The announcement Tuesday that Meghan Trainor and her two opening acts had to cancel their appearances Sep. 3 at Chevy Court muddles an already bizarre scenario for that date. Not only is that one of the five nights with an event scheduled in the Grandstand–in this case Patti LaBelle–it’s also the date that our bumbling County Executive booked the debut concert in the new toxic-wastebed- adjacent amphitheater, featuring Miranda Lambert.
Now Fair officials have to shake off the disappointment of losing an act that was likely to draw one of the court’s biggest numbers this year to find two more acts. Having no show at Chevy Court is not a reasonable option and from Acting Director Troy Waffner’s statement, not the plan. The Hound barks its approval of that. Chevy Court is a major event every day, often boosting attendance and vendor traffic. Among all of the free-with-admission events, the big stage tops the list.
Keep in mind that they probably don’t want performers who will clash with the Lambert crowd. The limited timeframe is therefore complicated by the need to avoid booking someone who plays modern pop-country.
That has to be causing some headaches in Geddes, adding to the task of firming up parking and shuttle plans to accommodate two crowds in two areas, including those who want to visit both the Fair and the amphitheater in the same day.
It’ll be tough to book someone memorable last minute—and that’s what this is—but not having a Trainor-sized crowd may ease congestion a bit that night. It may even be smart to book a more popular act in the afternoon, accepting a less frenzied audience for the 8 p.m. slot to balance the mass influx of cars expected to arrive simultaneously for the Grandstand and the amphitheater.
It may seem obvious, but State Fair Hound will offer this advice anyway. If you want to attend the New York State Fair on Sep. 3, but aren’t going to an evening performance at any of the three venues, go early in the day, have a great time and avoid the late rush. Of course, we first have to see who is playing at Chevy Court. This should be interesting.
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