No Reservations Needed
While there are plenty of stands serving food at the New York State Fair, the line of joints known affectionately as Restaurant Row holds a special place in the hearts and stomachs of veteran Fair patrons.
Part of the appeal is the varied menu boards that feature everything from sandwiches to pizza, seafood favorites to fried you-name-it. Then there’s the famous dishes that are synonymous with State Fair–the Potatoe O’Rielly, the London Broil, the kettle corn and, of course, the sausage smothered in peppers and onions.
Beyond the actual foods, there’s an ambience like no other, whether seated at a counter or gathering family around a picnic table. You eat your traditional Fair meal while watching a parade of walkers in the roadways that lead to the Coliseum and the livestock barns. Above the rooftops, rides whirl in the distance.
In past years, the destination for many hungry customers was Baker Chicken or Haddock Paddock, those departed classics now sadly missing with the stands demolished. But Basilio, P-Z-O’s, Bosco’s, Horan’s and several other stands remain, interspersed with temporary setups like Butcher Boys and Santillo’s.
The Danny D’s stand, historically the site of Tony’s Fine Food, also declined to return this year, its prime location at the beginning of the row now home to another favorite stand, Twin Trees.
Coast to Coast
Installation of the Broadway SkyLiner in 2017 has transformed the New York State Fair in several important ways.
First, it’s become one of the new trademark sights of the Fair. Along with the glorious rebuilt main gate, it takes its place among such iconic vistas as the colonnade and the Horticulture Building entrance as unmistakable State Fair landmarks. Every seasoned New Yorker thinks Fair when they see those sights.
Next, It’s become the centerpiece of the refreshed midway. Though it lacks the ornate artwork of the departed Wave Swinger, it has its own majestic beauty, especially at sunset. No matter where you walk on the midway, you’re never far from those sailing seats.
Not only is the SkyLiner an unmistakable symbol of the sprawling Fairgrounds, it provides a relaxing and inspiring way to go from end to end without the daunting hike. Concert patrons can enter gates one or three, slide onto a ski lift-like seat and glide up to a show at the Experience Stage. Or, you can come in at the western entrance and take the overhead route back to Chevy Court.
Royal Treatment
You can meet actual royalty when you visit the New York State Fair Iroquois Village. 
Though a blockhead like Rick Santorum may think there was nothing on this continent before his clueless ancestors arrived, ancient civilizations were thriving from coast to coast. Locally, the six-nation Haudenosaunee Confederacy had developed a sophisticated political system that set an example for the American system of representative government, though we’ve managed to screw it up pretty well.
The appearance of the Village Princess serves to remind us that the Iroquois still lead the way in their respect for women in leadership roles, clan mothers wielding significant authority among its people.
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