The recent booking of country-style crooner Lee Greenwood to play Chevy Court at the 2023 New York State Fair is disturbing in that the Fair is calling his Armed Forces Day appearance “patriotic.” Greenwood has tried to sell himself as a great patriot by hyping his syrupy ballad, “God Bless the USA.” One song does not a patriot make, especially when the singer has repeatedly cozied up to the treasonous political pariah who brought you ethnic hatred, shady deals, election fraud, a boatload of self-serving lies and an attempted coup.

No true patriot would stand on stage in support of Mango Mussolini. Flag waving and lyrics claiming to “love this land” ring hollow in the presence of  the most corrupt president in American history. It’s appalling that, just as some of this demagogue’s supporters call themselves Christians, Greenwood calls himself a patriot.

It’s fair to wonder how the honorees on Armed Forces Day feel about Greenwood’s hero, the guy who wants to pardon the hundreds of convicted felons who brutally attacked law enforcement officers and trashed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Don’t forget that the draft-dodging, former psychopath-in-chief called military personnel “Losers.”

Greenwood doesn’t even need this gig. He can get plenty of work playing rallies for his favorite future inmate. If the Fair wants to bring him in to sing his bland repertoire, they certainly can. Just don’t be fooled into thinking that his most famous song makes him a patriot. He’s far from it.

It’s not surprising that the news from the Gov’s budget address generating the most response in the neighborhoods surrounding Geddes is her plan to increase prices at the New York State Fair. Contrary to the view expressed by one lunkhead who trashed the Fair in a letter to the Post-Standard, local folks love it and express their intense interest and strong opinions without prompting.

Last year’s $3 admission seemed artificially low, so doubling up to six bucks is no big deal. Considering all you get inside the gates without spending another dime, it’s a tremendous bargain and would be even at a higher price.

Parking has been $5 for many years, so an increase doesn’t seem unreasonable, though twice the old price is a bit of a jolt. In order to make it worth the cost, the State Fair brain trust has to improve the parking experience for customers. It’s a process that has been begging for an upgrade for decades.

The first thing they should do is improve efficiency of the parking staff to expedite the flow of incoming traffic. Too often lines filing into the lots are unnecessarily slow, sometimes painfully slow, as too many attendants just stand around instead of hustling to process cars. While we shouldn’t be too tough on the generally-young folks who hold down those 13-day jobs in the lots, a little supervision and organization would certainly be in order. There needs to be a little more urgency and greater focus on customer service.

For $10, patrons have a right to expect expeditious processing, which may include more EZ Pass lanes. And they should discontinue the ridiculous no-cash policy, which can also cause delays when  technology glitches slow things down.

The massive brown lot is in poor condition as it floods extensively in rainy weather, while it becomes a dust bowl when it’s hot and dry. The additional revenue from the price increase could be put to use smoothing things out, literally.

You would expect that Centro would see an increase in ridership for State Fair shuttles, but their current driver shortage may strain the process, negating any possible benefit. The Hound still thinks rail service would be a terrific option (Slow Roll, 9/15/19), but it doesn’t seem to be in the plans.

When you come down to it, increases in fees for vendors and exhibitors will likely have the most impact on enjoyment of the Fair as some businesses may not return, deciding the cost is too high, while others will hike prices for Fair customers.

The 2022 New York State Fair was something of a reunion for those who present the Fair and those who attend, with many–though certainly not all–popular vendors and exhibitors back and fans coming out in good-enough numbers to call it a successful return to almost normal.

Highlights included the fascinating World of Horses barn, the poolside antics of Sea Lion Splash, the daring Highlight Pro Women’s Skydiving Team, the return of most livestock and a sprinkling of good concerts in an overall drab lineup.

Familiar favorites included the historic and exciting Iroquois Village, five parades down Broadway, a somewhat less-elaborate-than-usual sand sculpture, the fantastic Hawk Creek Birds of Prey show, Circus Hollywood and the inimitable Hilby. Throw in the Strolling Piano, Bandoloni, a timely butter sculpture, magician Steve Trash and Mighty Mike and no one could say they didn’t get their three bucks worth.

Tours of the Agriculture Museum and State Fair History Exhibit never get old. The highly-touted NYS Energy exhibit and the Skilled Trades and the Manufacturing display lacked Fairworthy dazzle, but made use of large building space while appealing to a limited segment of visitors. Talent Showcase, model trains and 4-H horse competitions were missed.

Mostly-decent, though widely varied, weather conditions and generally well-controlled traffic made attending easy. Some prices were higher, reflecting the trend outside the Fairgrounds, but some were consistent with past years. Great food and and drink never disappoints.

Overall, Sean Hennessey’s first Fair at the helm was a triumph and a tribute to the impressive team that stages New York’s greatest event year-after-year.

There’s much more to say in review and plenty of ideas for the future–all coming up in future posts on State Fair Hound. But first, we all need some rest.

You may have seen on the NewsChannel 9 website that some patrons of the New York State Fair are complaining that lottery tickets haven’t been sold at the Fair this year.

It’s hard to believe that buying Lotto tickets is such a vital part of the Fair experience for some visitors. Come on, folks–you can get your gambling fix at thousands of locations any day of the year. Until then, scroll through our posts here on State Fair Hound, study the Fair website or just pick up a free visitors’ map at any gate in order to find a hundred ways to enjoy the Fair.

You can buy Lotto the next time you go out to the supermarket or convenience store near home. For now, just spend your cash on fried dough or a ride on the SkyLiner. That way you’re guaranteed to get something for your money.