The New York State Fair Is Coming to Town


When I was a little girl I got to experience a lot of county fairs. That is one benefit of growing up in a military family. New places. New experiences. The nostalgia always comes back around when August gets here and fairs start popping up all over. One thing I never did experience as a child was a state fair.



I moved to Central New York almost 6 years ago and I attended my very first state fair 2 years ago. The New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York. I thought county fairs were big, but oh my I was so wrong.

The 173rd New York State Fair starts today and runs through September 3rd.

The state fair is full of all kinds of exciting things: exhibits, livestock, live performances, hot concerts, thrill rides, and of course we can't forget the food! If it's one thing I can't deny even when I am trying to do better with my diet is fried sweet gooey things. The state fair never disappoints in that department.

A close second for me after food is the concerts. I have always loved music and I used to spend every dollar and vacation day going to shows when I was in my early 20's. That was the life. You can imagine my excitement when I saw the line up this year. Just to give you an idea you can catch these performances:

  • Blondie
  • Ludacris
  • Counting Crows
  • Hunter Hayes
  • The Temptations
  • Hanson (SQUEE!)
  • Big and Rich
  • Collective Soul (Oh my 90's heart!)
  • ZZ Top
  • You can check out their complete line up of live entertainment here

Now that is a pretty impressive line up and that doesn't include everything! I already told R we need to go to the fair like every night, because every show is free with your admission. That is incredible. I am used to having to pay separately for big stage shows. It is all first come first serve as far as seating goes. 

The little fan girl in my is going to be first in line to see Hanson cause swoon! They were my very first concert when I was in 9th grade. Yes I got made fun of for that, but man do they put on an AH-MAZ-ING show! They are the real deal. I also would love to check out Counting Crows and Collective Soul.

I also enjoy checking out the different exhibits like the butter sculpture they featured last year. I so could of eaten that! (Which I sadly can't seem to find the photo I took!)

This year the craziest new food is called the Heart Attack. It is described as “Two Hoffman hots stuffed with chili and cheddar cheese and pickle wrapped in bacon and deep fried. Topped with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Drizzled in chocolate sauce and served with a piece of Hershey chocolate. Served on a stick.”

Hmmmm, I don't know if i will be trying that out this year! I think I may stick with Gilligan’s Ice Cream’s beer, wine and cider ice cream, available in the New York Wine, Beer and Spirits area on the Colonnade.
I wish the fair had a day like the MN State Fair where bloggers got to try the new foods! I love reading Beth's review over at Coffee Until Cocktails of this. I think I am going to write an email and get something going...

The fair recently announced they will have more parking this year. This is a blessing as in past years I know in my own experience it was VERY hard to find a place at the fair. I normally park at Destiny USA Mall where they offer inexpensive shuttle rides. The price is worth it after you realize trying to find a spot can literally takes hours. This happened last year.

This year I will try to take in a full day and write about my experience. It will be a little harder with Baby Bloob to spent a long day in the sun, but we shall see.

Do you attend your state fair? What about county fairs? Share your memories!


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