Famed country singer John Anderson opened his Aug. 22 set at the New York State Fair’s Midway Music Series with his 1981 hit, “I’m Just An Old Lump of Coal,” a song about dreams and aspirations, promising “I’m gonna be a diamond someday.” That Billy Joe Shaver-penned song proved prophetic as the 59-year-old Anderson has scored 20 top ten singles, won two CMA awards and a 1981 Grammy, will in October be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of fame and certainly merits consideration for the Country Music Hall of Fame.

So what’s he doing playing before an estimated 300 hard-core country fans on the small stage that hosts the daily talent showcase? What he’s always done, proudly carrying the traditional country torch, crooning such redneck classics as “Wild And Blue,” “Straight Tequila Night” and, of course, “Swingin’.”

Despite sounding a little raspy as the summer touring season winds down, the Florida boy is still dance hall dynamite. Ironically, two of the evening’s highlight were instrumentals as Anderson demonstrated his banjo-picking skill, improvising a riff on “Tokyo, Oklahoma” and unleashed fiddler Joe Spivey and steel player Glen Reef on the classic “Orange Blossom Special.” All told, he and his crack combo covered over a dozen songs in about an hour, capping his set with “Seminole Wind,” his moving requiem for the Everglades.

The audience ate it up and it’s likely that Anderson would have drawn several thousand if he had been booked at Chevy Court. Fans who missed this show missed a dandy performance of great old country music that is played far too rarely in these parts. Perhaps they can console themselves by picking up a new John Anderson CD, due out in six weeks.

Of the two young women who played before Anderson, Morgan Frazier was most impressive, demonstrating some real spunk and fine singing playing solo. Logan Brill was too often overwhelmed by her band, though her one blues song stood out in her country-pop repertoire.

It’s day two, so start your weekend at the New York State Fair.

Opening day gave the youngest visitors a chance to try out their farming skills at Tractor Town, where we saw this little guy peddling around. Kids can climb on a miniature International Harvester or John Deere for free in front of the Youth Building.

While new attractions are exciting, most of the best features fall under the category of classic favorites. One we’ve always felt is underrated is the Pan African Village, which dates back to 1997. Much of the food, music, artwork and artifacts, reflective of African and Caribbean cultures, isn’t seen anywhere else on the grounds.

We always love chatting with Jerk Hut proprietor Irvin “Bongo” Hanslip, who we regard as the mayor of the Pan Af Village and a champion for those who enjoy unapologetically spicy food. Bongo and his colleagues there represent the diverse backgrounds that make up the Empire State in a colorful and charming way.

A question we’ve heard is whether the Sea Lion Splash is appearing this year. Acting Director Troy Waffner confided to State Fair Hound that scheduling constraints on the part of the sea lion show made it impossible to book them this year. Waffner said he recognizes the popularity of the whiskered ones with Fairgoers and will try to bring them back next Fair.

The New York State Fair opened with a bang today–and some booms accompanied by lightning–and the Hound was on the grounds. We scouted some new stuff, but as always, there’s more that’s familiar than new.

At first look, the new Wade Shows midway seemed to be dishing out the requisite thrills with some rides not previously seen at NYSF. The Get Twisted (pictured) is a smaller, shorter version of the Top Spin, but, as the name implies, with a twist, literally.

The Crazy Mouse must have run into a wacky cat, as it wasn’t operating when we were there at midday, but it looks like a winner. When that’s running, this will be a landmark Fair for roller coaster fans as the RC-48 is much larger than anything we’ve seen before.

There were plenty of traditionally popular rides, some with different names. The games of skill were overwhelmingly familiar, so if you liked them before, you’ll still like them. It’ll take a few more looks to get a real feel for the Wades Shows midway, so more on that later.

Elsewhere, we were modestly impressed with the Discover the Dinosaurs exhibit. We counted about 20 models of realistic-looking reptiles, about half of them moving. The presentation is impressive, with artistic lighting and the sounds of roaring and growling throughout. Visitors can ride the dinos, dig for fossils, get photos, have your face painted or buy souvenirs, all requiring a fee beyond the $5 admission.

Now for the pivotal question, is it worth the price? We’ll hedge a little by advising that if you really love dinosaurs and the kids are psyched before entering, you’ll love it. If you are lukewarm to the whole trip back in time scenario, maybe not.

Nearby, the $8 entry fee for the ice museum left us cold. Footage aired on CNY Central during a report by Brandon Roth made was impressive, so we may have to bite the bullet and take a look.

As for real animals, the wolf show was clearly saved by its stars. The free presentation was a little talky, especially the first 10 minutes, which produced no wolf sightings. But when they brought the animals out, their majestic beauty and power gave the overflow crowd what it came for, with five lobos prowling the pen at one point. Overall, it was a pleasurable half-hour minutes of wolf education and advocacy punctuated by a few leaps and some playing.

Llamas were on hand for the opening of the Fair, their long necks and plush wool gracing the pig and goat barn.

Please check back tomorrow for more photos and reports on all things Fair from the State Fair Hound.

THE FAIR IS OPEN THURSDAY AT 8 A.M.!

You’ve waited all year, so get out there. Be prepared for a rainy start, but remember there’s so much to do indoors.

As you wander the grounds, try to figure out where the photos below were taken.
We’ll provide the answers around Labor Day.

These photos by State Fair Hound photographer Nick LoPresti document the preparation we saw on Tuesday.

Here’s the new midway, getting close to ready.

The cow birthing center, one of last year’s hits is bigger this year.

The shipwrecks display includes artifacts inside a tent and demos in the reflecting pool.

Wine village fans are cheering the new Taste NY Wine, Beer and Spirits Village at the Colonnade.

Remember–Wednesday is the last day to purchase advance sale tickets and ride passes.

Before you head out, check back for a new State Fair Hound feature that will challenge your knowledge of the Fair.

The Hound took a guided tour of the grounds today to preview this year’s New York State Fair, which opens Thursday. There’s a lot of work still to be completed, but it’s clearly going to be a sensational show.

Earlier Hound posts have touted some of the new attractions, but there are a few we haven’t. Safety Town, a fire safety exhibit that has been featured in the Science and Industry Building for many years got a sorely needed update into an interactive, entertaining display for the family. It realistically simulate flames and smoke and even gives adults a chance to tryout fire extinguishers. Talk about hot times.

We didn’t get a look at the ice museum, which will be under a tent in the spot formerly occupied by the wine court, or the Discover the Dinosaurs, closer to the Grandstand. Both sound promising.

We did get a close look at the midway and it sure seems strange, but very exciting to see some new features, especially the RC-48 roller coaster and the enormous slide. The setup is more linear than it has been, with wide walkways and a very clean, very uniform look. Don’t forget that you can ride for free for the first 90 minutes of operation on opening day and Labor Day will feature $1 rides.

The cow birthing center, a big hit from last year is much larger, now an anchor on the west end of the grounds, in a tent just past the Youth Building and Kiddieland. More seating and video displays will help fans enjoy the miracle of bovine birth. Calves born there last year will be on hand to make cameo appearances and presumably sign autographs.

We vultures of the press got to taste the new Empire Brewing product, Showstopper Ale, and we found it luscious. Beer drinkers can be a particular lot, so we aren’t promising anything, but recommend giving it a try in the Taste of New York tent near the main gate or in the rejuvenated Taste NY Wine, Beer and Spirits Village at the Colonnade.

There’s a long list of ridiculous fried foods for those who need to raise their cholesterol but, with under two days to go, the old favorites are calling us.

More on the preview and some photos tomorrow. And for opening Day, we’ll be unveiling a challenge for sharp-eyed Fair fans.

The daily schedules of Fair events have now been posted on the Fair website (nysfair.org) and they’re worth reviewing. We like the way they’re categorized so you can find what you like without scrolling through the list chronologically.

It’s also a great way to spot exhibits and performances you may not have seen anywhere else. For instance there’s a live snake presentation in the Hall of Veterinary Health at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on opening day and an underwater remote vehicle demonstration in the State Parks pool, also at 2 and 4.

The schedules really make it easy for music lovers and dance enthusiasts with 12 different locations listed showing artists and times. Agriculture and animal competitions, kitchen appearances, crafter demos and all types of entertainment, from sports to animals acts to log carving can be found there.

Daily schedules are on the Fair website under “Your Visit.”

In case you missed it, there was a late entry to the schedule at the Empire Theater with a performance of Beatlemania Again on Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. Part of a 50th anniversary celebration for Beatles fans, the theater will be set up to allow for dancing by guests. Sounds like fun and it’s free.

The Post-Standard’s Mark Weiner has a nice article on Sunday’s front page about the Wade Shows, the midway carnival that we’ll see for the first time on Thursday. It looks like they will have around 63 rides at the New York State Fair and the Wade website has likewise been update to list 64 by our last count.

Weiner made a visit to the Wade midway at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington and filed a story with his observations, photos and some inside information. He did, however, make an error that will no doubt leave many local midway mavens scratching their heads.

The article states that Wade will debut a ride called the Rainbow in Syracuse, but anyone who has been wandering the pavement under the Strates Shows midway here in Syracuse knows that the Rainbow was featured many times and it appeared exactly as it does in the photo in the Post article (and in this shot from the Wade website).

Weiner quotes the Wade people as saying it’s the only Rainbow traveling in North America and that may be currently true, but only if the one Strates erected here for years is no longer in operation. Not likely, as we’re all but certain that the Rainbow was soaring above the State Fair midway last year.

That huge roller coaster they’re bringing in sounds enticing, but we also wonder which traditionally favorite rides won’t be here this year. The Wade website doesn’t show the iconic Wave Swinger, seen in the State Fair Hound masthead. We also aren’t expecting the Top Spin, the ride that gave daredevil riders their midway cred.

But Weiner’s article confirms that Wade is not Strates and when the gates open on Thursday we can experience it for ourselves, count the screams, hear the laughter and check our pulse rates before deciding how we like our new midway.

Driving past the Fairgrounds this week affords a look at the midway skyline shaping up and just Friday we got our first view of the new video message board above the main gate. It looks terrific with vivid colors and a crystal clear display that changes every few seconds.

It looks somewhat how the sign looked when first erected (we’re thinking that was in the late 90s), but some problems developed a few years later and then management gave up on it and covered the screen with billboard-like signage.

It didn’t seem all that exciting to envision a new electronic message board in place, but wow, this thing is gorgeous. It certainly delivers the message that patrons will be entering a new New York State Fair that’s fresh, bright and colorful. We’ve never thought that the folks who say, “It’s the same old thing every year,” were very credible, but this edition should really shut them up.

With one week to go before opening, media coverage has started to ramp up. CNY Central had a good story Wednesday with video of the Wades Show midway going up. Again, this is unusual for the New York State Fair as the Strates Shows couldn’t start this early and generally didn’t need to do so.

Certainly everything should be ready to go for opening day, even that huge roller coaster. The Post-Standard also had a story Wednesday and a photo today.

Not to be outdone, State Fair Hound was on the ground today to find a predictably busy Fairgrounds as everywhere you look there’s preparation underway.

These exclusive photos show work being done today.