August is here, which means it’s almost time for this year’s New York State Fair. Every summer I look forward to making it out to the fairgrounds to enjoy great food, live music and captivating exhibitions with family and friends.

 The New York State Fair is a fun-filled celebration of the state’s agriculture, entertainment, food and all the things that set us apart. One hundred years ago, in 1918, the fair was six days long and brought in 131,577 visitors. We’ve come a long way since then. In fact, last year’s fair was the largest to date, with a record 1,161,912 visitors over 13 days. That makes for a whole lot of fried dough and sausage sandwiches.

 Kicking off on Aug. 22 and running through Sept. 3, this year’s fair will be filled with attractions of all kinds, from the Wade Shows Midway to live performances at Chevy Court. I also always enjoy watching the horse shows at the Coliseum.

 The fair will also host a number of free or reduced-price admissions days, including:

• Family Fishing Days on Thursday, Aug. 23, and Sunday, Aug. 26 – free admission for anyone presenting a valid New York State hunting or fishing license;
• Senior Days on Monday, Aug. 27, and Tuesday, Aug. 28 – free admission for senior citizens age 60 or older;
• Law Enforcement Day on Monday, Aug. 27 – free admission for all New York State police and correction officers;
• Fire and Rescue Day on Tuesday, Aug. 28 – free admission for all New York State fire and emergency service workers;
• Armed Forces Day on Thursday, Aug. 30 – free admission for all current and retired military members;
• Native Americans Day on Friday, Aug. 31 – free admission to members of Native American tribes; and
• SU Football Day on Friday, Aug. 31 – $1 admission for attendees wearing Syracuse University apparel, to celebrate the first football game of the season.

And, if you have unused advance-sale tickets from the 2017 fair or 2018 concert tickets for the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, you’ll be granted free admission. With so many chances for New Yorkers to get out to the fair, I expect this year’s celebration to be one of the biggest ever!

To accommodate the fair’s growing popularity, the state has made several key investments, including a project to expand and repave the Orange Lot. This year will also feature the opening of the brand-new 110,000-square-foot Expo Center, which will usher in a host of new entertainment options all year-round.

Whether you’re taking your family to ride the carnival rides, trying all the delicious food or visiting the New York State Assembly Booth, I hope you enjoy one of Central New York’s oldest and proudest traditions and I look forward to meeting you there. For more information about the fair, visit nysfair.ny.gov.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at (315) 452-1115 or at [email protected].