OK, all you moms, dads and grandparents heading out to the 2014 New York State Fair with kids in tow. The State Fair Hound offers these tips and ideas to maximize your fun and minimize your problems.

Look for some fun new features, starting with the new Fair mascots, an ear of corn character called Pop and a candy apple guy named Candy, clearly aimed at the pre-teen set. They’ll likely take up roles similar to furry friends Yorky (seen here in a photo by Nick LoPresti) and Fritter, waving and clowning around the grounds, hugging kids and posing for photos. For the little ones looking up at these colorful playmates, they become part of the Fair landscape, adding to the party atmosphere.

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Tractor Town, which puts the Sesame Street set behind the wheel, and Wolves of the World, with live canines, will be staged in the Youth Activity Center, in front of the Youth Building.

The Swifty Swine Racing Pigs will sprint down a track in the Sports Activity Center in front of the Coliseum. By front we mean the State Fair Blvd. side. The Harlem Wizards basketball show will make their dazzling moves there as well.

It could be an exciting year on the midway as this will be the first year that we won’t be customers of the James E. Strates Shows. The Wade Shows’ initial year at the New York State Fair promises major changes, especially with new rides. Plenty of kiddie rides are promised. More on the midway in a later post.

Families will have to decide whether to purchase all-day passes at the pre-sale price of $20 per day. We have to think that for most riders, this is a really good deal. Though we haven’t seen the prices Wade will charge for individual rides, history with Strates would lead us to expect to pay at least three or four dollars per ride, more in some cases. So logically, anyone who rides more than five rides would likely do better with the wristband.

And the Dinosaurs, prominently mentioned in an earlier post (Gearing Up, Aug. 1), sounds great, but costs $5 per person. Look for them behind the Horticulture Building.

For kids of yesterday—The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch, featuring three former stars of the lame 70s series (including that dreamy Greg, aka Barry Williams), will be staged in the Art and Home Center’s Empire Theater on Aug. 23. You’ll need a $20 ticket from the State Fair box office.

It’s not too soon to be planning your Fair visit. Check the Visitors Guide and the website (nysfair.org.) and print out a map if you need one. If you arrive with an itinerary and advance sale tickets, your odds of having a great time increase significantly.

Check back on the Hound for more ideas and early reviews.