Erie County Fair

City / town · New York

Hamburg

Erie County Fair

Best timeMay–Sep
From you
Nearest airportBUF · 14 mi
On this page

Overview

Hamburg is the name of a village and town in the Southtowns of Erie County, New York.

1 sights · 2 things to do · 1 places to eat · 6 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Hamburg

Erie County Fair

Erie County Fair

The Erie County Fair is the third-largest county fair in the United States by attendance, and is by far the longest-standing annual event in the area. The first fair was held in 1820 on what is today the site of Sahlen F…

Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center

Owned and operated by the Hamburg Natural History Society, the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center is an outdoor site where visitors can find and collect many extraordinarily well-preserved fossils of…

Buffalo Raceway

The Buffalo Raceway features exciting live harness racing on its half-mile track from January through July, which is located on the grounds of the Erie County Fair in the suburb of Hamburg. Visitors can watch the races f…

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 19°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Sep and Oct. (climate data from nearby Buffalo)

Jan: 3.4 in rain3.4"Jan: high 32°F, low 19°F32°19°JanFeb: 2.5 in rain2.5"Feb: high 33°F, low 20°F33°20°FebMar: 2.9 in rain2.9"Mar: high 42°F, low 26°F42°26°MarApr: 3.4 in rain3.4"Apr: high 55°F, low 36°F55°36°AprMay: 3.4 in rain3.4"May: high 67°F, low 48°F67°48°MayJun: 3.4 in rain3.4"Jun: high 76°F, low 58°F76°58°JunJul: 3.2 in rain3.2"Jul: high 80°F, low 63°F80°63°JulAug: 3.2 in rain3.2"Aug: high 79°F, low 62°F79°62°AugSep: 4.1 in rain4.1"Sep: high 72°F, low 54°F72°54°SepOct: 4.0 in rain4"Oct: high 60°F, low 44°F60°44°OctNov: 3.5 in rain3.5"Nov: high 48°F, low 34°F48°34°NovDec: 3.8 in rain3.8"Dec: high 37°F, low 26°F37°26°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • BUF Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Buffalo — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
  • IAG Niagara Falls International Airport, Niagara Falls — 26 mi away. Directions
Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 1-day itinerary

Day 1

  • Morning Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center, Buffalo Raceway
  • Lunch Brunner's Eatery
  • Afternoon Erie County Fair

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

    Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

    Photos

    Erie County FairHamburg

    Map

    Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

    See

    See Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center

    Owned and operated by the Hamburg Natural History Society, the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center is an outdoor site where visitors can find and collect many extraordinarily well-preserved fossils of sea animals such as trilobites, gastropods, and cnidarians that date from the Devonian Period, a time 380 million years ago when Western New York was under a tropical ocean. As well, the Penn Dixie site boasts a wide variety of habitats, such as wetlands, forest, and treeless brush, that serve as home to a similarly wide variety of animal life such as wild turkey, deer, coyote, reptiles, and migratory birds. Hiking and birdwatching are also popular activities, and special events occur on a regular basis.

    📍 4050 North St., Hamburg🕒 Jun-Sep: Mon-Sat 9AM-4PM, Sun 11AM-4PM. May & Oct: Sat 9AM-4PM & Sun 11AM-4PM💲 $7, children 2-12 $6, members and children under 2 free☎ +1 716 627-4560
    MapsWebsite

    Do

    Festivals and events

    Erie County Fair

    Do Erie County Fair

    The Erie County Fair is the third-largest county fair in the United States by attendance, and is by far the longest-standing annual event in the area. The first fair was held in 1820 on what is today the site of Sahlen Field in downtown Buffalo; the fair has been held continually since 1841 with the exception of 1943, when it was cancelled due to World War II. Today, nearly a million Western New Yorkers pour into the suburb of Hamburg each year for two weeks in the middle of August that have long symbolized the bittersweet end of summer for locals. The fair still serves its original purpose as an agricultural exhibition intended to promote and showcase the area's traditions, talents, diversity and heritage in that field, but today it also features a huge midway with a wide range of carnival rides and games, a range of live music performances each year, gaming, and myriad other attractions.

    💲 $10, seniors $7, children 12 and under free. Parking $5☎ +1 716 649-3900
    MapsWebsite

    Gambling

    Do Buffalo Raceway

    The Buffalo Raceway features exciting live harness racing on its half-mile track from January through July, which is located on the grounds of the Erie County Fair in the suburb of Hamburg. Visitors can watch the races from the comfort of The Clubhouse, which offers food and drinks as well as simulcast wagering year-round, with video feeds from tracks such as the Meadowlands Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Churchill Downs. At the Hamburg Gaming at the Fairgrounds, located on the fairgrounds in a nearby facility, fans of games of chance can enjoy nearly 1,000 slot machines as well as video poker.

    📍 5600 McKinley Pkwy.🕒 Daily 8AM-4AM☎ +1 716 649-1280
    MapsWebsite

    Buy

    • The McKinley Mall, on the border between Hamburg and Orchard Park, is the main shopping center for Buffalo's southern suburbs. Located 10 miles south of Buffalo, at McKinley Parkway and Milestrip Road, the McKinley Mall is easily accessible via Interstate 90, US Route 219, and the Milestrip Expressway. Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, The Bon-Ton, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears, Barnes and Noble, and Old Navy are some of the anchor stores here.

    Eat

    Eat Brunner's Eatery

    MexicanItalianPizza

    Pizza, subs, wings, tacos, pasta, soup, beer. Plenty of parking.

    📍 7171 Boston State Rd., North Boston🕒 Sun-Thu 11AM-10PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-11PM☎ +1 716 649-1707
    Video reviews: Instagram reels · TikTok · YouTube
    MapsWebsite

    Sleep

    Budget

    Stay Red Roof Inn Buffalo Hamburg

    All rooms offer data ports, expanded cable TV, coffeemakers, and free long-distance calls within the continental United States.

    📍 5370 Camp RdI-90 exit 57☎ +1 716 648-7222
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Stadium View Inn

    Convenient to New Era Field, Hamburg Fairgrounds, and ECC South Campus. Free cable TV with over 70 channels including HBO; refrigerator and microwave in every room. Rooms with kitchenette also available.

    📍 4414 Southwestern Blvd☎ +1 716 649-6206 x10
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Super 8 Hamburg

    All rooms contain coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. Rooms with microwave and refrigerator also available. Continental breakfast.

    📍 5442 Camp RdI-90 exit 57☎ +1 716 649-0505
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Motel 6 Hamburg

    All rooms include 55 channels of cable TV; kitchenette suites also available. Guest laundry, outdoor pool and patio, free coffee and tea in the morning.

    📍 5245 Camp RdI-90 exit 57Check-in – · out 11:00 am☎ +1 716 648-2000
    MapsWebsite

    Mid-range

    Stay Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hamburg

    Business center, small fitness center, indoor pool, WorldNews global newspaper service, laundry and dry cleaning service. Continental breakfast.

    📍 3565 Commerce PlI-90 exit 57☎ +1 716 834-5613
    MapsWebsite

    B&Bs

    Stay Sharon's Lakehouse

    Sharon DiMaria operates this charming lakefront bed & breakfast 15 minutes south of Buffalo. The property's two rooms are beautifully furnished and boast stunning views of Lake Erie; ceiling fans, cable TV and DVD players are all provided. A gourmet breakfast is served each morning in the intimate atmosphere of the lovely dining room. Guests can enjoy swimming, fishing and canoeing, or simply relax on the private beach at the rear of the house.

    📍 4862 Lake Shore Rd.☎ +1 716 627-7561
    MapsWebsite

    Nearby

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