Did you see the drone light show over the New York Experience area at the New York State Fair? It was a little like star-gazing.
Month: September 2018 (Page 1 of 2)
There wasn’t much about the 2018 New York State Fair that deserves complaint. It was a triumph, no doubt. But there’s never been a perfect state fair, here or anywhere else. Thus, State Fair Hound will offer constructive criticism and creative suggestions in hopes of inspiring discussion leading to an even better 2019 event.
The top complaint should be no surprise, as the Hound joins a chorus of boos in response to the State Fair’s water monopoly, mandated this year for the first time. Never mind that all bottled water cost two bucks, double the price commonly available at previous Fairs. 
It’s not about the money.
The policy requiring vendors to peddle Pepsi’s Aquafina “purified” tap water at a set price betrayed the longstanding Fair free-market competition standard, setting a disturbing precedent. The remedy is exceedingly simple–cancel the policy and allow vendors and customers decide what to buy and how much to pay, especially when it comes to the most vital consumable sold on the grounds.
As always, Chevy Court had its ups and downs, big crowds and small. 
State Fair Hound would love to see the Fair dump Live Nation as promoter, confident that a more open-minded and knowledgeable agency, one less driven by corporate greed, would provide a better lineup, but don’t expect a change.
Regular readers have read enough complaints about the lack of country music at Chevy Court, so let’s dispense with another chorus of that refrain. But first, take note that Alabama played downstate at Tags during the Fair, on Aug. 26 with Diamond Rio, while both Alison Krauss (Sep. 9 at Turning Stone) and Sawyer Brown (Sep. 7 at Del Lago) played within a week of Labor Day. All four acts would have been great bookings for Chevy. Obviously, they were available in this area in the State Fair time frame. Did Live Nation try to book them?
Moving on, not really a complaint, but we should be excited about seeing the new Exposition Center used next Fair in ways that don’t require ice. The frozen events this year were a departure and a novelty, but once is enough. What else ya got?
Looking toward next Fair, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and celebrating that historic festival could be a knockout addition, especially combined with musical acts that revive the spirit, maybe a mini-fest right over on Experience Stage.
Speaking of that stage, here’s a radical suggestion. 
While strides were made this year to attract traffic to the western end of the grounds, those who made the trek to the developing area with its wide open green space realized that it’s a very long walk from the main gate and the Chevy Court area. Hot weather made it an unbearable hike. Trams alone do not provide enough transportation, not even close.
The Broadway Skyliner is a fun way to get there, but it costs five dollars, one way. Could there be a way to make the ski lift-style ride cheaper, even (gasp) free as a way to make the entire grounds more accessible? Or maybe there’s another option–some type of shuttle service. But it should be a priority.
The Family Fun Zone, which is the large, grassy area between the Expo Center and the Youth Building, hosted several acts, one of which was the Waterbarks Dogs show. While a performance with dogs diving into a pool of water sounds terrific, this particular show was pretty dull–too much of the people, not enough of the dogs. The Fair has hosted much better dog acts in past years and should seek one out for 2019. Overall, the FFZ is a great spot, loaded with free shows.
While the relocation of the sand sculpture to the Expo Center worked out great, the opportunity to utilize space it vacated in the Center of Progress was missed. 
The open floor area was used to bring in more vendors, labor unions and governmental agencies, which is OK, but it could be more.
That central location, just off Chevy Court, is prime space. How about bringing in an exhibit that could come to be as popular as the sand sculpture? The Empire State is home to major attractions–Baseball Hall of Fame, Corning Glass, Saratoga Race Track, the Erie Canal, New York City tourist sites and many others–that could install terrific entertainment.
With Troy Waffner now Director, expect more of the same when it comes to hard-working, friendly staff and consistent efforts to make a great Fair greater. The State can’t continue its spending spree after the millions of dollars it’s poured into the grounds, but the enormous attendance numbers speak for themselves. Building on that success means constant planning to keep our Fair moving into the future.
With the sand sculpture moved to the Expo Center, the Center of Progress at the 2018 New York State Fair had more space than ever for demonstrators and pitch persons, like this woman who spent all day peeling vegetables and selling gadgets.
Nearly a week since the 2018 New York State Fair closed, your cholesterol may have gone back to normal levels. 
Some Fair food, like sausage sandwiches and baked sweet potatoes can be imitated at home, but that deep-fried everything is tough to duplicate.
Until next August you’ll have to settle for more conventional fried entrees, like fish and chicken, or better yet eat a bit healthier. Be honest, fried mac and cheese, waffle bombs and calorie-laden battered meats are great novelties, but they aren’t real food.
Thirteen days a year is plenty of time to try out such concoctions, just to say you did.
It takes special skills to win on the Wades Midway at the New York State Fair. But you have to wonder what people do with those monstrous plush toys they win. It was probably a challenge to even get these twin Pooh bears into a car.
Everyone who attended the New York State Fair is catching up on their rest this week as the excitement, the wide open grounds and the hot weather combined to wear out patrons, not to mention workers and animals. Get some sleep and dream of great times at the Fair.
Motown great Smokey Robinson was a Chevy Court highlight for baby boomers at the New York State Fair. He paid tribute to his lifelong Friend Aretha Franklin and hit high notes on his classic songs. Now 78 years old, he looked great in a red suit as seen in this Nick LoPresti photo.
Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday that Troy Waffner, who had been State Fair Acting Director for five years, has been appointed permanent director.
That’s great news for the talented and tireless Waffner and better news for everyone who loves the Fair. 
Results speak for themselves and the Fair has exploded with success and achievement under Waffner’s direction. He’s a hardworking straight-shooter who has earned the respect and loyalty of his staff, media types and Fair partners.
His positive and enthusiastic approach have made him the perfect face-of-the-Fair.
This long-overdue appointment assures that the Fair will stay on track for the foreseeable future. State Fair Hound joins the community in congratulating Troy Waffner–Director of the New York State Fair.
With the 2018 New York State Fair in the record book, State Fair Hound shares a few initial reactions.
First–thank you and congratulations to Acting Director Troy Waffner and his dedicated team on a great year of achievement. Vision and hard work pays off. The future is very bright and State Fair nation should be excited.
Within the gates, the crowds were handled remarkably well. Sometimes the traffic and parking was a disaster. Given the attendance figures and logistical limitations, maybe nothing could have prevented it. But let’s try. More in a later post.
The numbers were stunning, but one is suspect. The Sep. 2 Chevy Court concert by young rapper A Boogie Wid Da Hoodie was said to be the biggest crowd ever at that venue. Don’t believe it. Mid-concert, you could walk past the Dairy Building entrance without having to squeeze through elbow-to-elbow fans. Past audiences, including Lady Antebellum and the Steve Miller Band, among others, were packed tight far beyond that point. How about a recount, guys?
Post-Standard/Syracuse.com reporter Teri Weaver covered a Labor Day visit by Andy Cuomo and quoted remarks by him demonstrating an arrogance and ignorance rarely seen north of the White House. Listen Gov–you can recognize and celebrate the current greatness of the Fair without saying that it was lousy before you added your magic touch. The Fair is terrific, deserving of praise, but many of us thought it was pretty damn good back in the Wayne Gallagher days, if not sooner. And yes, we are including the Peter Cappuccilli, Jr. administration. Even a Republican can run a successful Fair. 
Getting back to Sunday night, television stations have reported that there were incidents of fighting and assault at the concert and on the midway. Before you go online to blame rap fans or rowdy kids, particularly with their ethnicity in mind, remember that there have always been occasional problems at the Fair, often late at night, frequently alcohol-fueled. When you have well over a million visitors over two weeks, stuff happens. From opening day through Labor Day, it was remarkably peaceful, given that anyone with 10 bucks (sometimes less) can walk in at any time. For those who blame the type of entertainment, recall that there was a time rock’n’roll had a reputation for creating trouble.
It’s hard to remember a Fair with such a variety of weather conditions–hot, cool, windy, stormy, sunny–it all happened. 
Humidity kept attendance down a couple of times, but on most days hardy fans poured in. Although the new Exposition Center wasn’t build as a shelter, visitors quickly discovered that it was a great spot to cool off or to stay dry.
State Fair hound will continue to analyze and review New York State Fair 2018 in coming days with many photos. See you soon.
The miles of neon haven’t exactly gone dark, but last call has passed at the 2018 New York State Fair. It was memorable and historic–truly one for the ages.
There’s so much to discuss. Stay tuned to State Fair Hound for all of the reviews–hits and misses–from this year’s New York State Fair.