New York State Fair
The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest annual event and an end-of-summer tradition for hundreds of thousands of families from all corners of the state. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841, and took permanent residence there in 1890. It is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States, with over one million visitors annually.
The New York State Fair begins in August and runs for 13 days, ending on Labor Day. The Fair did not operate in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is held at the Empire Expo Center on the shores of Onondaga Lake, in the town of Geddes, near the western border of Syracuse. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets owns five of the buildings at the fair and employs its workers.
The Syracuse Police, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office & the New York State Police, besides security guards, are the fair's patrollers.
History
In February 1832, The New York State Agricultural Society was founded in Albany by a group of farmers, legislators, and others to promote agricultural improvement and local fairs. The nation's first state fair was later held in Syracuse from September 29–30, 1841. Attendance was estimated at 10,000–15,000; features included speeches, animal exhibits, a plowing contest, and samples of manufactured farm and home goods. The second New York State Fair was held in Albany in 1842. Between 1842 and 1889, the fair traveled among 11 cities: Albany, Auburn, Buffalo, Elmira, New York City, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Utica, and Watertown.In September 1890, the Syracuse Land Company donated a tract of land in Geddes to the Agricultural Society. Crossed by railways that facilitated exhibit transport, the Onondaga County location became the fair's permanent home. In the late 1890s, The Agricultural Society turned to state government for relief from debt due to the construction of permanent buildings on the site. The state purchased the grounds in 1899, and assumed management of the fair the next year, creating an 11-member State Fair Commission appointed by the governor.
A $2-million long-term building plan was enacted in 1908, which would last for two decades. During this time, the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building, now the Center of Progress Building, was constructed. It was joined by the Dairy Products Building and Grange Building in 1910. During the Great War, the fairgrounds was utilized for military training beginning in May 1917, being designated Camp Syracuse; it trained about 40,000 Soldiers, and was impacted by the Spanish flu in 1918, and closed as a military base in November 1918. The Coliseum was opened in 1923, initially serving as host to the World's Dairy Congress. To address a growing and nostalgic public interest in local history, the Iroquois village exhibit and an agricultural museum were opened in 1928.
The fair was re-branded as the New York State Agricultural and Industrial Exposition in 1938, reflecting closer ties to industry, and included an extended 14-day schedule featuring popular entertainment acts.
The fairgrounds were used as a military base during World War II between 1942 and 1947; during this period, no fair was held. A truncated fair returned in 1948, followed the next year by a six-day, full-scale exposition, with large crowds. By the end of the 1950s, the fair had expanded to nine days and achieved an attendance of over 500,000. The James E. Strates Midway was added during this time, with nationally known entertainers to attract families and teenagers. In 1967, the 1925 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ was permanently installed in the Empire Theatre of the Art & Home Center where it has entertained audiences for over 50 years of music history at the fairgrounds.
Between 1962 and 1966, the fair was officially known as New York State Exposition before being named the New York State Fair in 1967.
The fair expanded to 10 days in 1978, and the buildings at the fairgrounds began to be rented during the off-season. The fair expanded to 12 days in 1990. During the 1980s and 1990s, fair officials responded to criticism of slim minority presence by adding gospel festivals and a Pan-African village display. Sign language interpreters were also added, and the grounds were made accessible to people with disabilities.
On September 7, 1998, the fair closed one day early for the first time, due to the Syracuse Labor Day derecho. Two of the storm's three deaths occurred on the fairgrounds.
In 2006, the Industrial Exhibit Authority, a New York state public-benefit corporation that owned 5 of the buildings at the New York State Fair and employed its workers, was disbanded by the New York State Senate and its workers and buildings were transferred to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
In 2008, fair administration began to focus more on agriculture, with exhibits showcasing products made in New York State, such as the Pride of New York Marketplace and a permanent maple exhibit. The fair changed its Chevy Court format to include two performers each day in 2009. The Syracuse Crunch hosted the first outdoor game in American Hockey League history on February 20, 2010 at the Fairgrounds and set a league attendance record with 21,508 fans. A record of 206,000 fairgoers attend Chevy Court concerts during the 12 day run in 2010.
A $50 million transformation of the Fairgrounds, the first major renovation the Fairgrounds had seen in over 100 years, was announced on January 21, 2015.
The Fair's previous 2001 attendance record was broken on September 5, 2016, with 1,117,630 Fairgoers visiting the Fair. The 2016 Fair also broke three attendance records and had four days over 100,000 – the most ever.
In 2017 the Fair's duration was lengthened to 13 days.
Chevy Court's most recent attendance record was set on a Sunday, September 2, 2018, with 40,000 people attending a performance by the A boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
On July 6, 2020, it was announced that the fair would be cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fair resumed in 2021, lengthened to 18 days. The following year it returned to its previous 13 day format.
Transformation
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a transformation of the Fairgrounds in 2015 that included a sweeping redesign of the Fairgrounds that included taking out what was previously the 17,000 seat Grandstand and mile-long dirt track which hosted the State Fair Championship auto race from 1949 to 2003. This marked the first major transformation the Fairgrounds had seen in 100 years.The transformation included rebuilding the main gate, making it reminiscent of the 1840 carriage entrance. The brand-new Main Gate is ADA-compliant and technologically equipped for faster ticketing and admissions.
The midway received a new layout that now included 15 acres. The Midway's new asphalt pad is the size of over 10 football fields with more room and a better layout for rides and attractions. Improvements include a Kiddieland area, phone charging stations, shaded rest areas, and underground electric/water/sewer for vendors.
A new Empire RV Park was added, including 313 RV sited, fully equipped with sewer, electric, and water hookups. The new Empire RV Park is spacious, secure, and organized and makes the Fairgrounds accessible year-round for distant travelers. Features include a new grid layout, camera, blue light systems, and online reservations.
The redesign also included preserving the Historic Quad which includes five of the oldest buildings around an open park setting. Commercial vendors were removed from the Quad to restore the park as a relaxing space to gather and rest, with more seating and better signage.
A new curbed median was added along Hiawatha Street with trees, shrubs, and new lighting.
A new entrance along Bridge Street, Gate 11A, ties in with the larger Onondaga Lake West Revitalization Project. Pedestrians can access Gate 11A via a new walkway and viewing platform leading past the Historic Quad to the Crossroads.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo appointed a Task Force to determine how an additional $50 million for Phase Two of the Fairgrounds would be spent.