Category: NYS Fair News

First-Ever ‘Winter Fair’ NYS Fairgrounds Feb. 8-10th!

On: By: karen
courtesy nysfair.ny.gov website

For people who love the NYS Fair, like myself, waiting an entire year for Fair Time seems like forever! 🙂 This year you can get a taste of the Fair in the middle of winter – the perfect solution to help ease the pain of waiting until August.

There’ll be carnival rides in winter at the first-ever Winter Fair at the New York State Fairgrounds February 8 – 10. Ten rides, including a Ferris Wheel, will form the indoor Mini-Midway in the Exposition Center. Rides will cost $3 each, with an All-Access Pass available for $15. All sales at the event are cash only. Tarson Pools and Spas is the sponsor of the Mini-Midway.

“It’s not a fair unless you can ride the rides, so we’re bringing a taste of the Midway indoors. We know this will be fun for kids and will really help to give this event the feel of a big, summer fair,” said Steve Becker of Premier Promotions, the company that is operating Winter Fair with assistance from the Great New York State Fair.

The rides include:

  • A Ferris Wheel
  • The Swinger
  • The Scrambler
  • The Zero Gravity
  • The Fun Slide
  • The Merry-Go-Round
  • The Scooper Jet
  • The Tubs of Fun
  • The Flying Elephants
  • The Car Combo

Height restrictions apply to all rides. There will be no rides for children under 30 inches tall. Parents are advised to check height restrictions before buying ride tickets. Height rules can be checked at the midway company’s website, here. There will also be a Fun House, as well as carnival food and game booths.

Winter Fair will also feature 17 free performances on its main stage and more than 100 food, craft and merchandise vendors. The groups that operate the State Fair’s annual Indian Village and Pan-African Village will create mini-villages for the festival as well.

Winter Fair runs 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Saturday and Noon – 8 p.m. on Sunday. Pre-sale admission is $4 for adults and $2 for seniors age 60 and above and for teens ages 13-17. Children 12 and under are free. A small service fee is added to each ticket, which can be purchased here. At the gate, tickets will be $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and teens and only cash will be accepted. There is no free re-entry.

For more information, contact event promoter Steve Becker of Premier Promotions at 315-622-2249 or steve@premierpromo.com.

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$3 Thursday helps to Boost Attendance at the NYS Fair

On: By: karen

IMG_5535Courtesy Syracuse.com
Just over 90,000 people passed through the gates of the New York State Fair Thursday, surpassing an attendance record that had stood more than a decade.

Fair officials said that $3 Thursday helped draw 23,589 more people to the state fair than the same day last year. The previous attendance record for the second Thursday of the fair, set in 2003, was 81,369 people.  Crowds Thursday were strong early on and followed by a rush of people mid-afternoon, fair officials said. Nearly 25,000 people packed Chevy Court for Flo Rida in the evening.

Nearly 90,000 more people have come to the fair so far this year compared to 2015. If the fair had ended Thursday the total attendance of 648,762 people would make it the largest fair since 1978.

NYS Fair Attendance

Day 2015 2016 Change Percent change Record
Thursday 62,136 68,292 6,156 9.9% 74,385 (2000)
Friday 81,020 75,970 -5,050 -6.2% 92,782 (2001)
Saturday 88,177 105,501 17,324 19.6% 115,324 (2010)
Sunday 77,147 84,868 7,721 10.0% 105,894 (2002)
Monday 68,827 82,082 13,255 19.3% 85,711 (2011)
Tuesday 58,029 78,548 20,519 35.4% 102,098 (1972)
Wednesday 57,576 63,465 5,889 10.2% 112,774 (1972)
Thursday 66,447 90,036 23,589 35.5% 81,369 (2003)
Friday 71,345 103,117 (2002)
Saturday 93,576 120,617 (2014)
Sunday 101,695 119,726 (1985)
Labor Day 82,172 122,870 (2014)
Totals 825,975 1,011,248 (2001)

Source: New York State Fair

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Extreme NYS Fair Foods featured on Food Network’s ‘Carnival Eats’

On: By: karen

Courtesy Syracuse.com – writer, Dan Cazentre

2011-08-22-dn-deepfried2.JPG
Jim Hasbrouck’s NYS fair Fried Specialties stand was among those featured in an episode of ‘Carnival Eats’ that aired on the Food Network on May 5, 2016.  The Food Network show “Carnival Eats” showcased some of the over-the-top, gut-busting foods from the fair in the premier episode.
Cappe spent two days at the 2015 State Fair taping segments for the episode. He chatted with fairgoers, highlighted some vendors and gorged himself with deep-fried fair fare.

The foods and vendors he highlighted are:

• The Defibrillator from Fried Specialties
• PB & J Ice Cream from Polar Bear Ice Cream
• Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese from Tommy C’s 
• Crispy Clamwich from Doug’s Fish Fry

The fair, meanwhile, is working with vendors to “identify this year’s crazy new foods,” said fair spokesman Dave Bullard.

Don Cazentre writes about food, beverages, restaurants and bars for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him by email, on Twitter, at Google+ or via Facebook.twitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail