THE BALLOON MAN

Ulster Fair opens today, celebrates 125 years


Myron Chamberlain, upper left, works on a classic 1962 Hollingsworth Dark Ride Monday in preparation for the opening of the Ulster County Fair in New Paltz. The 50-year-old ride is in original condition.
 Spencer Ainsley/Poughkeepsie Journal
Written by Nina Schutzman
from: Poughkeepsie Journal
Jul 31, 2012
NEW PALTZ — The Ulster County Fair starts today and the week ahead is packed with new attractions and special events to celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Despite weather worries, fair manager Gary Newkirk said there’s a lot of excitement in the air along with a new goal: Bring in 50,000 people during the six days they’re open, instead of the usual 45,000.
“We have a lot of new promotions and extras this year for the 125th anniversary,” Newkirk said. “We’re giving away two bicycles a day on Wednesday through Sunday, we’re doing fireworks two nights this year instead of one. We’re even opening a museum to show the history of the fair, which we hope to expand every year.”
The museum isn’t the only new attraction. Dreamland Amusements, the Ulster County Fair ride providers, brought the Skyhawk for the first time this year, an 80-foot-high vertical swing ride.
“We have plenty of things for adults like the Skyhawk, but we’re a big attraction because we’re also very family friendly,” Newkirk said. “We’re safe, we have great food and entertainment, a petting zoo. So a lot of people come because they love rides, but they come for other reasons, too.”

 

Dawid Meyer, a native of South Africa, carries one of 30 horses used to set up the Merry-Go?Round Monday before the Ulster County Fair opens in New Paltz. Meyer obtained a work visa in the United States so he could could travel around the country, see the sites and work to pay for it all. Spencer Ainsley/Poughkeepsie Journal
Newkirk estimates that there are 70 to 80 paid fair employees — including two of his daughters, his sister, and his 14-year-old grandson — with 50 volunteers helping out.
This doesn’t include Dreamland Amusement’s own employees, who travel during the summer with the company.
Setting up and tearing down the rides are jobs they do constantly during the season.
Dawid Meyer from Cape Town, South Africa, has traveled with the fair for two years.
He sets up and dismantles rides, but when the fair’s running he operates food stands. This year, it’s ice cream.
“Ice cream’s popular, but usually the most popular is the dough shop,” Meyer said. “Normally when you get the customers here, the first thing they ask you is where the funnel cakes are.”
Meyer stops in up to 35 places in a typical season. He remembers the Ulster County fair’s location from last year.
“It’s hard to remember places, you go to so many,” he said. “It’s nice, I love it here. I hope we get a lot of people this year.”
As for Newkirk, he’s looking forward to more fair anniversaries in the years to come.
“The Ulster County Fair is great for the Hudson Valley because it brings a lot of revenue into it,” he said. “People come from New Jersey and New York City. It takes a lot of planning, but it’s worth it.”
“The opening of the fair just sneaks up on you,” Newkirk added. “Then Sunday rolls around and it’s over and you start planning for next year. Every year, we want to grow more and more.”