If your Fair experience isn’t complete without watching the amazing and wacky antics of Hilby, your time has arrived. The self-proclaimed Skinny German Juggle Boy made his 2016 debut Monday afternoon, his full complement of wild tricks and playful patter in tow. Hilby’s act is unparalleled fun, the first time or the hundredth.

Look for him at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in front of the Science and Industry Building.

The Hound would be hard pressed to name a change at the New York State Fair that drew as passionate an outcry from patrons as moving the New York State Wine Court out of the colonnade area did in 2008. It’s back in its traditional spot between the Science and Industry Building and the Dairy Building for the third year now and proving to be a popular stop for oenophiles and Fair patrons looking for an adult treat.

The official title is the Taste NY Wine, Beer and Spirits Village and it’s a creative use of a unique space, using permanent stands and tents with seating nearby where visitors can match a meal with their vino. Some partiers enjoy grooving to the music from Chevy Court while quaffing their favorite beverage. What wine goes with deep-fried mac and cheese, anyway?

You may have heard that the paved midway space has been expanded to 15 acres, but you have to see the massive new lot to believe it. Prepare yourself for the wow factor as you first approach the new area.

It now hosts 75 to 78 rides, more than ever erected for the New York State Fair, most on freshly-paved blacktop with more space between rides and more room for riders to wait in lines. Electrical cables are buried beneath the pavement, so you won’t be tripping over them and strollers and wheelchairs roll freely, although there are some areas with gravel underfoot. Storm drains will reduce flooding on rainy days.

Let’s not knock the old midway—there were so many exciting adventures there over the years. But the Strates Shows people and then the Wade Shows folks had to lay out their rides and games on a triangular parking lot that served the purpose, but was far from ideal. The new pad allows for so much more flexibility and creativity. It’s more like a year-round amusement park.

For some it may be too sterile, lacking in that old-school charm and retro appeal of the past. But more rides, wider walkways and a glitzier look will make most midway mavens very happy.

The Lottery Pavilion was demolished as part of the Fairgrounds makeover, so the Lottery was relocated to the southeast corner of the Coliseum, across from the dairy cattle building. A mechanical bull challenged riders to rodeo up in that spot last year.

The traditional State Fair parade will be held on six of the 12 days this year, a change from past years when it kicked off daily.

The route will also change, still starting at Chevy Court before taking it the length of the new road the Fair is calling Broadway, pictured below during Syracuse Nationals.

Another new wrinkle calls for a grand marshal to lead to procession of marching bands, emergency vehicles, street performers and animals. The parade steps off at 6 p.m. Aug. 26, 29, 30 and 31 and Sep. 1 and 2.

Chevy Court itself hasn’t changed much since last year. The stage, backstage building and lawn—amazingly green for our weather conditions–lined with metal benches are returning.

What’s not coming back are the hot tubs, food stands and exhibitors that once ringed the court. That purging, suggested by State Fair Hound in our Sep. 22, 2015 post Full Court Pressure, creates more concert fan space with fewer obstructions, something that has been badly needed for years.

Look for the immensely popular Dinosaur Bar-B-Que stand to be relocated next year, opening up more fan space for concerts. “We did talk to Steve Davis, the owner of the Dinosuar Bar-B Que Stand,” Acting Director Troy              Waffner revealed. “We’re actually talking to him about relocating off Chevy Court for the 2017 Fair and finding a home equally prominent for him.”

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.