MID-HUDSON VALLEY, NY — There are more than a few reasons that people come back to the Dutchess County Fair year after year.
There’s always something new to see, and many things to experience again and again.
That balance is what Andrew Imperati, the manager and CEO of the Dutchess County Fair, strives to come up with.
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“My job is to make sure things are fresh,” he told Patch, “and every year we kind of change things up.”
Imperati added: “If there’s one thing a fair manager hates to hear, it’s ‘I don’t need to see that — I saw it last year.’”
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Even so, many people want to experience some attractions every year, like getting splashed by the pool-diving Dock Dogs, admiring the award-winning cows, goats, pigs and chickens, sipping a 4-H Milkshake and enjoying roaming entertainment by circus performer Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy.
From Tuesday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 27, the town of Rhinebeck’s population will swell from about 7,800 to a daytime high of 300,000 — or more.
Those people, many making return visits, come from all over the tri-state region to see the 177th edition of the annual fair.
They rush through the gates clutching a map of the fairgrounds, taking a few moments to decide what to see first, then meander from attraction to attraction.
That is why Imperati has an adrenaline rush: first from setting up the fair and second from watching the patrons come through.
He loves the fact that he never does “the same thing two days in a row.”
The challenge with running the fairgrounds — a huge draw not only for Rhinebeck but for Dutchess County — is that “in the end, we are only open about 26 days to the public,” Imperati said, 35 if you include private events, weddings, graduations, proms and a few unadvertised livestock shows.
All told, every year more than 400,000 people visit the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.
“Ultimately, we make 75 percent of our annual income from the six-day fair,” he said. “That’s the gamble in our business.”
In today’s economic climate, it takes anywhere from $1.75 million to $2 million to produce, Imperati said.
“It’s no different than any other fairgrounds,” he said. “We are very weather-dependent. We dance around what Mother Nature gives us.”
Historically, Mother Nature hasn’t been too rough on the fairgrounds, but there have been some trying times.
For the most part, the annual fair gets four or five good days out of six, with a passing thunderstorm thrown in for good measure.
The nonprofit Dutchess County Agricultural Society was organized and the fair began in 1841 in Millbrook, where the New York State Police Troop K barracks are now located. It’s moved around a lot, Imperati said, even being in Poughkeepsie at one point.
By the 1900s, the fair had considerable financial challenges, causing the 1916 and 1918 fairs to be canceled. In between — in 1917 — the Poughkeepsie fairgrounds were used to mobilize men involved in World War I.
In 1919, a group of businessmen reorganized the society, and a new location in Rhinebeck was chosen.
Heavy rains and flooding canceled the fairs of 1927 and 1928. The subsequent Great Depression negatively influenced the fair’s growth, and in 1942, the fair was canceled because of World War II.
More recently, an earthquake in Virginia temporarily shut down the fair in 2011 and was followed by Hurricane Irene, whose rains and winds forced an early closing.
And in 2020, the fair shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Here we are, present day, back on our feet and moving forward,” Imperati said.
What You Need To Know
This year the Dutchess County Fair will take place from Tuesday, Aug. 22 to Sunday, Aug. 27, rain or shine. The fair is open, and the rides are active, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate, though the former is preferred because of expected long lines. Parking is free. No pets allowed.
Grandstand entertainment features country rock singer Brantley Gilbert ($65 which includes fair admission) and, free with paid admission, country singer/songwriter Cooper Alan with special guest Chase McDaniel Steve Augeri, who is the former lead vocalist with Journey, Chris Cagle and Refugee, a Tom Petty Tribute Band.
New this year will be the Dutchess Fair Highland games, which is a strongman competition featuring men in kilts.
Besides the main event in August, the fairgrounds host other attractions, such as the Vintage Vibe Markets, June 3-4; the Eastern New York Summer Classic, June 16-17; the Rhinebeck Crafts Festival, June 24-25, and the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest, Sept. 9-10. A complete lineup of events can be found here.
The Dutchess County Fairgrounds is located at 6636 Route 9 in Rhinebeck.
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