Train Day Returns for 100-Year Partnership Celebration
Western New York’s beloved Train Day will return for its final stop in Hamburg (Buffalo) on August 1. After a four-year hiatus, James E. Strates Shows will return to the rails moving a portion of its carnival to Hamburg in preparation for the 184th Erie County Fair. The Erie County Fair runs August 7-18 and is the largest county fair in the country. 2024 marks a special year for Strates Shows and the Erie County Fair as the two organizations commemorate a 100-year partnership. This exclusive relationship is a historical milestone in the modern amusement industry and is considered the longest continuous run of any one carnival midway and any one fair in the United States.
For decades, the annual arrival of the “Fair Train” has been a highly anticipated occasion for fairgoers, as the arrival of the colorful freight train filled with amusement rides is a signal that opening day of the Erie County Fair is just days away. Train Day came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but this year fairgoers and train fanatics alike can enjoy the return of this special celebration which coincides with the momentous 100-year anniversary. Strates Shows rail cars have been mechanically overhauled and cosmetically restored for its return, including the application of retro-inspired color scheme and lettering. The James E. Strates Shows is regarded as the operator of the last “show train” in the world.
Event Details
Train Day will take place at the Historic Erie Depot in the Village of Hamburg located at 4 Scott Street. The event will kick off at 9 a.m. with an anticipated train arrival between 11-11:30 a.m. A brief ceremony with local officials will take place following the train’s arrival. While guests await the thrilling entrance of “Fair Train,” they can enjoy entertainment from the Erie County Fair’s Pepsi All-Star Band and visit with local vendors including:
- O’Brien’s West End Food Truck will sell breakfast and lunch menu items.
- The Hamburg Train Station banquet facility will be open for visitors.
- Retro Buffalo will sell made-to-order commemorative 2024 Train Day t-shirts.
- The United States Postal Service will be onsite with a commemorative “Fair Train Finale” cancellation mark featuring the newly released Carnival Nights stamps. The Post Office will be on site selling the stamps and cancelling mail.
- Clydes Feeds will have special guests from a local animal rescue.
- Eventgoers can visit the Erie County Fair’s 1949 Fair Mobile and high-five Fair Bear who will be handing out wooden nickels (good for one free carousel ride at the 2024 Fair) and 2024 Train Day buttons (while supplies last). Plus, the first 100 guests will receive a bag of classic kettle corn from Fair favorite, Pat’s Kettle Corn.
Train Day guests are encouraged to plan ahead to avoid traffic delays. Scott Street will be closed beginning at Pleasant Avenue and continuing onto Union Street up to West Avenue beginning at 8 a.m. Lots at Clydes Feeds and the Staub plaza will be open to eventgoers. Guests are encouraged to carpool, rideshare or walk to the train depot if able as parking is extremely limited.
100-Year Anniversary
The relationship between Strates Shows and the Erie County Fair began on December 16, 1923, when James E. Strates mailed a letter to the Erie County Agricultural Society soliciting the Erie County Fair’s business. The two-page letter was the start of this special 100-year relationship providing high-quality family entertainment to fairgoers in Western New York. On August 25, 1924, Southern Tier Shows (now known as James E. Strates Shows) began providing the midway and carnival to the Erie County Fair. Today, Strates Shows remains a family-run business in its fourth generation. Strates Shows brings over 70 rides, games and vendors to the midway each August during the Best 12 Days of Summer in Hamburg, NY.
ABOUT THE ERIE COUNTY FAIR
The Erie County Agricultural Society is a private not-for-profit membership organization. Established in 1819, the Society is the oldest civic organization in Western New York. The mission of the Erie County Agricultural Society (ECAS), producers of the Erie County Fair, is to preserve and enhance, by educational endeavors, the agricultural and historical legacy of New York State. The Fair strives to fulfill appropriate aspects of the agricultural, educational, entertainment and recreational needs of Western New York. The 184th Erie County Fair will be held August 7-18, 2024. (www.ECFair.org)
ABOUT STRATES SHOWS
Celebrating 101 years of operation in 2024, Strates Shows is a family-owned and operated outdoor amusement and carnival business with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1923 by Greek immigrant James E. Strates as the Southern Tier Shows in Elmira, New York, the Strates Shows is one of America’s premiere providers of carnival midways, food concessions and games. The business is led by the third generation of Strates members including Jimmy, Jay, John, and Susan. Nick Strates, who officially joined the show full-time during the 2015 season, is the fourth generation of the Strates family to continue the tradition. Overseeing it all, as he has for the past 66 years, is E. James Strates, who continues to be actively involved in daily operations from the Strates Shows offices in Orlando. (www.Strates.com)