Central New Yorkers associate the end of summer with the New York State Fair. This historic and prized tourism event is ever-changing and evolving to best represent the State and all of the wonderful things that make our State great.
Once again this year, fair-goers will be met with many changes at the Fair:
- The event has been expanded to 13 days to allow additional time for more people to experience the thrills and joys of our state’s premier showcase.
- There will be four Baby Care Centers around the grounds. The Centers are supervised and air-conditioned, providing private spaces for nursing mothers and an area for quick diaper changes.
- Improvements have been made to Indian Village, including a revitalized Turtle Mound stage.
- The Taste NY Store and the Taste NY Market will join other vendors in the Horticulture Building, including more than 30 local companies.
- A first-ever drone video competition, which will be professionally judged and will feature videos that were mostly shot using a drone or another unmanned aerial vehicle.
- The milk bar returns, remaining at 25 cents per cup, thanks to the sponsorship of Tully’s Good Times.
- The American Dairy Association’s Butter Sculpture will also return and is sponsored by Wegmans.
- An exhibit in the Science and Engineering Building featuring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) hands-on activities, workshops and demonstrations which will allow young people to explore careers in related fields.
These improvements are part of a multi-year investment plan initiated by Gov. Cuomo to revitalize the 127-year-old fairgrounds. First implemented for the 2016 Fair with a new main gate, an RV-park and a new midway area, the $50 million investment lead to record-setting attendance.
There are more exciting changes planned for the New York State Fair, funded by $50 million included in the 2017-18 state budget and $20 million from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative Investment: an 80,000-square-foot hybrid building and Expo Center available for year-round use is expected to be built by the opening of the 2018 NYS Fair. Also expected to be completed by the 2018 NYS Fair is a new on-ramp to I-690 West and more improvements to the Orange lot to improve parking and traffic congestion.
