The Great New York State Fair

Don’t miss the state’s 13-day extravaganza (it’s free every day for people aged 65 and older)

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

 

Where can you experience stage shows, a live dairy calf birth, circus (and a model circus!), carnival, pig race, farm animals and exotic animals, street performers, miniature golf, New York state art and cuisine and culture from around the world, all in one place?

The Great New York State Fair, of course!

It is the nation’s oldest fair and is often recognized as one of the top five state fairs in America. Nearly one million attended last year.

The Great New York State Fair encompasses 375 acres and offers an incomparable scope of entertainment for the reasonable ticket cost. It’s really tough to do it all in one day.

Before you go to the fair, plan when you want to attend.

The stage entertainment will be different each day. This year, the entertainment line-up includes The Commodores, Quiet Riot, Herman’s Hermits, Shrek Rave and more at Chevy Court. At Suburban Court, Melissa Ethridge, Sean Paul, Ashanti, ZZ Top, Trace Adkins, and The All-American Rejects. Plus, anticipate street performers such as perennial favorite Bandaloni, the one-man band and Hilby, the German juggler. The daily schedule, posted online, can also give you an idea of the day’s events such as the circus performances, K-9 show, exotic bird demonstrations and more.

Don’t settle for eating something mundane at the fair. The Asian Village, open for half the fair last year, offers authentic cuisine, as does the Pan-African Village and the plethora of other food vendors throughout the grounds. Other dining options include The Eatery, Restaurant Row, and stand-alone vendors throughout the fair.

Stop by the New York State Milk Bar in the Dairy Products Building for a cup of plain, chocolate or strawberry milk, which is still 25 cents, to enjoy with fresh baked goods. The Dairy Products Building also has a large variety of cheeses, both hard and soft ice cream cones, the annual butter sculpture and dairy activities for kids.

The Horticulture Building includes the Great Baked Potato Booth — a great lunch spot — and Pure New York Maple Center, where you can buy any maple product you could think of and a few you’ve never seen. Snap up a few boxes of maple candy both to enjoy and as tasteful gifts. Get up close with scores of colorful butterflies at the butterfly exhibit and view dozens of beautiful flowers in this building as well.

Unique attractions at the fair abound. The Center of Progress building includes the annual sand sculpture — great for photo ops — and dozens of vendors. The Art & Home Center displays fine arts, photography, quilting, and culinary exhibits, along with vendors. View hundreds of shimmering fish at the DEC Aquarium. The Exposition Center includes the I Love NY Exhibit — another photo op spot! — and more fun exhibits for kids and kids-at-heart. In past years, dinosaur and Ice Age animatronics have proven big hits for children, along with lawn games.

History buffs should stop by the Daniel Parrish Witter Agriculture Museum, which includes live artisans plying their crafts of yester year, Carriage Museum and Antique Tractor Exhibit. The Indian Village also displays a replica Iroquois longhouse, live music and traditional crafts.

Catch animal shows at the fair’s barns, including dairy cattle, beef cattle, poultry, horses, goats, llamas, swine and sheep. The Wool Center’s exhibitors offer live wool processing demonstrations. Get back in touch with agriculture and see the latest in precision farming at the milking parlor in the Dairy Cattle Building, Mobile Dairy Experience, Voice of the Farmer Garden and Dairy Cow Live Birthing Center.

 

If You Go

The Great New York State Fair (https://nysfair.ny.gov) runs from Aug. 26-Sept. 7. Scooters and wheelchairs are available for rental by reserving online. Free tram services offer rides all day.

To get to the fair, Amtrak offers direct service for the duration of the event from Rochester’s Louise M. Slaughter Station, located at 320 Central Ave.

The grounds are open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with no entry or re-entry after 9 p.m. Most buildings open at 10 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate or online. As of the publication date, parking is $12.41 per vehicle and daily admission is $8.32 for adults. Children aged 12 years and younger and adults aged 65 and older are free. Students and youth aged 18 and younger are free on Student Youth Day. Wristbands for the midway rides are extra but offer daylong use. The special fair days provide daily admission offers. Purchasing tickets and wristbands online can also save a few dollars.

Seniors aged 65 and older are admitted free every day of the fair.

Check the website for special events. You can also sign up for updates from the fair.