The challenges that began with Hurricane Irene kept on coming for the 136th Sunshine Fair.
Accidents in Saturday's Demolition Derby sent one man to the burn unit at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse after his car burst into flames; another driver was cut from his car with the Jaws of Life.
Then there was the weather: Extreme heat and rain four of the first six days.
"The heat really hurt," said Doug Cater, Fair president. "The evenings were packed, but during the day, the people just did not come out."
As a result, he said, attendance at the Fair looks to be down six to seven percent-though that estimate doesn't include sales from season passes and multi-day tickets.
"Maybe it'll come out fairly even."
The heat kept EMTs busy, especially on Saturday, Mr. Cater said, when temperatures hit the 90s and a few people passed out.
Then came the derby.
It's still not clear why the car Casey Boynton of Charlotteville burst into flames and then exploded Saturday just before 7pm.
Nearby Cobleskill Fire Department volunteers were on the car within seconds, dousing the flames and pulling Mr. Boynton to safety.
He was airlifted to Upstate Medical University with extensive burns and is listed in serious condition.
The second accident saw Mark Wainwright trapped in his car after it flipped over when it was broadsided by a pair of cars that then drove on top of it.
Because the car's doors were welded shut, volunteers had to cut Mr. Wainwright from the vehicle but suffered no serious injuries.
"All these years and we've never had anything like this," Mr. Cater said. 'It was a tough way to end the Fair."
But when things weren't going wrong they were going well; Mr. Cater said he heard nothing but compliments about the entertainment and the circus and the grandstands were packed for all of the events there.
The Arts & Crafts Building saw a record number of entries, he said, and changes to the Hall of Agriculture, 4-H, and Progressland were well-received.
Sunday was the Fair's biggest day, he said; staff had to do some last-minute mowing at Guilford Mills so they could park cars there.
"We sure weren't going to turn people away," Mr. Cater said.
"It was a year of many challenges, starting with Irene and Lee," he added.
"We had a lot of help from volunteers but a lot of the work had to wait till the last minute. We were finishing drainage and putting up tents at the same time. And still, I think we had a great Fair."