Seasoned hands and mature hearts produce a stunning array of inspired works for the Senior Arts and Crafts Show in the air-conditioned Somerset Room, on the lower level of the Art and Home Center. Sculptures, pottery, paintings, quilts, afghans, photos, stained glass, miniature models, needlepoint, dolls, teddy bears, embroidered clothing, woven baskets and wooden furniture, all created by artists 60 years and older provide plenty of reason to linger and browse.

This year’s entries are impressive as the senior artists reflect favorite themes of their age group, with children, cats and old-fashioned items perennially popular. Grandma Moses has nothing on these talented folks, so pay them a visit.

The New York State Fair’s best entertainer–the torch-juggling, unicycle-riding, wisecracking phenomenon known as Hilby is back, performing three times a day through Labor Day. Take note–Hilby has a new performance venue, the Sports Activity Center, which is a basketball court on the State Fair Blvd. side of the Coliseum.

While it may be less convenient for some fans, there’s bleacher seating and more space to accommodate spectators. It’s near tram stop 10. Of course, the show is still hilarious and spectacular.

Show times are 1, 4 and 7 p.m. each day for the rest of the Fair.

Don’t forget your camera.

The I Love New York Tourism folks have taken over the main gate-adjacent wing of the Center of Progress with a novel and whimsical photo set. Really, there are four sets, each featuring scenery from a famous Empire State locale to serve as a backdrop for visitors to take a shot of friends and family posers. You can choose a canoe trip, a fishing expedition, a mountain peak or a race track–or maybe all four. The realistic murals and 3-D props will make convincing pictures to take home as a Fair souvenir. There’s no charge and photographers who post their pics at #NYStateFairSelfie may see them on the big screen at Chevy Court.

State Fair visitors surrounded by the a wealth of entertainment and excitement from every corner may easily forget that it all started with agriculture. Just a few steps from barns housing New York’s finest livestock, the Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum animates a living history of the Empire State’s largest industry.

Throughout the building, the walls are covered with old-time tools and gadgets, all offering a great lesson in how hard life was before power tools and sophisticated machinery, when things were made of metal or wood, not plastic. Ingenuity, ornate decorative touches and beautiful design features distinguish these vintage items from today’s made-in-China junk.

Separate rooms, often staffed with demonstrators, focus on such craftwork as sewing and candle-making, while the grape-growing and winemaking alcove displays presses and bottles. Nearby, a tribute to the dairy industry includes a milk tester with tubes, milk cans, a separator, metal utensils and various other vessels. An 1850s woodworking shop shows a mill wheel turning under a waterfall. Full-sized wood-based vocations–coopering, logging and carpentry–are demonstrated nearby. One wall exhibit holds such larger farming equipment as plows, combines, scythes and fros.

The centerpiece of the museum is a life-sized replica of an 1876 log cabin, the walls are open to allow a clear view of the cozy living quarters. A quilt-draped trundle bed stands opposite a brick fireplace, complete with flaming logs. A paradoxically modern foyer features videos to inform and challenge visitors.

There’s no admission charge to visit the Agricultural Museum or the adjacent Carriage Museum, which are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The schedule of demonstrations is on the Fair website, www.nysfair.ny.gov.