The history of the Empire State’s dairy industry will be celebrated on Thursday at the New York State Fair.
Dairy farming is the state’s leading agricultural enterprise and its maintains a ubiquitous presence at the Fair.
There are many ways to observe dairy day from petting a cow to licking an ice cream cone to visiting the milking parlor.
Those famous bovines are making their long-awaited arrival in the massive dairy barn, where traditionally they have produced the moo juice–white or chocolate, but alas, no strawberry– sold at the Milk Bar. Now the Fair has announced a trial run of that elusive strawberry milk over the next two weekends, so give it a try.
Pillar Talk
There are a lot of state and county Fairs held around the country, each with it’s own character and sense of community. You aren’t likely to find many that boast the architectural beauty of the New York State Fair. 
Perhaps the most unusual feature of ours is the stately colonnade that stands between the Dairy Products Building and the Science and Industry Building.
The stone pillars, erected in the early 20th century, are as classic a landmark as our Fair has. There are actually two rows of columns, one just a few yards west of the other. You can overlook Chevrolet Court on one side and gaze far down the midway and Restaurant Row from the other.
In between, picnic tables and space for live music are surrounded by the wine court and a few food 
stands.
The area provides a convenient cut-through for walkers headed to a concert, one of the major buildings or going the opposite direction to the midway area.
As you cross the Chevy Court area, you face another row of columns, this one lining the wall of the Center of Progress, thus it’s safe to say that New York’s infrastructure can compete with any fair in the country.
Rolling Home
Among the leading benefactors of the remodel of the new York State Fairgrounds are those Fair patrons who drive a recreational vehicle through the gates to a parking space in the Empire RV Park. 
It’s the best way to enjoy a multi-day trip to the Fair, using a fifth wheel, travel trailer, destination trailer or even a fold-out as home base for visits to all of the exhibits, concerts, animal barns and eateries without the stress of driving in and finding a parking spot every day.
Many campground residents come in for work as a vendor or exhibitor, but there are also many vacationers, who want to experience the Fair while having a home-away-from-home within walking distance of the midway, buildings and entertainment venues. It’s an unusual and exciting way to vacation.
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