. Built in the late 1800s, it originally included a horse racing track where the grandstands now sits. [10]

From 1951 until 1974 it was home to the Watertown Speedway. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "Your Hometown: The Alex Duffy Fairgrounds". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ Smith, Stephen (October 2, 2021). "Pulling for United Way at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds | Newzjunky" . Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Duffy Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York". www.ballparkreviews.com.
  4. ↑ WPBS-TV (September 22, 2017), Discovering Watertown , retrieved February 23, 2022
  5. ↑ Lynn, Naomi (February 14, 2017). "The Longest Running Fair in the US Can Be Found in New York". Lite 98.7. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Alex Duffy Stadium in Watertown, NY minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  7. ↑ "In The Ballparks - Duffy Fairgrounds". www.intheballparks.com.
  8. ↑ "1983–1988 Watertown Pirates". www.funwhileitlasted.net. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Staten Island move in 1999". www.frontiernet.net. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Your Hometown: The Alex Duffy Fairgrounds". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  11. ↑ "The Legends of Watertown Speedway". Speedway Press. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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