Going Dark

As the 2023 New York State Fair fades into the post-Labor Day sunset, there are plenty of memories, mostly good ones.

Attendance surged to over 900,000, strengthened by mostly decent weather, though showers dampened several days and Labor Day weekend got pretty hot.

There was a nice balance of new features and established favorites. As expected, the Dinosaur Expedition was a monstrous hit and Lady Houdini made an exciting debut. Juggling the schedule to spotlight the Groovy Guy early in the Fair was a good idea as the wisecracking, rope-walking entertainer put on a fun show to hold the fort until Hilby arrived to large crowds midway through the Fair.

The concert lineup gave most fans little reason to attend. If Fair organizers aspire a return to attendance totals exceeding a million, they should start with more diversity at the major stages.

Traffic control was generally OK and parking went smoother than in past years. Of course, amp shows tortured drivers, while temporary closures of the orange lot were infuriating for Fair patrons. Both of those things need to change.

Cultural variety seems to be a winning strategy as the Iroquois welcomed returning crowds to their quaint reservation and the colorful Pan African Village grows year-to-year. The Latino Village came to life for the second half of this year, while the new Asian Village will need time to develop and grow, although it already excels in availability of delicious vegetarian food, something that can be tough to find at the Fair.

It was great to see those spunky kids back on the Talent Showcase stage. The experience of competing means a lot to the youngsters, like the dancer pictured here who touchingly dedicated her performance to her recently-deceased father.

As always, there were many food choices, this year adding such creative new entries as the Peanut Butter Paradise at Tommy C’s, Omanii’s vegetarian sandwich and several new Toss & Fire pies. The best way to keep cool on Labor Day was by slurping a fruity Italian Ice from Our Vegan Corner.

Meanwhile, food stand changes continued, though the renovation of the street outside the dairy cattle barn was underwhelming. Daniella’s Steakhouse consolidated to its Art and Home Center venue, allowing Beak and Skiff 1911 to take over the large space inside gate 4. Tully’s new stand is beautiful, better than their food.

Vendor participation was noticeably depressed in several areas, particularly in the Horticulture Building and the Eatery, where vacancies stood out. Several outdoor spots were also wide open spaces, especially the yard in front of the Youth Building, which is begging for a large show venue. It would be a great location for a performing dog act, something that has been missing for years, although they never fail to draw large crowds. Maybe it’s time to suspend the Sea Lions Splash which is really dull show featuring adorable stars.

While some visitors complain that the Fair never changes, there’s always something new to enjoy and things you don’t see anywhere else. The sand sculpture never fails to amaze, you can come within a few feet of Hawk Creek’s inspiring birds of prey and this year a kid was seen walking on the midway with his emotional-support snake.

For just six bucks, it’s a sensational ride.

State Fair Hound has lots more reaction–what was great and what needs to be better–in upcoming posts. We’ll follow that with plans for tweaks to our own coverage for 2024 and beyond. Meanwhile, we thank our readers for letting us cover the New York State Fair the Hound’s way.