LITTLE VALLEY — Opening day of the 176th annual Cattaraugus County Fair is less than a week away.
The “big guns” this year are Tuesday and Wednesday night when Kane Brown on Tuesday and The Charlie Daniels Band on Wednesday are set to country rock the fairgrounds.
Brown sold out the track seats and bleachers in a record 15 minutes, according to Kristina Charlesworth Golden, and the 2,500-seat grandstand sold out in less than a week.
There are still track, bleachers and grandstand seats for Wednesday night’s Charlie Daniels Band show, Golden said. Daniels has visited the fairgrounds as recently as 2002 and 2007, she added. Fairgrounds admission is required to attend the concerts.
“A lot of younger kids have gotten into country rock and country crossover music,” Golden said.
Tickets are $30 and $35 and are available at the fairgrounds, online at www.cattarauguscofair.com, or by calling 938-9146.
General fair admission is $12 for ages 2 and older. Advance sale tickets are available for $8. They may be purchased at the fairgrounds, on the fairgrounds website, at all Cattaraugus County Bank location, the Cattaraugus County Credit Union in Little Valley, South Dayton Super Duper, and Gowanda and Olean area community banks.
Monday and Thursday night grandstand shows are free. Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows are $7 each.
Wednesday is Youth Day, with $6 admission for youths 15 and under from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Thursday, Senior Citizens Day, seniors are admitted for $6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Thursday night, the grandstand entertainment features the WNY Pro Stock Tractor Pull at 7:30. Admission is free.
Friday night, the Monster Mash Monster Truck Rally starts at 6 p.m. with a pit party. The eight monster trucks , including Bigfoot, start their show at 7:30.
There are two grandstand events on Saturday, the Monster Mash Monster Truck Rally, with the biggest show in New York state at 1:30 p.m. The Big Rig Truck Pull starts at 6:30 p.m.
Demolition derbies start and end the week’s grandstand entertainment. Monday’s demolition derby starts at 7:30 p.m., and is free. The Championship Demolition Derby kicks off at 5 p.m. on Sunday and will be followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
A new midway company is featured this year, Powers & Thomas Amusements, said Golden, who checked them out at the midway at the Chautauqua County Fair last week. “They’ve got a ride called Speed that some people will want to try,” Golden said. A photo is on the county fair’s Facebook page, she added. It is not for the faint of heart.
The rides open at 4 p.m. on Monday, the fair’s first day, and at 1 p.m. each day after that.
There is free parking behind the grandstand.
New to the fair this year is a covered Small Livestock Show Ring, Golden said.
Saturday’s popular Market Class Animal Sale features 300 entries from 130 4-H members. It starts at 1 p.m. in the dairy and livestock arenas.
There’s also a variety of free grounds entertainment again this year, each with three to four shows a day, Golden said. They include: Bears of Bearadise, Hansen’s Spectacular Aerialists, Commerford’s Petting Zoo, Indian River Lumberjack Show, Lee Germain and Judi Magic Show, Pratt Family Chainsaw Carving, and Horses, Horses, Horses.
Several bands will play on the covered stage in the pavilion next to the Corporate Building, Golden said. They include: Bill Labuhn with Cruisin, Craig Wilkins, Paul Zittel and Pure Country and 3-D Line Dancing.
(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)
