Directors elected

Five members of the Altamont Fair were elected to three year terms on the Board of Directors. Wayde Bush will continue serving on the Board. his particular interests are the Blue Ribbon Cooking Center and the Farm Machinery Museum. Pat Canaday was elected to her second term, she does a lot of work in the finance area but her heart is still in the sheep barn. Dave Ahern was elected to his first term, he has been very active in Buildings and Grounds. Susie Osta from the Pony Show and all fair ribbons will now be on the board. Willard Schultz will serve on the board again, he is very involved in infield logistics and maintenance.

suggestions please

The Altamont Fair is having a meeting next week to discuss ways to be more inviting to exhibitors and vendors. What do you think we could do to make it more attractive to you to enter the 2010 Fair as an exhibitor? I look forward to your comments.

Congratulations Donny Albright

Everyone at the Altamont Fair congratulates Donny Albright on his being named Fireman of the Year by the Guilderland Center Fire Dept. Donny worked tirelessly to bring Hometown Heroes in Action into the successful exhibit we had in 2009. He was also very busy in the Guilderland Center Fire Dept. You are doing a great job, Donny!

We regret to inform you

The Altamont Fair has lost a willing worker with the death of Judy Pulliam.  She was involved for over twenty years with the farmhouse museum and the one room schoolhouse.  Our condolences to her husband Vall.

Enjoy a bus ride to the Fair

The CDTA and the Altamont Fair have agreed to provide transportation services to support the 2009 Altamont Fair Schedule.

CDTA will operate shuttle service between Crossgates Mall and the fairgrounds for the 2009 schedule (August 11-16, 2009) The Crossgates Mall location will provide customers with convenient access to several of CDTA's most popular and frequent routes and services. The shuttle service will operate on a one-hour frequency.

CDTA will charge a fare and require that it be paid using our Day Card ($4). Once a person has the day card, they can use it on any CDTA bus for that day--this will take care of the trip to the fairgrounds and accommodate any transfer a customer may need (taking more than one bus to reach the fair).

MEATBALLS

Does everyone rave about your meatballs? When you serve spaghetti, does everyone ask for seconds on the meatballs? When do we have an idea for you.....enter your meatballs in the Blue Ribbon Cooking Center's Meatball Contest. It will be held Friday August 14 at 6:30. Sponsored by Mama Mia Deli & Pizza on 53 Fuller Raod in Albany. Make sure your friends are there to cheer you on!

MAMA MIA!Italian Meatball Cook Off - 6:30 P.M. - on Friday, 8/14 at "Blue RibbonCooking Center"Sponsored by Mama Mia! restaurant at 53 Fuller Rd., Albany1st Prize $30 gift certificate to Mama Mia!, 2nd Prize $20 giftcertificate, 3rd Prize $10 gift certificate.Be at Gate 2 at 4:30 with your meatballs, to be admitted to the AltamontFair FREE! One Free admission per meatball entry.

Miss Altamont Fair

The Altamont Fair invites you to enter the 2009 Miss Altamont
Fair Pageant! The competition will be held at the Northrup
Stage near Gate Three.

ABOUT THE PAGEANT

The purpose of the Pageant is to give the contestants an
opportunity to showcase their natural beauty and speaking
ability in a public environment so they may enhance their
personal and professional skills in order to achieve their
educational and professional goals.

Residency Requirements
Applicants must be residents of Albany, Schenectady or Greene
Counties.

Age Requirements
Miss Altamont Fair 16-21 years old
Junior Miss Altamont Fair 12-15 years old
Young Miss Altamont Fair 8-11 years old
Little Miss Altamont Fair 5-7 years old

Contestants will be judged on poise, personality, ability to
follow directions, on-stage presence and appearance and the
ability to communicate with the public.

Application and entry fee must be received in the Fair Office by 3pm on Saturday, August 8, 2009.

Find out more by going to www.Altamontfair.com and click on Exhibitor Guidebook and then on Miss Altamont Fair.
_______________________________________________________________________

Enter the demo derby

Forms now available at the Altamont Fair Office on the fairgrounds. 861-6671
You too can be a part of a Stoney Roberts spectacular!

Chapel Schedule

The chapel was opened at the Fairgrounds to provide worship possibilities for the carnival workers, vendors and exhibitors. Here is this year's schedule:


Altamont Fair Chapel
5:30 PM 1 PM
August 11
Rock Road Chapel

5:30 pm 1pm
August 12
Pastor Jeff Minniear
Grace Baptist Church


5:30pm 1 pm
August 13
Ministering Dan Wolford
Gallupville Gospel Church


August 14
1pm
Dr Claude and Debbie Guerra
5:30pm
August 14
Rev. Jim Link Family worship Center



August 15
11am
Piano Recital Karen Edson

1pm
Brother Anthony Casso, Lasallette Shrine Vigil Mass

5:30

Father Jeffery L. Arche, MS LaSalette Shrine Vigil Mass


1pm
August 16, 2008
Hilltown Gospel Singer
Karen Edson

5:30 pm
Rev. Bob Mundell

Ride Bargains

Reithoffer Midway is coming back to the Altamont Fair this year and is offering a great deal.

Cost of a Wristband Ticket is only $15.00 in advance.(available at www.Altamontfair.com after July 12, 2009) This is a PAY ONE PRICE MEGA Wristband Ride all day ticket, good any one day of the fair. This ticket does NOT INCLUDE gate admission.

Children 12 and under FREE admission to Altamont Fair

Advance sale Admission Ticket $10

Advance sale Mega Wristband $15

Enjoy the thrills of the midway at Altamont Fair August 11-16, 2009

See the Possibilities

I just wanted to point out some of the things to enjoy at the Altamont Fair. Kids 12 & under are FREE admission every day this year. There will be Zoppe Circus performances daily. There will be tractor dealers. There will be apple peeling contests. There will be awesome cars in Cars: Past, Present, Future. Dogs--there will be every kind of dog performance you can imagine at Dog Magic. There will be barns of farm animals. The Miracle of Birth will have a calf born daily. We have competition for Miss Altamont Fair. There will be Guitar Hero. There will be battle of the teen bands. There is a great circus display. Come again to the Altamont Fair. See your Hometown Heroes in Action!!

BIGGEST ZUCCHINI

The sun has finally come out, our gardens are going to grow grow grow. As you are harvesting your vegetable treasures, think about showing them off at the Altamont FAir.

Enter some of the veggies you think will do well, then there is a one time opportunity to add more veggies to your entry. That happens the Sunday (August 9) before the fair.

That is the time to parade your largest zucchini. I've had baseball bat sized ones (and my kids are not squash fans) Can you beat that? Try .....Enter your giant zucchini and WIN at the Altamont Fair.

We also want to see the real beauties of your garden--those perfect beans, that photographic tomato, that luminous pumpkin.

go to www.altamontfair.com
click on exhibitors guidebook

then click on vegetables and find out how you too can enter.

Battleoftheteenbands

That's right, the Altamont Fair is having a Battle of the Teen Bands. So far 45 bands have signed up, only half that number will have stage time. So Get your application in now. go to www.battleoftheteenbands.com The performances will be Wed, Thur, and Fri on the Grove Stage with finals on the grandstand on Saturday. You have to play....You have to come support your favorite band. This is going to be awesome.

Admission to the Fair includes these performances...no extra charge! Advance sale tickets will be available at Price Chopper supermarkets after the fourth of July. Also available in July at www.altamontfair.com. One day adult admission is only $10 in advance. $12 the week of the Fair. Kids 12 and under are FREE everyday of the Altamont Fair!

DOG MAGIC

DOG MAGIC
EVERY DAY OF THE FAIR !
DEMOS * INFO * FUN * ACTION

* KOUNTRY K-9 SHOW—3 X’s Daily *

ALBANY KENNEL CLUB : Canine Good Citizen ~ Advanced Obedience ~ Conformation & more !

4H DOG OBEDIENCE * GRROWLS RESCUE * RETRIEVER DEMO

* RALLY O ! PERFORMANCES * KARYN TINDAL’S DANCING DOGS *

* PAWSTARS with Erich Steffensen * SHEEP DOG HERDING DEMOS*

TRACKING * VENDORS * N.E.B.C.R * S.D.T.C Obedience demo *

Stop by the DOG MAGIC tent for your free sample of LOYALL DOG FOOD

Joey Page

Joey Page will be appearing on the grandstand stage at the Altamont Fair on
Friday August 14, 2009. He is the popular Disney teen pop star. Opening act will be Good for the Soul. The show should start at 7 pm All shows are included in the price of admission. Tickets will be available online and at Price Chopper Supermarkets in July. Advance adult tickets are only $10. Kids 12 and under are admitted for FREE.

Poets Corner

The Altamont Fair has a little bit of everything from cars dropping from cranes to Dog Magic to battleoftheteenbands to a special afternoon of Poetry. Come visit the Schoolhouse Museum to hear original poems by William Robert Foltin, Tim Lake and friends on Wednesday, August12.

New Blue Ribbon Cooking Center

The members and associate members of the Altamont Fair put on a great show every August (August 11-16, 2009) and maintain the fairgrounds year-round . They care about the communities they live in and frequently volunteer to help their neighbors (whether as 4H leaders, school board members, volunteer firemen, sports coaches, etc.)

To celebrate the new Blue Ribbon Cooking Center, the members brought food to recent meetings. Yesterday, I transported cartons of food and toiletries donated by the people behind the Altamont Fair to The Hilltowns Community Resource Center .

The Hilltown Community Resource Center serves families in Berne, Knox, Westerlo and Rensselaerville. There were 700 food pantry visits for assistance just last year. We were glad to help and they were glad to receive the food. If anyone else has a hankering to help out, toiletries and diabetic foodstuffs are always needed. To reach them, call 797-5256.

New Pony Contest

While you are at the Altamont Fair this year, come check out the imaginatively decorated pony stalls. Pick your favorite stall. Pick your favorite pony. Results will be tallied daily with the winner announced on Saturday night. All fairgoers may vote.

Scrapbook Show Cancelled

There are no plans currently for a scrapbooking show at the Altamont Fairgrounds in June 2009. The previously announced show has been cancelled.

Found Art

When you are in the city or in the woods, look around you. Lots of times you find really cool items that are very interesting to look at. This category in the youth Fine Arts division is designed to get young people to look at the world around them and share the results with others. You too can enter this. Please go to www.altamontfair.com and click on Exhibitors Guidebook and then on Fine Arts. You will find out how to enter in the Youth Art Show! Check it out!

Memorial Day Parade

John Van Wormer and Susie Osta spearheaded a fantabulous Altamont Fair Float for the Rotterdam Memorial Day Parade. Check it out!

Look for this float updated in the Rotterdam Flag Day Parade! I mean this had ponies, music, smiles, lion and tamer, sunflowers, chicks. It was great.....can't wait to see it with flags!

Rotterdam Parade

There will be an Altamont Fair float in the Rotterdam parade this Thursday evening. It sounds wonderful and there will be ponies and clowns walking with the Float. Thanks John and Sue!!

The Car Show on Saturday was lots of fun--those cars were beauties and there were lots of vendors at the Flea Market--flowers to toys to jewelry to car parts and more.

EASTER EGG CONTEST

You have another chance to decorate eggs this year. The Poultry Barn is having a decorated egg contest. Check out Poultry under Exhibitors Guidebook.! Creative and fun

WANTED: Green Thumbs

Now is the time to think about the fruits and flowers you can enter in the 2009 Altamont Fair. Entry forms are due in July but the vegetables and flowers need only be ready by August 9, 2009. Share your bounty with all the people coming to the Fair. Let them see the perfect bloom or that wonderful tomato. There are even categories for houseplants for those of us who prefer indoor gardening. The thrill of display is wonderful and just think you could casually decorate your home and garden with winning ribbons. Let's do it.

Go to www.altamontfair.com and click on Exhibitor's Guidebook.

Battle of the Teen Bands

Did you hear about the latest excitement at the Altamont Fair? Maybe you saw the lawn signs? Well, there's going to be a Battle of the Teen Bands right here at the Altamont Fair. You have to come support your favorites (or is there only one favorite?) Check out this website to answer all your questions about how to join in the fun. Www.battleoftheteenbands.com

I regret to inform you

Luella Kellerman passed away yesterday. She and her daughter Sue have been Superintendents of the Arts and Crafts Building at the Fair.

We will miss her smile and quilting and ability to gently get things done. The Altamont Fair has lost a true friend.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Sue and her family.

Thanks Roger & Stuart L.

Thanks to Roger Smith, the children at Clarksville Elementary celebrating Earth Day, were able to see how an antique corn sheller works. The Lyman's brought up lots of ear corn so the children could shell the corn by hand and then see how mechanization can speed up the process. This interactive experience was great for the children and we are looking forward to seeing it at the Altamont Fair. Thanks

Helderberg Mountain Nationals Car Show

Put May 16 on your calendar for a great day out. The Car Show is returning (check out www.altamontfair.com for entry information. In between seeing great cars, there will be a flea market and refreshment booths....a little something for the whole family. So plan on coming to the fairgrounds on Saturday May 16!

I'm SO excited

The exhibitors guidebook (known previously as the Premium Book) has been posted on the Altamont fair site. I can now plan what to knit and what to grow and where I should be August 11-16. The General Rules and Regulations will be posted soon I'm told. Go check it out and start planning that scarecrow.!

We regret to inform you

The Altamont Fair lost a long time friend when Madeline Karker died this Sunday.

Madeline touched all of us for so many years….. Her warm smile and quick wit made going into the Altamont Fair office a pleasure – even if you had a problem needing solving!
She was the Fair's executive secretary for over 30 years.

Calling hours will be Thursday April 16 from 4:30-8pm at the Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont.

Our condolences to her family.

DOG MAGIC

Have you heard about the new attraction at the Altamont Fair?

DOG MAGIC, a huge new tent plus outdoor facility devoted to our doggy friends. There will be professional acts, there will be educational possibilities, there will be demonstrations of some of the many things dogs can do. There will be vendors. All in one place on the Fairgrounds.

I'll keep you posted.....

Stamp & Scrapbook Expo

We are looking forward to a Stamp & Scrapbook Expo on the fairgrounds during the weekend of June 12-14, 2009.

Spinning fibers

The Altamont Fair has a wonderful Wool Nook tucked in the front of the Sheep and Goat Barn. There are wonderful finished products, skeins, fleeces and demonstrations. Information about these and other fair competitions will be available shortly on the Altamont Fair website
www.altamontfair.com under the subheading of Exhibitors Guidebook then Sheep.

The 2009 Exhibitors Guidebook will be online shortly (sometime this month) We are a volunteer organization.

For more specific questions, leave a comment and I'll try to find an answer for you.

I regret to inform you

that longtime friend of the Altamont Fair, Jean Bear, has passed away. Jean touched the lives of Green County 4Hers for well over 60 years.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bear family as we share their sorrow.

YOUR PHOTO

The Altamont Fair is requesting photos from all you visitors to the fair. We would like to showcase your special flash shot of action at the fair. Send the photo or photos in jpeg form to newideas@altamontfair.com or mail your photos to
FLASH SHOTS
Altamont Fair
PO Box 506, 129 Grand St
Altamont NY 12009

The pictures can be sent in anytime during the year. If it is chosen to be used in Altamont Fair publicity, you will be awarded admission tickets plus goodies. We hope to display all photos at the Fair so be sure to check out the display when you come.

This also means that we would like your name, address/email address so we can send out prizes.

All photos become the property of the Altamont Fair.

If the picture is readily identifiable as taken at the Altamont Fair, it has a better chance of being selected. (just saying)

I regret to inform you..

We have lost two long time Altamont Fair friends.

Don Otterness passed away late Thursday night. A long time supporter of 4H and agriculture, Don was active for many years in the Sheep Barn, Men’s Garden club and Milking parlor.

Edwin M. Martin passed away on March 15. Ed was the former Poultry Building
Co-Superintendant with Dick Langenbach for MANY years.

Please keep Don and Ed and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

We need your help!

As part of our historical mission, we work hard every year to make the past come alive for fairgoers. We have a range of museum buildings from Antique Farm Machinery to the Circus Museum. There is a one room school house and a farmhouse (complete with kitchen.) The 1890's Carriage Museum has many of the shops found in Altamont at that time.

Having a live interpreter connects with the fairgoers. We want to explain "Why?" and "How did they do that?"

With your help we can do even more. Do you have stories to tell about life on the farm or being in Grandma's kitchen? Would you like to share how you knit or crochet or bake? We need people to be present in the buildings during Fair week August 11-16, 2009. We are looking for volunteers who will interact with the public and share their enthusiasm and knowledge.

Please contact Father Jeff to offer your time and thoughts
Fr.Jeff AT verizon.net or volunteer AT altamontfair.com or call 861-8159

Eastern NYS Regional Poultry School Show

April 18,2009 9am til 4pm at Altamont Fairgrounds.

This is a learning day for kids interested in poultry. The educational sessions will include incubation, embryology, health, feeding, housing, waterfowl, show preparaion, what happens at a show and fitting and showmanship....That is going to be one busy morning. Then after a lunchbreak, youths can prepare their birds for an afternoon funshow.

For more details contact Erika Marczak ( phone 518-441-9870) or email her

marczakeAThotmail.com

This sounds like fun and it is FREE.

Helderberg Mountain Nationals

Helderberg Mountain Nationals Car Show,
Craft Fair, Flea Market & Swap Meet
Altamont Fairgrounds

Saturday May 16, 2009

Be sure to join us for the return of the Helderberg Mountain National Car Show. There will be outstanding and outrageous cars, proud owners, auto related swap meet, flea market and craft show good food. What a fun day.

There are still some vendor spots open, check out the Altamont Fair Website and the Helderberg Mountain Nationals Car Show site for more contacts and info.

Appeal to the young

Rachel is posed in the Arts & Crafts Building where some of her handiwork was displayed. Her dress was beautiful. And her smile and enthusiasm around the fairgrounds helped create good will. And if you looked really hard you could see several generations of her family hard at work at the Fair.

I wonder if she is sewing now?

NYS FAIRS Support Education through scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Altamont Fair is a member of the New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs, Inc. The fairs across New York state have gotten together to offer six scholarships to students who have participated in the fairs and who plan to study agriculture or fair management. The NYSAAF and the NYSSA offer an annual scholarship program which is available to students who are New York State residents, who currently are (or have previously been) active in a fair that is a member of the NYSAAF and who plan to attend (or already attend) college in pursuit of a degree in agriculture or fair management.

The fair where you have been active must endorse your application and will submit it for you. Our website www.nyfairs.org offers a complete list of our member fairs BUT you have to hurry. The deadline to submit your application (and you can’t do it online) is the second Saturday in April. There is an essay and there is an application form. And you can find them both at the www.nyfairs.org website.

Oh yeah , it is for people already in college or high school seniors.

Good luck!

Altamont Fair's website is www.altamontfair.com

Welcome Zoppe Circus

We are very excited that Zoppe Circus will be part of the Altamont Fair again this year. Its performances are included in your admission to the Fair. What a deal!!

It is very entertaining and held under the Big Top. Come have some genuine fun!

Happy New Year!

Planning is underway for a great Altamont Fair in 2009.

Join us August 11-16, 2009.