The 179th Cattaraugus County Fair kicked off on Sunday. The fair has brought back familiar vendors, rides and attractions for a week of family fun. P-J file photo

LITTLE VALLEY — Attendance is booming and there are still plenty of events left as the Cattaraugus County Fair celebrates its 179th year. The fair, which returned last year after being forced to cancel in 2020 due to COVID-19, has so far attracted large crowds.

“Attendance has been great,” a fair representative said Tuesday. “Weather has been great. We’ve had well-attended grandstand shows.”

The fair held a rodeo event Sunday night, a demolition derby Monday night and a free Hotel California concert Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s grandstand show featuring Walker Hayes and Cooper Alan is already sold out.

Tickets are still available for Thursday’s Travis Tritt concert.

Friday and Saturday will feature the fair’s motor sports weekend events, including monster truck rallies and a big rig truck pull.

The fair will come to a close Saturday night, following the conclusion of the motor sports events.

This year, the fair is featuring a variety of 4-H entries, new and returning vendors and new carnival rides. The county fair’s rides are provided by Powers and Thomas Midway Entertainment.

“We have a lot of new vendors,” the fair rep said. “Our grandstand is full of vendors as well as the infield and the corporate building.”

In addition to new vendors, this year’s fair features familiar vendors, classic attractions and a consistent schedule.

“We try to keep our schedule the same because people expect that,” the fair said.

The parking lot has been expanded for this year due to a shortage of spaces during last year’s fair.

In addition to free parking behind the grandstand, there is a community parking lot across from the fair entrance gate that is used to raise money for different organizations. A Boy Scout group raised money through the community parking lot on Monday and a Wesleyan church raised money on Sunday. Throughout the week, different groups will have the opportunity to raise money in the community.

The fair is very important to the community because it brings people to the area and benefits the local businesses.

“We may not have a lot of businesses, but they definitely benefit from the fair,” the representative said.

With a mixture of familiar attractions and new vendors, the fair’s goal is to create an enjoyable experience for the community.

“Just trying to do our best to keep ahead of what we think people would like to see and create a good experience,” a representative said.

Tickets for the Cattaraugus County Fair are available for purchase online or at the gate.