State Fair Hound

Author: State Fair Hound (Page 4 of 75)

Looking Good

On September 28, 2023

Everyone who toured the grounds of the New York State Fair this year had to be impressed with the neat, organized and impressively clean look from one end to the other. Hardworking cleaning staff swarmed the grounds relentlessly, keeping trash contained.

Restrooms were well-maintained and picnic areas policed. It’s easy to take for granted the cleanliness and organization of the Fairgrounds. It’s one of those things you don’t notice until there’s a problem. There were issues in past years that drew criticism and complaints.

This year, no complaints were heard and none deserved. Kudos to those in charge of keeping things clean.

Sticky Red Tape

By State Fair Hound

On September 23, 2023

In Around the grounds, Hound's view

Several of the Hound’s contacts among Fair insiders have this year expressed frustration with the State Fair administration. The most commonly heard complaints center around poor communication, unwillingness to listen and lack of collaboration. The ugly clash prior to opening day that led to the absence of the Carol Baldwin Fund (Pink Out, Aug. 15, 2023) was well-documented and very disturbing, but not unique.

Apparently, bureaucratic paralysis is taking hold and making life difficult for vendors and exhibitors across the Fairgrounds. Fair administrators, from Director Sean Hennessey’s staff to the Department of Agriculture and Markets, right up to and including Gov. Hochul have to do better.

Some complaints have been heard from stakeholders over the years, but they seem to be louder now. Some of the Fair insiders said that they may not return due to their frustration with Fair brass,coupled with increased fees and expenses that are cutting into their profits. That’s bad news for Fair patrons.

You can bet that state politicians and bureaucrats are behind the problems. They should back off and let Hennessey’s staff handle things. While Hennessey just completed his first Fair at the top, he’s a classy guy and he has a lot of experienced and capable people on board who know the ropes when it comes to running the Fair. They can do the job, so state big shots should–but probably won’t–get out of the way and let them handle things.

Village Voices

By State Fair Hound

On September 18, 2023

In New favorites

In recent years, the New York State Fair has made a push to showcase the ethnic diversity of the Empire State. With the Pan African Village firmly established as a particularly popular Fair locale, the Latino Village has been ramping up for the past five Fairs.

This year the Asian Village jumped in for the first four days with vendors, music and dance. As with its predecessors, its vendors and exhibitors will need some time to promote familiarity with patrons.

When it comes to Fair fans, food is always a good place to start. Asian village cuisine shined with a tasty variety that included stir fry options and an exotic coconut drink that seemed to catch on quickly.

This year Latino and Asian shared space near the Youth Building and Talent Showcase stage, but future Fairs must let both grow into more established spots to allow visitors to know where they are and what they offer in terms of entertainment, food and exhibits. That way they can make their marks as their Pan African counterparts have done.

Breeding Doubt

By State Fair Hound

On September 13, 2023

In Hound's view

While the exhibition of livestock goes back to the origin of the New York State Fair, the passing of years brings alternative viewpoints when it comes to the role of animals at the Fair. As planning begins for the 2024 edition, serious discussion about animal welfare issues would be in order.

During the Fair, a letter was published in the Post-Standard and syracuse.com that questioned the ethics of the Dairy Cow Live Birthing Center. Representatives of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in Ulster County criticized the treatment of the cows and the practice of prematurely separating babies from their from mothers, claiming to have over 10,000 signatures on a petition seeking to have the Birthing Center discontinued.

Their concerns seem valid. Those days-old calves are adorable and Fair visitors certainly enjoy seeing them, but it would seem that a state that touts its dairy farming industry would demonstrate greater sensitivity in its care of cows and calves.

When it comes down to it, we should also be considering whether featuring animals in a petting zoo and a sea lions show meet humane standards. Fair administration should be mindful of humanitarian concerns regarding both livestock and wild animal acts in applying both judgement and compassion.

One idea would be to appoint knowledgeable staff to assess conditions for animals on the grounds and make recommendations regarding their treatment. When legitimate concerns are raised, the Fair has a responsibility to issue a public response and make changes if necessary.

Rope and Chain Acts

By State Fair Hound

On September 10, 2023

In New favorites

Life-like dinosaurs inhabited the Expo Center throughout the recently-concluded New York State Fair, which kept the cavernous building swarming with kids all 13 days. But two smaller acts were also great new additions as Lady Houdini and Groovy Guy presented circus-like talents several times each day.

Lady Houdini did daring escapes reminiscent of her iconic namesake, culminating in her breaking free of chains and emerging from a water tank. Groovy did a little juggling while keeping up a constant patter of jokes and wisecracks, before walking on a rope held by audience members, which was not dangerous but was very impressive.

These performers, combined with other grounds entertainment effectively make the case for viewing State Fair admission and parking charges as trivial when you consider the overall bang for the buck.

While returning favorites are essential to loyal Fair fans, a variety of new acts every year brings another dimension and encourages people to attend more than once in order to catch all of the shows. It’s a winning formula for the Fair and its customers.

We can’t wait to see what comes next.

Feeding Frenzy

By State Fair Hound

On September 8, 2023

In Chowing down

While The Hound was pleased with new and planned construction of food stands for the New York State Fair, we’d like to see more existing spaces utilized. You may have noticed empty spots in the Eatery, on Restaurant Row and around the grounds this years. Some of those holes once housed very popular and profitable businesses.

We’re not sure why they sat empty this year, but a return of favorite vendors or opening of new ones would be good to see. We hope that Fair administration will make that a priority for 2024.

Kibbles and Bits

By State Fair Hound

On September 6, 2023

In Focus on the future

With New York State Fair 2023 in the books, The Hound is a dog with a bone. We’re going to keep our coverage going for a while, reviewing highs and lows from this year’s big party over the next few weeks.

We’ll start with a change in direction for infrastructure on the grounds that started this year. The new food service building for Tully’s Restaurant was beautifully done and apparently begins a trend for food stands. When the Gov visited during the Fair, she munched a sausage sandwich at Basilio’s and revealed plans to demolish their stand and build a replacement.

The Hound cheers the addition of new structures, something that had been on hold for several years. Some previously-razed vendor stands left owners to work from tents or trailers. But permanent buildings add class and make the Fairgrounds the very special venue that it is.

We’d love to see vacancies continue being filled with solid stands. This is a good start.

Going Dark

By State Fair Hound

On September 5, 2023

In Hound's view

As the 2023 New York State Fair fades into the post-Labor Day sunset, there are plenty of memories, mostly good ones.

Attendance surged to over 900,000, strengthened by mostly decent weather, though showers dampened several days and Labor Day weekend got pretty hot.

There was a nice balance of new features and established favorites. As expected, the Dinosaur Expedition was a monstrous hit and Lady Houdini made an exciting debut. Juggling the schedule to spotlight the Groovy Guy early in the Fair was a good idea as the wisecracking, rope-walking entertainer put on a fun show to hold the fort until Hilby arrived to large crowds midway through the Fair.

The concert lineup gave most fans little reason to attend. If Fair organizers aspire a return to attendance totals exceeding a million, they should start with more diversity at the major stages.

Traffic control was generally OK and parking went smoother than in past years. Of course, amp shows tortured drivers, while temporary closures of the orange lot were infuriating for Fair patrons. Both of those things need to change.

Cultural variety seems to be a winning strategy as the Iroquois welcomed returning crowds to their quaint reservation and the colorful Pan African Village grows year-to-year. The Latino Village came to life for the second half of this year, while the new Asian Village will need time to develop and grow, although it already excels in availability of delicious vegetarian food, something that can be tough to find at the Fair.

It was great to see those spunky kids back on the Talent Showcase stage. The experience of competing means a lot to the youngsters, like the dancer pictured here who touchingly dedicated her performance to her recently-deceased father.

As always, there were many food choices, this year adding such creative new entries as the Peanut Butter Paradise at Tommy C’s, Omanii’s vegetarian sandwich and several new Toss & Fire pies. The best way to keep cool on Labor Day was by slurping a fruity Italian Ice from Our Vegan Corner.

Meanwhile, food stand changes continued, though the renovation of the street outside the dairy cattle barn was underwhelming. Daniella’s Steakhouse consolidated to its Art and Home Center venue, allowing Beak and Skiff 1911 to take over the large space inside gate 4. Tully’s new stand is beautiful, better than their food.

Vendor participation was noticeably depressed in several areas, particularly in the Horticulture Building and the Eatery, where vacancies stood out. Several outdoor spots were also wide open spaces, especially the yard in front of the Youth Building, which is begging for a large show venue. It would be a great location for a performing dog act, something that has been missing for years, although they never fail to draw large crowds. Maybe it’s time to suspend the Sea Lions Splash which is really dull show featuring adorable stars.

While some visitors complain that the Fair never changes, there’s always something new to enjoy and things you don’t see anywhere else. The sand sculpture never fails to amaze, you can come within a few feet of Hawk Creek’s inspiring birds of prey and this year a kid was seen walking on the midway with his emotional-support snake.

For just six bucks, it’s a sensational ride.

State Fair Hound has lots more reaction–what was great and what needs to be better–in upcoming posts. We’ll follow that with plans for tweaks to our own coverage for 2024 and beyond. Meanwhile, we thank our readers for letting us cover the New York State Fair the Hound’s way.

On The Trail, Day 13–Last Call

By State Fair Hound

On September 3, 2023

In On the trail

The final day of the 2023 New York State Fair arrives Monday with the observance of Labor Day.

The traditional parade kicks off near the cow birthing center at the western end of the grounds at 10:30. Following the procession down Broadway, unions will rally down near Chevy Court.

It’s dollar day on the midway with all rides except the Broadway SkyLiner priced at a buck.

The Fair wraps on Monday with major buildings and the midway closing at 9 p.m.

In case you haven’t done everything, seen everything and eaten everything at this year’s Fair, here’s The Hound’s abbreviated State Fair can’t miss list:

The history and pageantry of the Iroquois village, a revered Fair tradition, tops the list.

If you haven’t gone into the Grange Building–next to the poultry barn–this year, don’t miss visiting the State Fair History exhibit. It should be an annual stop on the route for every Fair visitor, though it’s generally updated only a little from year to year. There’s plenty of history and much of it is on display. Still, it’s one of those features where you may notice something different every year.

The stately Agriculture Museum is an architectural work of art full of fascinating artifacts and demonstrations of various old-time farming and homemaking skills. The Carriage Museum next door features a working blacksmith shop and a variety of wheeled vehicles that predate cars.

Among other highly-recommended favorites are Hawk Creek Wildlife Center’s winged wonders in the State Park area and the festive Pan African Village.

Some livestock has departed, but there’s still enough around to fascinate and charm visitors, while the final performances of the Circus Hollywood are great fun for all ages and lady Houdini makes her final thrilling escape on Labor Day.

Of course, many fans arrive focused on one or two last meals as fabulous Fair food never fails to make taste buds tingle.

If you haven’t seen the sand sculpture, where have you been? It’s in the Center of Progress. Meanwhile those ferocious dinosaurs are terrorizing the Expo Center to the delight of large crowds of kids.

Future additions

The Governor’s office and the Fair announced several major agricultural projects during the Fair last year, improvements expected to cost over $34 million. Some changes were evident this year, including the new Tully’s stand and infrastructure changes–not sure they were improvements–near the cow barn.

A 2,500 square foot, solar-powered goat pavilion, providing an open-air space for goat shows, is slated to replace temporary facilities. It’s among the changes that were scheduled to open next year, but now projected for 2025.

The one-and-a-half to two-acre greenhouse and Horticultural Education Center, projected to be a state-of-the-art glass structure facility, powered by solar panels and featuring a rainwater collection filtration system. The greenhouse will allow for the on-site growing of local New York products and will double as an educational center.

A 15,000 square foot sheep barn and wool center, which will replace tents as housing for the sheep. The adjoining Wool Center, staffed by volunteers who educate the public about wool products and their uses, will be located inside the sheep barn, bringing the two elements under one roof for the first time. This new building is scheduled to open in time for the 2024 Fair.

Also planned are three 9,000 square foot stables will be built to supplement the Fair’s existing, older stables. They will be utilized during off-season horse shows as well as the Fair for 2024 and beyond.

On The Trail, Day 12–Brand New Chevy

By State Fair Hound

On September 2, 2023

In Concert critiques, On the trail

The emergence of the Suburban Park–formerly Chevrolet Park–stage over the past few years has taken some of the spotlight off Chevrolet Court at the New York State Fair as both bookend stages host daily concerts.

The Fair badly needed an alternative to the overcrowding at the court that made it nearly impossible for many fans to derive maximum enjoyment there and they decided to use the Park stage for most of the acts they judge to become the bigger draws, attendance-wise.

At one time, there were plans to replace the Chevy Court stage and the adjoining building, moving them back to increase space in front of the stage. But that now seems to be unnecessary as placement of acts can be managed to steer the biggest crowds to Suburban Park, leaving moderately-sized audiences in Chevy Court.

Some acts still draw tens of thousands of fans to that area, but you don’t generally see the massive overflow of years past. In order to create space in that area, vendor tents were moved out of surrounding streets several years ago, likely sacrificing some revenue. Large projection screens now flank the stage to offer a view from afar.

Fair planners use an established method for estimating crowd size, based upon a grid system that looks at defined areas with previously-determined capacities and adding up the occupied areas. It’s still an approximation, but when you come down to it, the actual numbers aren’t as important as other essential questions with an enormous crowd performing there.

Regulating the crowd has proven difficult. Attempts to control the spacing and movement of that many fans with temporary fencing has been largely unsuccessful, in some cases making the situation worse by creating barriers to people spreading out or moving out of overcrowded areas. The rule prohibiting smoking at Chevy Court, heartily endorsed by The Hound, is now being stringently enforced, with staff encouraging compliance with posted rules.

They even moved the Chevrolet display out of the venue named for it. In addition to creating a nice concert space, preserving Chevy Court kept intact a Fair locale that is both prominent and pretty. The sprawling Suburban Park can’t match Chevy Court’s ambience. The grassy, tree-lined court area benefits from being surrounded by those handsome buildings and close to the wine court, restrooms and food stands.

Stone Faces

Chevrolet Court really is the quintessential Fair locale, primarily due to those stoic buildings, all around 100 years old. The Fairgrounds’ original design, created by Buffalo architects Green and Wicks in 1907, started with completion of what is currently known as the Center of Progress Building the following year. That design is most evident around the landscaped courtyard now known as Chevrolet Court, where a grouping of major buildings forms a rectangle running south of the main gate to the majestic Horticulture Building.

The Fair’s major buildings reflect styles of the turn of the century, developing trends of the early 20th century and strong local influences.The first phase of construction took about 20 years to complete, culminating with the erection of the major buildings by the late 1930s.

While there are definite similarities to the buildings–a number of them are crowned by a cupola–each has its own character, particularly in terms of decorative touches. A stroll around the court reveals the varied look of the buildings at the fair’s core.

The two most similar buildings face each other bordering Cole Muffler Court to the east and west. The Center of Progress Building is the sister building of the Science and Technology and Dairy complex, stylistically and relative to the original design plan as both are bordered by full-length columns.

One important similarity from building to building is the combination of a functional interior disguised by a more aesthetically appealing exterior. There’s no denying that the look of today’s Fair is sharply different than some of its predecessors. No surprise there, given the ages of the buildings. But the sturdy structures have survived, including the stint during World War II, when the Fairgrounds were used as a military base.

Today, they are the very foundation of the New York State Fair, both beautiful and functional.

An independent view of the New York State Fair

Author: State Fair Hound (Page 4 of 75)

Looking Good

Sticky Red Tape

Village Voices

Breeding Doubt

Rope and Chain Acts

Feeding Frenzy

Kibbles and Bits

Going Dark

On The Trail, Day 13–Last Call

On The Trail, Day 12–Brand New Chevy

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