Our midwinter mood is getting a boost this week as we eagerly look forward just six months to opening day of the 2022 New York State Fair.

You might expect that the earliest announcements of performers booked for shows at the bookend stages–Chevy Court to the east and Chevy Park to the west–would elicit great enthusiasm. Alas, it may be a harbinger of a continuing trend toward acts that appeal primarily to the under-30 crowd as thus far three of the  announced headliners will be rap/hip-hop acts.

There’s nothing wrong with booking people who can’t sing or play instruments as part of a long and varied list of entertainers. Only a few shows have been announced. It’s certainly likely that they’ll sign several performers who appeal to your more mature fans, especially those who value actual talent.

When you look closely, the reason for this uninspiring start is that the booking agency–is it still Triangle?–usually books ticketed major venues that invariably want acts most likely to draw massive crowds. Those customers would generally consist of youthful fans, who are thought to be the most reliable concert ticket buyers.

But the New York State Fair is a cow of a different color due to a more mixed intended audience, many of whom go to free-with-admission concerts as part of a whole package of entertainment geared toward both maintaining traditions and getting the most out of a widely-varied, hours-long day on the grounds.

Maybe a few fans come just for the music, but the Fair is such a wide-ranging event that the concerts presented at both major stages have to fit in with the other attractions. Fair vendors need concert fans to also be customers who put the profit in their businesses.

Thus the fan base to which the 13-day itinerary must appeal is more diverse and surely includes gray-haired fans who appreciate the seasoned entertainers who have been their favorites for decades.

Fortunately, there have been  a few acts for fans of vintage rock, pop, blues and soul, though classic country fans have been ignored year after year. Those devoted fans of 2oth century country are still plentiful, mind you, but the Fair’s incompetent concert agency makes no effort to find acts who attract them.

It comes down to a matter of balance so everyone gets a couple of shows to enjoy on the schedule and no one genre dominates. If only Triangle would wake up and sign a better  variety of acts available to appeal to the Fair’s diverse clientele.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of time–six months–to fill out the Fair concert schedule and reverse a troubling trend, so it could still happen. Stay tuned.