The Newsmaker program on Channel 9 recently focused on the cultural villages that are an essential part of the New York State Fair. It was good to hear from Van Robinson, a tireless advocate for the  minority community, about the origins of the Pan African Village. He referred to “the leaders at the time” when the village was set up, back in 1996.

It was disappointing that neither Robinson or program host Andrew Donovan acknowledged the monumental contribution of Peter Cappuccilli, Jr., who was the Fair Director at that time. But Randy Andy Cuomo, who screwed up the Fair in many ways, got a shout-out for naming the village after Robinson. Big deal.

Cappuccilli was also the director in charge when the Veterans and 9-11 Memorials were constructed, when the Iroquois longhouse was dedicated and when Fair attendance first exceeded a million visitors. Another Cappy legacy was significant infrastructure improvement including the addition of air conditioning to several buildings.

Other founders, including Ken Jackson and Bongo Hanslip share credit for starting the Pan African village. While it was great to see that State Fair jewel get recognition on television, it would have been better if credit was given where deserved.

You know the New York State Fair has reached the midway point every year when the perennial oldies concert by Herman’s Hermits has ended and one-man circus Hilby has begun his traditional three-a-days. Well, Peter Noone and his Brit mates played Monday afternoon and Hilby is juggling his pins, tossing his torches and peddling his unicycle in front of the Science and Industry Building, so we’re about there—seven down and six to go.

Blessed with mostly good-enough weather, the Fair is rolling along smoothly for the most part. The 4-H horse barn—now closed for the year–was a terrific addition, the Nerveless Nocks pole-climbing act, not so much. It was good to see Groovy Guy back and the dinosaurs, the birds of prey and the Sea lions are as popular as ever. The new village set-up for the Asian and Latino cultural fairs is a definite improvement. The Hound can’t help but wonder why there are fewer benches at Chevy Court this year. Security staff has been asked, but they say they don’t know.

Aside from a rainy opening day, the low point so far was the huge traffic jam on the afternoon of Aug. 24. It wasn’t the result of a massive crowd at the New York State Fair. Fair attendance was an entirely manageable 83,240. So why the mess? It’s because the nitwits who run the amphitheater on the other side of I-690 held a concert that night.

As you’ve been hearing from The hound for several years, this is the definition of insanity. Two large events that depend upon the same roadways for access and the same lots for parking, running simultaneously will inevitably sow chaos. We’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again, perhaps on Aug.29, when the same dueling-events scenario comes up.

Central New York weather is generally conducive to outdoor concerts from late spring to mid-fall, roughly four months every year. The State Fair runs for 13 days of those four months. The corporate money-grubbers who run the amp have demonstrated in many ways over the years that they have no regard for the convenience and safety of their patrons. So we shouldn’t hold out hope that they’ll change their ways. It’s time for State and County government to exert influence to put concerts on hold during the Fair.

Customers of the New York State Fair aren’t given the simple, logical courtesy of being able to pay for parking with good old American cash, but drivers have been able to keep their credit cards in their pockets by driving through EZ Pass scanners in the brown and orange lots. Until now.

For some reason, EZ Pass won’t get you into parking lots this year, so you’ll have to have a pre-paid pass or hand over your credit card, slowing down the lines of entering cars.

When you consider this change in addition to the fact that parking charges have increased from five dollars to 12 dollars plus fees since 2022, customers will understandably feel unappreciated.

Drivers will have limited options as Centro park-and-ride bus service rolls from fewer locations than it has in some years.

Improved traffic control and more efficient parking service have long been needed at the Fair. Instead, they’re getting worse–and more expensive. Our new director and her team need to do some work. Fair customers deserve it.

The incompetent agency that books concerts for the New York State Fair is this year foisting upon fans an act they’re calling a “country and rap star.” The performer for the Aug. 25 Chevrolet Court show, apparently influenced by hip hop tradition, goes by the moniker Dax rather than using an actual name.

While there is no consensus on the definition of country music, it’s obvious that country and rap are at opposite ends of the entertainment spectrum, so the label carried by this kid is paradoxical at best.  Country music comes from the heart with virtuoso talent on fiddle, steel guitar and mandolin supporting impassioned vocals. Real talent and actual music matter above all.

Most rappers neither sing nor play an instrument. It’s more about image and attitude. Hip hop “performances” are dominated by thundering drum beats, often in the absence of a melody.

Most important, this booking doesn’t change the troubling fact that the Fair’s musical lineup features several hip hop acts while the contemptuous treatment of fans who love traditional-style country continues. Every year, the concert itinerary gets worse and this year that trend is on target to hit bottom.

The promoters can have both hip hop and country and they certainly should. But calling one act country-rap is insulting and ludicrous.

Do you remember who the New York State Fair brought in to play a concert on Armed Forces Day in 2023? Yep, hypocritical “patriot” Lee Greenwood. The Hound let out a howl on that (Flag Waiver, May 27, 2023), pointing out that this MAGA dimwit has a lengthy history of backing a well-known, orange-haired serial defendant and wanna-be dictator.

Now it seems that Greenwood has upped the ante, joining Donald Duck-the-Charge in his latest scam, selling over-priced Bibles to finance his multiple legal defenses. Maybe the cornball lounge singer should read one of his own Bibles. He could start by counting how many of the Ten Commandments he’s willing to overlook. Then he could find references to what the Good Book has to say about lying,  adultery, lewdness, gluttony, avarice, vulgarity, narcissism, vengeance, sexual assault and racial hatred.

Maybe MAGA Lee is trying to get into the running for the Vice President nomination or maybe he just want to get in on the grift.

Either way, if the Fair brings this false patriot back, there should be an investigation.

The paper money that’s in your wallet right now makes a promise to the holder. “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” There are no conditions, no asterisks, no exceptions.

Still many businesses, including SU’s Dome, the Lakeview Amphitheater, the Syracuse Mets’ ballpark and our beloved New York State Fair refuse to accept good old American cash. But there may be hope for those who think the practice of requiring credit cards or electronic payment is nonsensical, discriminatory and potentially subject to fraud and theft.

Channel 9 News recently reported that a bill in the New York State Senate proposes a law that would require merchants to accept cash as payment for goods and services, though allowing some exceptions. Let’s all contact our State Senator and urge support for this measure. Interestingly, New York City already has a law prohibiting cashless businesses.

Meanwhile, USA Today has reported that the National Park Service being sued over refusal to accept cash.

You can bet that, as you read this, some creep, somewhere is looking at this practice, trying to figure a way to hack into the payments systems or to steal your credit card information. And sooner or later, someone will succeed.

It’s an unnecessary and reckless risk. There was a time that all of these businesses accepted cash and it worked just fine. If they have issues with staffing, accounting and security, they should deal with it as they did back then. It’s called doing business. They all make plenty of profit from the customers they are abusing with their cashless BS.

At least we can use EZ Pass at the Fair and almost all vendors happily accept our money. We’ve heard of some that don’t, so we’ll just keep walking to one that does.

Likewise, smart customers are justified in thinking twice about patronizing businesses and venues that require credit cards.

Opening day of the 2024 New York State Fair is a long way off–200 days from Friday to be exact. That’s plenty of time, but there’s much to be done.

As always, State Fair Hound has some ideas that could serve as a blueprint for a better Fair this year and beyond. While we’re happy to respect many of the traditions that have made the Fair great over the years, suggestions for improvement, especially from outside the fences of the Fairgrounds or government offices of Albany, are essential to pleasing patrons and boosting chances for a successful 13 days.

The Hound has already promoted some ideas in recent posts. Those include more productive and respectful engagement with vendors and exhibitors (Sticky Red Tape, 9/23/23), humane and responsible treatment of animals in exhibits and performances (Breeding doubt, 9/13/23), continuation of the trend to improve food vendor structures and increase menu variety (Feeding Frenzy, 9/8/23) and revival of senior days with enhancements (Silver Surfers 10/19/23).

Music fans also deserve a better variety of acts, documented here many times, including Black Listed, 6/20/23, Hip Hopping to Conclusions, 9/21/22 and Triangulation, 7/15/19. Performance venue improvements, especially at Suburban Park, would be appreciated as would more courteous treatment of customers by security staff, who should view their duty to maximize fan comfort and enjoyment while keeping interventions friendly and helpful.

The no-cash policy for admission and parking remains a  flawed idea. Director Sean Hennessey patiently explained to The Hound why he feels that practice is necessary for the Fair, but it remains a burden and a security risk for patrons. Perhaps there’s a compromise to be made there. It should be considered.

The bottled water monopoly granted to Pepsi’s Aquafina brand back in 2018 still rankles customers and handicaps vendors. The market should determine what products are sold on the grounds and at what price.

Transportation and parking issues carry over from year to year and there’s no indication that any effective changes or creative ideas have been considered. Why not? It’s a huge issue, especially on dates when there’s a concert being staged on the other side of I-690–something that should not be happening.

We’d also like to see a more efficient process at the baked potato stand, where lines can be way too slow-moving.

The Hound will pass along more ideas as opening day approaches. We hope that our readers will send theirs to Fair management. In fact, we think that a committee of ordinary folks who love the Fair should be convened on a regular basis–a kind of advisory board. It could pay off.

Right now, there are 200 days to work on making this year’s Fair great. Let’s get to work.