After 13 days of classic New York State Fair fun, everybody’s a little tired.

Our naps will no doubt be filled with the images of candy apples, marching bands, dizzying rides, cuddly animals and dancing kids.

Unfortunately, sleep will be restless for those haunted by memories of traffic jams, parking woes, upset stomachs and sore feet.

As usual, there were some hits and some misses to consider as those wild 13 days pass. State Fair Hound has often heard those who run our State Fair say they prioritize customer satisfaction over attendance numbers and this year looked great on both counts.

No Fair is perfect, so there are always some complaints and criticisms and we’ll explore them all in the coming days. Growth can create growing pains and The Hound has some ideas to share, so check back often. The 2019 New York State Fair is over, but it’s never far from the minds of true believers. .

Legend has it that famous catcher and coiner of witticisms, Yogi Berra once remarked about a New York night spot, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”

After this year, you have to wonder if that fate could befall the New York State Fair, its own success becoming an obstacle to burgeoning popularity. Ironically, the Fairgrounds themselves aren’t really too crowded, it’s the limited roads leading in and the overstressed parking lots that are the problem.

The grounds themselves are remarkably spacious. Even when the attendance exceeds 100,000, there’s space for walking, places to relax and eat and an impressive amount of green space. Since the demolition of the grandstand and track, modifications have made the entire Fairgrounds a tremendous facility.

While it’s clear that the grounds can handle extremely-high attendance days, it’s equally clear that the access roads and parking areas can’t. The Fair relentlessly promotes the Centro Park-And-Ride system as an alternative and on typical days it’s a good choice. But if the traffic converging on the Fairgrounds is jammed up badly enough, the bus locations are also affected, sometimes disastrously.

Yes, the newly-paved orange lot was a monumental improvement over the old, pothole-laden dirt surface, even with its heavily-criticized narrow parking spaces. But we certainly learned on Sep. 1 that it wasn’t enough to prevent a mess.

If you sat in a traffic jam on Day 11, you have a right to be angry over the deeply- flawed–make that insane–decision to book a sold-out amphitheater show on a day that is always one of the busiest at the Fair. Hey Joanie (and successor), hey Live Nation–don’t be jerks. Don’t book a concert on the Fair’s most popular days, those around Labor Day weekend. It just makes a bad situation worse. Apply some common sense and give the amp the weekend off.

Given that you can essentially approach the Fair from east or west, not north (the lake, remember?) or south (just Bridge Street from Solvay), what else can be done?

If you’re trying to time your approach to avoid the crush, you can access traffic cameras on the WeatherBug website, but they’re limited, sometimes pointed the wrong direction and essentially unreliable. There was a time years ago that the Fair website had camera feeds that could be accessed on the web. Since more information can only help, more cameras, easily accessed and feeding views of roads and parking lots would definitely help. In this day of high-tech, it’s something that can be accomplished.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t easy to get information on the flow into the Fair in real time.  Spectrum News did more than anyone on that front, but how about posting more traffic news on the Fair website to advise motorists what they may face and how to best cope?

Supervising the operation of parking thousands of cars is tough, thankless work, so criticizing those who do it could be considered unfair. But it can be done better. The turnover of spaces–getting new arrivals into vacated spaces could be more efficient.

On non-Fair days, if you’re cruising I-690 west and take the ramp onto I-695 (Camillus Bypass) and drive toward Auburn or Camillus, you can sometimes see Fair-related vehicles parked in grassy areas off to the right. How much space is there and can some be made into additional parking? Worth a look.

In addition to the highly-visible railroad tracks along State Fair Boulevard, there are multiple tracks behind the RV park. There’s a lot of wooded area back there and it’s reasonable to assume that the property belongs to the railroad companies and that they aren’t anxious to give it up. Is there room for negotiation or a buyout that could make some of that space available to the Fair for traffic access or parking?

Speaking of trains, we know that visitors from out of town can arrive by rail at the platform back near the racing stables. Could there be local rail service arranged, at least for those critical 13 days, by which trains could transport patrons from downtown and Syracuse suburbs? This is an especially appealing idea as local service to Gate 11 could excite adventurous fans who may find bus service undesirable, but would enjoy a train trip.

Maybe some of these ideas are unrealistic, even crazy. OK, but there have to be changes. We don’t want to have Yogi’s words describing a Fair with traffic problems that are scaring off customers, keeping it from living up to its full potential.

With the 2018 New York State Fair in the record book, State Fair Hound shares a few initial reactions.

First–thank you and congratulations to Acting Director Troy Waffner and his dedicated team on a great year of achievement. Vision and hard work pays off. The future is very bright and State Fair nation should be excited.

Within the gates, the crowds were handled remarkably well. Sometimes the traffic and parking was a disaster. Given the attendance figures and logistical limitations, maybe nothing could have prevented it. But let’s try. More in a later post.

The numbers were stunning, but one is suspect. The Sep. 2 Chevy Court concert by young rapper A Boogie Wid Da Hoodie was said to be the biggest crowd ever at that venue. Don’t believe it. Mid-concert, you could walk past the Dairy Building entrance without having to squeeze through elbow-to-elbow fans. Past audiences, including Lady Antebellum and the Steve Miller Band, among others, were packed tight far beyond that point. How about a recount, guys?

Post-Standard/Syracuse.com reporter Teri Weaver covered a Labor Day visit by Andy Cuomo and quoted remarks by him demonstrating an arrogance and ignorance rarely seen north of the White House. Listen Gov–you can recognize and celebrate the current greatness of the Fair without saying that it was lousy before you added your magic touch. The Fair is terrific, deserving of praise, but many of us thought it was pretty damn good back in the Wayne Gallagher days, if not sooner. And yes, we are including the Peter Cappuccilli, Jr. administration. Even a Republican can run a successful Fair.

Getting back to Sunday night, television stations have reported that there were incidents of fighting and assault at the concert and on the midway. Before you go online to blame rap fans or rowdy kids, particularly with their ethnicity in mind, remember that there have always been occasional problems at the Fair, often late at night, frequently alcohol-fueled. When you have well over  a million visitors over two weeks, stuff happens. From opening day through Labor Day, it was remarkably peaceful, given that anyone with 10 bucks (sometimes less) can walk in at any time. For those who blame the type of entertainment, recall that there was a time rock’n’roll had a reputation for creating trouble.

It’s hard to remember a Fair with such a variety of weather conditions–hot, cool, windy, stormy, sunny–it all happened. Humidity kept attendance down a couple of times, but on most days hardy fans poured in. Although the new Exposition Center wasn’t build as a shelter, visitors quickly discovered that it was a great spot to cool off or to stay dry.

State Fair hound will continue to analyze and review New York State Fair 2018 in coming days with many photos. See you soon.

With Labor Day looming, Central New York grapples with the traditional dilemma of how to really enjoy the holiday weekend while contemplating the grim reality that end of the summer season is just a couple of days away. The solution to this paradox is what it’s always been–head out to the New York State Fair, where its easy to forget the pending Tuesday hangover while reveling in the funnel cakes, gyrating rides, remarkable critters and blasting fireworks.

Once last party with dancing Iroquois, splashing sea lions and spicy sausage is just what the doctor ordered for those who are suffering from a September swoon.

Arrive early in anticipation of big crowds and make certain to hit all of your favorites. Summer doesn’t end around here until we wrap up those two glorious weeks of Empire State thrills.

With Labor Day weekend looming, your final opportunity to enjoy some of the highlights of the new York State Fair will be this weekend. Everybody has her or his own favorites, but State Fair Hound believes that some stops should be on the can’t miss list for every Fair fan.

The Pan African Village is a microcosm of the best our Fair has to offer–lively music and dance, distinct, flavorful cuisine, rare artworks and gifts and an upbeat, exotic vibe.

The best representation of the agrarian history of New York is enclosed within the stately confines of the Agriculture Museum.

The sophomore run of the Broadway Skyliner represents one of the newer traditions as one ride that most family members will enjoy. The view from the slowly-coasting seats gives a perspective of the Fair you won’t get anywhere else.

A stroll through your favorite animal barn is a rare treat for non-rural visitors, who get the chance to commune with beautiful cows, sheep, goats, horses and others.

No matter how many sand sculptures you’ve seen, each is a not-to-be-missed  engineering marvel.

Other states may present exhibits that pay tribute to their own native inhabitants, but our own Iroquois (please, not “Indian”) Village is sacred ground at our Fair. Improvements in recent years have made this sensational exhibit even better.

One great way to get a wider perspective is to take a circuit around the grounds on a tram.

You probably have your own list of favorites and this weekend is your last chance to check them off.

Most upstate New Yorkers have been to the State Fair many times and think they’ve seen it all. But if you really want to get a new perspective on the nation’s oldest state fair, sometimes you have to make an effort.

It helps if you take a camera, intent upon getting some unusual, creative shots. Taking a photographer’s attitude will make you think about what you’re experiencing. But it’s not the only way. Just stop, take a breath and look around. Those venerable buildings were built about 100 years ago. What a contrast to the up-to-the-minute technology of the midway rides.

The Iroquois Village has people, artworks and a replica longhouse that can help you envision the region centuries ago. A couple of hundreds yards away, the shiny, new Exhibition Center stands in stark contrast, making its debut near the spot where the New York Experience pond brings a fresh look to the former infield area.

It’s all about unleashing your senses to the wonder of the New York State Fair. Enjoy a show, eat great food and whirl on your favorite ride. But don’t forget to open your eyes and ears to the whole event. It’s quite a show.

There are several good reasons to start your day early–say before 9 a.m.–when attending the New York State Fair, especially on weekends when crowds are often largest. The “beat the rush” strategy is the most popular, no doubt. Get into the parking lots, usually with a space closer to the gates, before a quick walk through security and onto the grounds. Good deal.

The major buildings don’t open until 10 a.m. and many of the other exhibits and attractions aren’t operating yet, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. For starters (pun intended), you can get a tasty breakfast at many locations on the grounds. The Iroquois Cookhouse and the Grange Ox Roast stand are two winners, but by no means the only spots serving. Even some of the sausage stands start by frying bacon and Bosco’s has freshly-fried doughnuts.

There’s much to see near the barns as the animals awake early and their handlers get a pre-dawn start on feeding, bathing, grooming and cleaning.

This year, unfortunately, there will be five days when you’ll have to arrive by midafternoon to avoid the additional traffic and parking complications expected when fans start arriving to attend a concert at the amphitheater.  So attending before Noon is the best plan.

It’s entertaining to see midway workers, concessionaires and animal exhibitors get an early start on a busy day. Popular spots such as the Iroquois Village and the reflecting pool are peaceful and more relaxing than at prime time. If you’re already on the grounds at 10 a.m., you can get a head start on entering the buildings and having a memorable day at the New York State Fair, so make it an early day.