Hamlin Fair coming to town

Do you like sausages the size of your arm, or funnel cake covered in powdered sugar? Or what about dizzying, high-speed rides or games of chance to win a prize?

If you answered “Yes” to either of those questions, then rejoice: The first Hamlin Fair is coming your way this week.

Strates Shows Inc. is bringing a smorgasbord of food, rides and games to Hamlin. The Hamlin Fair opens Friday, April 23, and runs through May 2, at 16313 New Independence Parkway, just north of Walmart. It’s going to have everything you’d want at a carnival, said James Strates — who co-owns Strates Shows Inc. with his brothers.

“We are coming to Hamlin and opening on Friday to continue this great American tradition,” he said. “We’re gonna have all the bad (food) there that everyone shouldn’t eat except once a year. But there’s a lot of good food out there — and there’s a little bit of everything. And same for the rides: We’re going to have a merry-go-round, and Ferris wheels and music rides and kiddie rides.”

A few of the rides include names such as the Fireball 2000 — Ring of Fire, Dizzy Dragon, Dream Wheel and Jumbo’s Flying Elephants, among others. Altogether, there will be 21 rides for visitors to check out.

It’s the first time Strates is bringing the family-owned railroad carnival to Hamlin, and it actually happened out of sheer luck. 

Normally during this time of the year, the traveling carnival would be up in New York, but because of COVID-19 and the stricter restrictions put into place in the Northeast, that wasn’t an option this year. Then, Strates’ brother — who also works in real estate in the area — was told about Hamlin by some friends in the real estate business and how developers were looking to do some kind of event in the fall.

Strates said they are looking at possibly doing another event in the fall, but when it came to this week’s carnival, it was all about things working out by having an empty schedule and an open plot of land.

“Lots that we can play come and go in part of the season, and then in other parts of the season is traditional fairs,” Strates said. “This is one of those where it’s not a traditional fair, you can tell what’s going on — (the lot) is going to be developed one day — so the higher and better use is not for a fairgrounds, it’s for development. Right now, it’s an opportunity where there is not anything going on.”

For Strates — whose grandfather founded the traveling carnival in 1923 — being able to bring entertainment to the Hamlin community is a joy, and he hopes folks come out and enjoy a fun and safe time.

“Right now, the events seem to be very successful, and people are coming out and setting records,” Strates said. “And it’s important to know that we take COVID-19 seriously — we continue to do the procedures that we’ve done.”