PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF: Rochester Fair draws closer to an epic new beginning

Setup of the the Super Cyclone Roller Coaster has begun at the Fairgrounds (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - With Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tunes blaring from Rochester Fairgrounds loudspeakers and dozens of volunteers scurrying about setting up exhibits and giving the grounds a final sprucing up, can the smell of sausage and onions wafting in the air be far behind?

In three days, Thursday at 4 p.m. to be exact, the new Rochester Fair officially begins its much-anticipated comeback, and longtime fair manager Mark Perry said it's going to be bigger and better than ever.

"When you're making a comeback, you gotta go big," Perry said on Sunday as he directed volunteers working over the holiday weekend to make sure the fair's comeback is well, much better than fair.

Perry said this year's midway will be bigger than ever and will boast the first adult roller-coaster the fair has seen.

Located in the rear of the fairgrounds near the agricultural barns, the Super Cyclone Roller Coaster was just getting off the ground on Sunday, but it is sure to be a crowd-pleaser come Thursday.

Perry said Fiesta Shows once again will be running the Midway and Serge Coronas' Circus Hollywood will also return with a full complement.

Coronas, himself, was on hand Sunday at the fairgrounds going over final details of his troupe's arrival.

Rochester Fair's Mark Perry chats with Serge Coronas, owner of Circus Hollywood, and circus employee Rick Nunez on Sunday at the Fairgrounds.

Meanwhile, Rochester Fair board member and City Councilor Sandy Keans said on Sunday the city had approved the fair's Exhibition Hall for occupancy.

Volunteers were setting up the fair's archived museum pieces for display in the Exhibition Hall on Sunday.

Keans said she was overwhelmed with the amount of support being donated by nearly 100 volunteers.

"The volunteers are great," Keans said. "It's just amazing, there's close to 100 volunteers out there, sweeping floors, scrubbing walls. They even built a stairwell in the grandstand."

Perry said it was a testament to the fair's tradition that former vendor's like Fiesta and Circus Hollywood were returning this year after losing the booking last year when the fair closed due to financial reasons.

From left, Sandy Aveill, Diana Dean and Joyce Luvisi at the beer concession inside the Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon.

"Usually you don't get them back, they get other dates," said Perry.

Besides a new ride in the Super Cyclone, the new and improved Rochester Fair will also have a Miss Rochester Fair Pageant. It starts on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Pageant Hall. Go to https://rochesterfair.com/miss-rochester-fair-pageant/ for information or to sign up.