From fair to better: Rochester Fair eyes larger role for midway, carnival rides

The bus derby and demolition derby are both back for this year's Rochester Fair. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - The Rochester Fair continues to morph back to much like it was.

The city's venerable hallmark September event will not only gets its midway back, but also its demolition derby after the Rochester Fair board voted them back on Monday.

The turnaround comes as the board conceded that a purely agricultural fair just won't pull in the crowds the way carnival rides and demolitions do.

The newly revamped fair will now run eight days - to comprise two weekends - on Sept. 13-16 and Sept. 20-23 as opposed to the four-day fair announced last fall.

In another development, Vicky Poland, who was to be the manager of this year's fair and charged with giving it a more agricultural flavor, resigned from her position last week, paving the way for its revised look that harkens back what it has always been: a carnival with agricultural shows rather than an agricultural show with a few rides.

There has been no announcement yet on who the new manager will be.