The New York State Fair is officially underway for its 13-day run, and with it comes a few more changes in amenities and programming to improve the experience for fairgoers. Spokesperson Dave Bullard says there’s the most obvious addition…
"When people walk out into the center of the fairgrounds, they're going to see something they haven't seen before. They'er going to see this massive building...90 feet tall at the peak, 440 feet long. It's a big, big building, and it's really going to be special for our non-fair business going forward."
The Expo Center aside, Bullard says most fairgoers say they want more restrooms, seating, and shade. So, they purchased 300 more picnic tables, added some umbrellas, and the expo center includes six banks of restrooms. On the programming side, Bullard says they try to keep it fresh.
"The heart of what we do to get people to come is to continue to change our programming. So, no one can come in and say, 'oh my God, it's the same thing I was here for last year.' We spend about $2.75 million a year on entertainment of all kinds."
He says most of that is on Chevy court and the New York experience stage, but also everywhere else on the fairgrounds. Bullard says more special fair days have been added, including free admission for Canadians. Why, you might ask?
"We got some calls from our Canadian friends who like to come to the fair, who said given the politicial climate, we're not sure we feel that welcome. We feel a little nervous. I took one of the calls. We looked at that, and said, let's have three days and tell our Canadian friends we love you and want you."
Other new special days this year recognize agriculture with Grape day today to promote New York’s Concord Grapes, and Maple Day on Monday, in addition to the long-standing dairy and beef days. College students get in every day of the fair for just one dollar with an ID. Bullard says many might not know the fair doesn’t get any operations money from the state budget, so getting people through the gates is key.
"We live off of what we bring in, at the gate and non-fair revenues. It's important to us to keep people coming. At the same time, we've lowered our admission prices, through our specials like $3 Thursdays and dollar days on opening day and labor day to the point where the average person is paying $3 to get in."
Bullard says they have the most free admission days of any state fair in the nation. But once on the fairgrounds, fairgoers know to have plenty of cash on hand for food, rides, games, and other activities. The fair runs through labor day.
EXPOSITION CENTER TAKES CENTER STAGE
This year’s opening of the New York State Fair marks another milestone: The completion of a $62 million Exposition Center. That’s where Governor Cuomo chose to cut the ribbon Wednesday. Empire State Development Chairman Howard Zemsky joined Cuomo Wednesday to explain the larger impact of the fair, expo center, and tourism, on the state’s economy. Several events are already scheduled for the expo center after the fair, including the Taste New York fall festival, an amateur horse riding competition, and a drone racing competition.
