The first large ride is being assembled on the fresh blacktop of the New York State Fair midway, a sure sign that set-up of the grounds has begun.

Meanwhile the reflecting pool is being cleaned and serviced to prepare it for splashdown.

Kudos to Matt Mulcahy of CNY Central for a report broadcast on Thursday featuring a tour of changes at the Fairgrounds with commentary from Troy Waffner. The acting director showed off the stately new main gate, where he said 60 percent of Fair attendees enter.

Waffner also gave viewers a look at the 12 acres of newly paved blacktop that will serve as the launching pad for midway madness come Aug. 25.

At one end of the midway, near the main buildings, a grassy area will be used to stage the kiddieland rides, a great idea that means that excited toddlers who trip won’t skin their knees. Both areas are shown in photos taken during Syracuse Nationals.

State Fair Hound tried unsuccessfully to find the video from Mulcahy’s report on the CNY Central website, but maybe it will turn up in coming days. It’s certainly worth a look.

A weekend trip to the Syracuse Nationals served as a dress rehearsal for the refreshed Fairgrounds. State Fair Hound will be sharing some photos to get you ready for the new look you will encounter when you visit, starting Aug. 25. For those who believe that first impressions are crucial, the retro-look main gate is handsome and welcoming.

The new RV park–campground if you prefer–is no longer fenced off from the main grounds. It stretches from the spot formerly occupied by the Grandstand to the racing stables, skirting the new blacktop midway.

Check back for more photos coming soon.

When the wind chills Central New York air to -20, it’s hard to believe that less than six months ago we were sweltering at the New York State Fair. Remember the fiercely loyal fans waiting out show time at Chevy Court, using umbrellas as protection from the brutal sun?

Nearby Fair patrons sought out the misting stations to provide brief respite. Notice the main gate in the background, that entry having recently been leveled in preparation for construction of a new, modernized gate.

Bet you’re still smiling when you think about all of the fun you had at the 2105 New York State Fair.

With the winter doldrums settled over Syracuse,

State Fair Hound invites you to enjoy these memories of last year’s Fair, 

one of the hottest on record.

You don’t have to log onto a massive internet shopping site or call the number from an infomercial to find unusual items for sale. The 2015 New York State Fair had plenty of them. There were toy items, such as the monkey-on-a-bike being demonstrated by a vendor and the small drone hovering overhead in the Center of Progress.

Among the more artistic items were wooden animals, carved with a chainsaw.

Many varieties of home-baked dog treats were being hawked in the Horticulture Building. Something called Scum Off actually sold out before Labor Day, but it probably wouldn’t have been a very appealing photo anyway.

State Fair Hound continues to look back at the New York State Fair just past with a thought that isn’t new, but never seems to be addressed. The tower at the intersection called Times Square, between the Dairy Products Building and the International Pavilion, has the potential to be much more than it is.

It’s always either unoccupied or being used as a lookout spot for State Troopers. The cops are just standing around as nothing ever seems to be happening there, but if they’re aren’t in it, it’s roped off. As usual, the Hound has a few ideas of how it could be put to better use.

It could be used as a spot for some advertiser to present products, though that’s not the best idea. It’s near the Lottery Pavilion, so they could use it to hawk tickets or make public drawings. There was once talk of placing video screens there to broadcast the Chevy Court show.

But how about putting actual entertainment up there, something like the musical combo that used to welcome visitors inside the front gate? For years the State Fair Four played lively Dixieland from a gazebo in that spot. There wasn’t an act there this year and it was missed.

The Times Square corner could really use such a festive touch and an acoustic act to greet people exiting the Milk Bar, serenade passers-by or provide some atmosphere for folks scratching their Lottery tickets could be the right touch. It would be nice to do something creative with that handsome structure.

Syracuse area Fair lovers have to be wondering this weekend where these cool temperatures were last weekend. State Fair Hound agrees with an opinion voiced by Acting Director Troy Waffner in a local newspaper that the hot, humid conditions a week ago discouraged folks from going out to the Fair.

Not everyone stayed in, however, and Hound photographer Nick LoPresti braved the heat to contribute these shots of the sun-baked audience at the Sawyer Fredericks show, a dedicated actor hamming it up while wearing the furry Fritter costume and some of the coolest critters on the grounds, frisky sea lions splashing around their tank.

It’s hard to believe these were taken just one week ago, on a day when temps exceeded 90 degrees.

Everything from hogs to pies, quilts to wine, sculptures to roses gets judged at the New York State Fair. State Fair Hound salutes this year’s winners with these photos of those awarded blue ribbon this year.

You can bet that some Fair aficionados are already working on next year’s entries.