“Farmer Zak” Zak Asiago and his business partner Amanda Stiffler - dressed as “Hammy Faye” put on shows every day during the Great Dayton Fair last week. (as used by permission)
by Jonathan Weaver
Music, magic and comedy filled the Great Dayton Fairgrounds last week – by some unlikely characters.
Multiple times throughout the day, fair-goers would see “Hammy Faye” and “Elvis Holstein” entertain them during and through the cornfields of “Friendly Farmer’s Barn Yard Review.”
Amanda Stiffler, of Panama City, Fla., performed three different shows per day and a walk-around with the characters – “Elvis Holstein” - a cow that looks like Elvis Presley and “Hammy Faye” - a pig that looks like a ballerina. Both have been part of the show for the past six years.
“The beginning thought process when we developed it was, we felt like the fairs needed a show that applied to what they did more: i.e. agriculturally-based, something farming,” Stiffler said. “Between the both of us and driving from A to B hundreds of miles, we came up with the idea of a farm-themed variety show.”
“One of us will be walking around as the character, meeting and greeting guests, taking pictures - adding extra atmosphere to the fair,” Stiffler said.
Business Partner Zak Asiago, originally from Sharon (Mercer County) but now also a Florida resident, came up with the concept with Stiffler – who said the variety show allows them to mix it up after each season.
“We do fairs for about four months out of the year – we start in the Northeast and our last this year will be the North Carolina State Fair (which starts October 15),” Stiffler said. “We try to stay on this side of the mountains if we can.
“We’ve been doing this show for six years, but we’ve both been performers all of our lives.”
Both business partners own separate entertainment businesses - how they met - and Stiffler previously worked in marketing.
