If there’s anything better than having a pack of talented dogs putting on a show at the New York State Fair, it’s having two high-flying canine carnivals going on. That’s the case this year with the Extreme Canines show returning, this year in the Sports Activity Center in front of the Coliseum, and the new Mutts Gone Nuts romping in the Youth Activity Center, near the kiddie midway.
Though the Extreme Canines tour is a bit more professional with its flying Frisbee catchers and high-jump pooches, the Mutts put more emphasis on humor as the dogs get laughs at the expense of the human emcee, making just as much fun. The show comes from Baltimore with a cast of rescue dogs who do flying disk tricks, hoop-jumping, “talking” and barrel rolls. Their nimble Charley climaxes the performance by walking a wire, actually two wires, still pretty good for a four-legged athlete.
The trainer knows that the kids in the audience will want to try these antics with their own dogs, so he inserts a brief lesson in getting Fido to play Frisbee. Bring your camera (as our Nick LoPresti did) for this act.
Month: August 2013 (Page 2 of 3)
Answer to the day four question:
The sand sculpture (pictured in a photo by Nick LoPresti) had been constructed annually in the Horticulture Building before being moved over to the Center of Progress in recent years.
Day five question: Name the country singer who headlined the first paid Grandstand concert in 1976.
Rain in the forecast over the next few days is no reason to stay away from the Fair. The number one essential item is waterproof shoes as there are a lot of spots on the grounds where you can’t avoid walking through puddles or even ponds. The toughest spot to be is the Grandstand, so if you’re going to hear Lynyrd Skynyrd, it could be tough to keep your lighter burning. Be sure to dress for the weather and take something to wipe water off your seat.
Otherwise, rainy days are perfect for touring the buildings and eating indoors, but an effective umbrella or rain hat/jacket can often make outdoor roaming possible too. The one activity that isn’t conducive to wet weather is riding along with the James E. Strates Shows. Depending on severity, some of the sideshows will skip performances, though the sea lions (seen in a Nick LoPresti photo) probably prefer it. On really stormy days, most vendors and exhibitors will be starving for business, so beat the crowds and take the plunge.
The answer to the day three question:
Baker’s Chicken Coop has posted a plaque (pictured here in a photo by our friend and Syracuse photographer extraordinaire Michael Davis) celebrating its 64th anniversary at the Fair.
It’s hard to imagine a bigger turning point for Syracuse than the complete redemption of Onondaga Lake, so an entire State Fair exhibit on it was an inspired concept.
What was once an impossible dream has been brought to life. A $1 billion clean-up project is underway, multi-use trails are being extended along its shoreline, and there’s a visitors center on reclaimed land practically across I-690 from the Fairgrounds.
Of course, not everybody is happy. Among the doubters are the Onondagas, who have raised questions about the state’s methods, the Camillus neighbors on the receiving end of the sludge sucked from the lake bottom and anyone who questioned the clear-cutting of countless trees to make way for the inner harbor piece of the project.
It’s a stretch to credit that monstrosity shopping mall on Hiawatha Boulevard and its shady fat cats with an assist here and if memory serves, Honeywell, now painted as one of the heroes in this saga, was, along with its predecessors, partially responsible for the fouling of the lake to begin with. It’s probably wise to hold off on the cheering for COR Development at least until we see how the harbor neighborhood comes out.
Since there are no negative views represented in the exhibit, we’re getting the Disney version of the clean-up. Some elements on display have nothing to do with Onondaga Lake, although one of those disharmonious notes is a terrific scale model of the Wild Walk, set to open in 2015 near the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. It’s a long way from here, but what an exciting attraction. A pedestrian walkway is being built that will allow visitors to hike a web of ramps winding through the treetops and observe the forest below.
There’s plenty positive to take away and the storyboards, video screens and models on display fuel the feeling that we’re actually making major progress. It’s a handsome exhibit with such live actors as an eagle in a cage, a few game fish in a tank and growing plants including tomatoes. It’s not always easy to see where the displays fit in when it comes to the lake project as it includes something called the Strive Program, photos of the rebuilt World Trade Center, a model of a suspension bridge, and contributions from the Clayton Hotel and the Computer Chip Commercialization Center.
With staff on hand to answer questions, this free exhibit is definitely worth a look. An update on the project for the 2014 New York State Fair would be even better.
Photographer Nick LoPresti sent in this shot from his archives, taken a few years ago of then-16-year-old Alaina Anthony as she toiled at a New York State Fair lemonade stand. We’re pretty sure that the former Cicero-North Syracuse High School student has moved on in life, but there are still plenty of eager teens mixing drinks for thirsty Fair customers.
The answer to the question from day two:
The first name of Hilby, the self-described “skinny German juggle boy,” is Michael. His actual last name is Hilbig. Fans should visit his website, www.hilby.net and read the New York Times profile on Hilby.
Day three question: What food stand has plaques displayed on its building proclaiming “It’s our 64TH anniversary?”
Day one at this year’s Fair started out hot and sunny and the crowd was light, as opening day generally is. That gave your State Fair Hound a chance to scope out what’s new, stock up on milk bar tickets, gawk at some cows, catch up with Fair friends and chow down on a falafel sandwich served up by Nader Hatem at King David’s.
We also caught some fine guitar picking on the Dairy Building stage performed by Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb, a duo that has gained an international following. It seems odd to see such an esteemed act playing in the neighborhood of the butter sculpture, but it’s a great chance for fairgoers to enjoy a free show that in other venues would deservedly command a considerable admission charge. They are playing Friday at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.
Our favorite new attraction—and this is no surprise—was the New York State Fair history exhibit in the Grange Building. We also perused the new Onondaga Lake wing in the Center of Progress, walking up the handsome new concrete steps to find an exhibit that was much more eclectic than we expected. Watch for photos and full reports on these new displays over the next couple of days.
The answer to the question from Day one:
The first corporate sponsor to have its name on the concert court is Miller Beer. Empire Court became Miller Court in 1982. Cole Muffler took over as naming sponsor in 1996, succeeded in 2005 by Chevrolet.
Day 2 question: What is the first name of juggler extraordinaire Hilby, who entertains and amazes on the grounds every year?
(Photo by Herm Card)
It seems that every year, in the days leading up to the New York State Fair’s opening, local television stations and the Post-Standard get suckered into covering some ridiculous new fad food debuting that year. Do people really care that some greasy spoon chef dropped something illogical and disgusting into the deep fryer this year? One we heard this year was deep fried gummy bears—no, really.
There’s always plenty of anticipation with the approach of opening day, so the Hound will try to stick to more newsworthy forecasts. We’ve heard that some fairs actually serve such delightful cuisine as deep fried butter and deep fried Red Bull, so don’t expect the idiocy to end any time soon.