The Great New York State Fair Reviews

I've gone twice and both times had a good experience. I was unable to go this year because the traffic was soooo bad. Was stuck in traffic trying to get there for two hours. It was awful. I really hope they come up with a better system next year, as I've never experienced being stuck in traffic the previous two times I went. There are so many things to do, lots of food, and delicious wine slushies!

For animal lovers young and old there are prize winning cows, sheep, goats, alpaca, horses, chickens, etc. If you want hair raising rides in the midway there are plenty of those. For the nerd at heart, there is lots of good info about health, NY state agriculture, and miscellaneous services. I learned about the danger of invasion by the lanternfly and a lot about new crops in NY state. There are quirky aspects of the fair, new to a first-timer for me, old for you other folks...the butter sculpture in the main hall, and a horticultural center of beautiful gladiolas.

The Stage is located in the Syracuse Music Festival area n the ground's northwest section, within one hundred yards of the duck pond.

The major band was John Kay & Steppenwolf following Sirsy. Sirsy is a two person band- a woman on vocals playing drums & male guitarist. Surprising these two people put on great performance of sound & songs.

Steppenwolf was playing the fifth to last concert of the band's existence. Seventeen songs were played in which five were new tome. Not much bass, mostly drums & a tinny sound, although the sound was a bit better than Chevy Court. As with Chevy Court there a person signing the song's words.

Seating is available in front of the stage. Across a gravel walkway are several picnic tables or grass seating. Some viewer were using plastic chairs not sure where the chairs came from, as the chairs were being carried. Possibly the chairs were rented or purchased at the fair.

Up to four bands perform daily starting at 12:00, every two hour. For the John Kay performance would say 3,000-3,500 in the crowd. Hard to say as the lighting was a bit low. Across the walkway the ground slopes downward to the duck pond, so a person is unable to view the. The concert was like listening to radio, could head the band yet not see the band. I suggest arriving early for stage seating for any performance.

The stage is about a 20 minute walk to the Cento bus pickup, so staying for a complete performance is not a good idea if taking bus home.

We went to the fair mainly to see my daughter's favorite band - Why Don't We. It was a great concert and then fun after. I can't believe I've lived an hour and a half away from the fairgrounds my whole life and had never been to the Great NYS Fair.

They have wonderful special deals - our day was only $3 entry fee with 12 and under free (they also have $1 entry last three days of the fair - with regular entry at $10). Most of the food is very reasonably priced (most). You can get ice cream for only $2.50, drinks for $1 (though sadly, water is $2 - but they do have water bottle filling stations near most restrooms). The rides are more (about $25-$30 for a wristband), but really, that's not a bad price since our little local carnival is $25 too. Walking distance parking is $5 but they had a free lot that you could catch a shuttle over from/to. Don't get me wrong, you can easily drop hundreds of dollars in one day at the fair, but if you are conservative, it can be a lot of bang for the buck.

Lines can get long, but seem to move quickly. On the day we were there, I was pleasantly surprised at the short wait times for food and the one ride we went on (the Broadway or Beltway that went from one side to the other above the crowd) - it was $5 to ride one way and was an amazing view and relaxing ride - we didn't wait in line at all, just hopped right on. As we rode overhead, lines for other rides looked decent.

For food, the possibilities are endless, but the one thing I recommend MOST are the Pizza Frites - long fried dough sticks covered in cinnamon sugar. You may be tempted to only get one because they are "2 feet long" and $4 each, but trust me, if you're sharing, get the buy 4 get one free deal. They are DELICIOUS!!!!

For the concert, it started at 2pm on the Chevy Court, we got there at about 11 and seats up front were already filled/reserved (though this was an extremely popular boy-band with fanatical tween/teen girl fans who I'm sure convinced their parents to get them there at the crack of dawn). They tell you on the website that you can't save seats but EVERYONE DOES and security doesn't do anything about it. At about 11, they did give out wristbands to people who had been up front since the morning - so then they could save seats and get back in with no problem. That seemed very fair because you really should be able to go get food/merch/take a bathroom break! Where we were - about 20 rows back - they didn't do that, however, at about 1pm when all the seats seemed filled, they blocked off entrance to the seating area and would stamp your hand if you wanted to get in/out - and stopped letting more people in. This was nice because it kept people just coming in last minute and scooching in (I find that super unfair to people who waited for hours to get a seat) and overcrowding/blocking.

I will say, the day we were there the weather was BEAUTIFUL - it was mid-70's and somewhat cloudy, so it wasn't blazing sun the whole time - and no rain or lightening to deal with. The weather could play a HUGE role in enjoying the concert. If it had been an 88 degree day, like we often see in August, I would have nearly died - and I mean that literally. Lightening would also be frightful as you're sitting there on metal bleacher seats out in the open. I'm sure they must evacuate people if it's a danger.

Another fun part of the day was seeing the animals - cows, goats, horses, llamas, pigs... and even a little "zoo" with giraffes, zebras and more. I'm not a fan of these type of animals being in captivity and having to travel a lot though. Not the best life for a giraffe, though their caretakers looked to take great care of them.

They also have trams that take you around the perimiter of the fair to the various entrances and parking lot stops. This was really nice not only as a relaxing ride, but to rest your feet.

The fair is huge and there is a lot to see... if you plan to really ride the rides, you would probably want more than one day - not to mention the fact that they have some really great concerts that would warrant multiple days.

Enjoy!

So much to do and see. Free senior days. Free concerts with big names. And of course famous, delicious New York food!

We go to the fair every year. There are so many things to see and do! You can learn about all sorts of animals, watch horse shows, see a calf be born, see what young people are doing in the youth building and see the butter sculpture. There is always some type of entertainment going on, most of it free. Of course the food is every junk foody’s dream. From blooming onions and fried dough to deep fried Oreos. Sausage sandwiches and barbecued chicken. Don’t forget the wine slushees and craft beer!

There is something to see for everyone from dairy cattle, and pigs, to horses. There is a wide variety of food at the 'food pavilion'. The latest gadgets on the market are in the 'Center of progress' building along with a large sand sculpture. The dairy building where you can get chocolate milk or ice cream. They have a life size butter sculpture There is lots of goodies to eat, apple crisp, fudge, blooming onion, basket of fried potato chips. It can keep you busy all day for sure, but be sure to be ready to pay because it can be expensive. $10 to get in, then at least $5 to park, drinks range from $1- $8 for food you can get a hamburger for a couple $ but you can pay up to $10 for a sandwich. I bring $50 just for me and that's just eats and drinks and getting in. One thing to know is that it doesn't change much from year to year!

I go to the fair alone and with family and friends. There are so many things to do and see. You don't have to spend a fortune. In fact, you could go for a day and not spend any money. Visit the buildings with various animals, vendors, activities, and art. Collect free pens, pencils, and magnets. Learn about NYS, and enjoy the atmosphere. It's a great time.

State fair supposedly made pot smoking not allowed in fairgrounds this year due to tons of previous complaints. Pot was not only smoked all over the fairgrounds, it made my young son high and had to leave. Won’t be back because of this issue. Zero enforcement by security.

This is the third time we made our way to the Great New York State Fair. Each year they expand. The weekend when we were there, we made our way to the Hispanic Latino section where the food, music and dance was unbelievable. This was new and off the beaten path. I hope this section of the fair is better advertised for next year! All weekend long there is music, bands all over the place playing in beer gardens or on the main Chevy Chase Stage. We saw a little of the Beach Boys, but caught a few of the local bands before we left to go home. They have tons of entertainers, Gospel Groups, an Pan African Village and Indian Village that have the cultural flavors that include dance, music, and food. Of course there also the midway with an amusement park that every ride under the sun. Because there are so many rides the lines looked like they were short. You want to see animals, you can't miss them; they are everywhere. There are all kinds of horse shows, cow, pig, goats; you get the idea. The petting zoo had giraffes that you could feed. These gentle giants eat 75 pounds of carrots a day. Get there early because everyone wants to feed a giraffe. Did some say food? For a reasonable price you can experience all types of foods that are sold everywhere. I wanted to try mashed potatoes on a stick which was a carb loaded fried mash potato ball. I tried it - too much to eat. Then there are the different NYS exhibits and .gov booths with helpful people manning them. Of there is a military presence looking for recruits with cool exhibits and challenges. Walk lots; eat lots. Bathrooms are everywhere and very rarely is there a wait of more than five minutes. This is a 5 1/2 hour trip from Suffolk County, NY. Depending on traffic patterns it could be longer or shorter. We left for home on a Saturday night about 8 pm and arrived home by 1am. There is $5 parking across the street from the fair. Admission was $10, but because they made so much money they dropped the price to $1 for the second week. Get on their mailing list and you will get an idea of all that is going at this once a year event. While Texans do everything big, New Yorkers can do things big too.

First time at fair,entry exit was very painless ,parking ($5)was quick,onto a huge lot but close to entry gate as there are numerous. Lots of eateries to choose from very reasonably priced, hot dogs for a buck burgers 2.50, had a great Philly cheese for $ 6. Throughout the park water and soft drinks are only $1. Much more of a country fair than a shopping mall as is the CNE in Canada. Should check out the butterfly exhibit/tent only $2 really worth the money ,quick moving line up. Entrance fee is $10 for adults, Groupon will give you 45% off ,great bargain.

There certainly is something for everyone at the NYS Fair. I have been going there since I was a kid generally more than once a year during there ten day stretch ending on Labor Day. From the little side shows, mini concert stages dispersed, animal shows and barns to the Native American village, Department of Conservation and free sapling giveaway, butter and sand scuplture to the midway, police and fire demonstrations. And how could I forget, the shopping and wine court! I always find myself needing a second day in order to see everything.

As fairs go, it was a little better than most, with a few exceptions.
Parking, at least where I was parked along State Fair Boulevard, was poor. It was about a two block walk from the parking lot to the fair entrance, with no shuttle service available. I would guess that somewhere there is handicapped parking, but if you are handicapped (I am not,) this parking lot would be horrendous for you. Leaving was worse. I needed to go west to enter the ramp for highway 695, but police were directing traffic east onto I-690! I'm from Washington state. I don't know the local roads well enough to make the transition from I-690 east to highway 695 west easily, so I pulled over and stopped within walking distance of one of the officers. He came over and I explained my predicament. Fortunately, he was nice enough to grant an exception, and allowed me to do a u-turn.
As for the fair itself, it was good, but not exceptional. The good highlights are: 1) There was a lot of variety, 2) The officers roaming around as well as other staff, were helpful in directing me to various activities. One even made sure I knew about the best food at the fair, in his opinion, the giant churro-like sweet dough things. He was right. They were excellent, 3) People watching was great, 4) Most displays were well put together.
Now the negatives: 1) Poor signage. It was often hard to figure out what was in each building without actually entering the building, 2) I wanted a NY Fair shirt. You would think I would find them everywhere. I even asked some of the info people where I could find one. They didn't know! I knew they existed, because I saw one on another fair goer. But I never found any. One time I was directed to a place they thought might have them, since souvenirs were sold there, but it was a pro gay venue, and all of the souvenirs were gay oriented. I just wanted a plain NY Fair shirt, 3) Every big fair has public music. The person performing on the main stage was less than impressive. I asked others their input to make sure it wasn't just me. The consensus was "it wasn't to their liking" either. At the time, the performer was playing chords on a keyboard and lamenting about all the things that made her cry.
So, conclusions: Worth a visit. Mostly good. But, not 100%.

If you are a creative author or artist you could mine the visages presented to you and create masterpieces for the rest of your existence. I wish Charles Dickens were alive today for only he could put justice in words to the experiences ones soul would capture at The Great New York State Fair.

The State fair is a yearly opportunity for the citizens of CNY and tourists from all over the globe to mingle, and see what makes CNY such a great location. Alcohol is sold but limited to sales in specific locations (which isn't too annoying). The food and entertainment must be experienced. The absolute best part of the state fair though is people watching. A person could sit back and hyper-analyze all walks of life.

We go every labor day ,great food and great venues !!! Dollar to get in and our ezpass took care of the parking. Shuttle from the orange lot to and back was easy!!!

THE NY State Fair 2018 was spectacular with a new facelift, paved roads and parking to facilitate better travel for the drive in and parking ease. Many new vendors, There is much to offer to the fairgoers and the entry fee is well worth it. Thank you Andrew Cuomo governor for supporting the NY State fair and New Yorkers of all ages.

I travel 1100 miles round trip each year to attend this fair in my hometown. It is the best. The larger layout of the fairgrounds has really helped to spread out the crowd so it doesn't feel congested, even on a 120,000 person day.
Some great things we experienced this year were the Dropkick Murphys concert, pumpkin frozen custard in the Dairy Building, the NY State Police Show, axe throwing, and the Skyliner ride down Broadway. Prices on food seemed a little bit higher this year, but that is to be expected. There are lots of free samples of wine, wine slushies, cheese, NY made products, maple sugar cotton candy and several other types of products, such as CBD ointment.
There have been many improvements to the grounds, including the mini golf course by the Eatery Bldg (formerly the International Bldg). There are several new food stands in the Eatery and there seemed to be more vendors of all sorts out on the grounds.
I did not have any trouble parking, as I always try to get to the fair by mid-morning, 11:00 at the very latest. I know some people have problems parking if they don't get there until afternoon. Troy Waffner, Fair Director, and his staff, are continually working to try to alleviate these problems. Sometimes their ideas work, sometimes they don't, but they try. Any large event in a city is going to have difficulty with parking. I attend many sporting events in large cities and parking is often a nightmare and extraordinarily expensive ($30 and up!). At least the NYS Fair is still $5 to park.
The NY State Fair is a great place to meet up with friends, have dinner, listen to music (many, many bands are playing at any given time on the grounds), people watch, and have fun.

The Great NY State Fair is an experience one should always achieve in one's lifetime. There's a great deal to see and smell and taste and touch - great for friends and families. One notable detail is the Butter Sculpture which always reflects an aspect of New York life.

Great time at the fair this weekend. Tried to find all the changes and take time to enjoy, very crowed and yet everyone seemed to be happy to be there.

The food is over the top....and the animals which are my favorite are being well taken care of. Its great to see children working so hard on making sure their animals are doing well. Loved the new center, and the West End is coming along.

We attended the NYS Fair last night and as usual it was so much fun. We have a 7 & 5 year old and the enjoyed the farm animals to the food to the rides. It is our annual tradition to come to the fair and make memories. They loved the free petting zoo this year!

The GREAT New York State Fair is worth the day you will spend there!!! Always lots to do...Center of Progress Building is always a treat. Great Food, Gianelli's Sausage, Twin Trees II Pizza, Pizza Frete (fried dough), fudge, chocolate milk, potatoes O'Brian, the list goes on and on. The Midway is fun with lots of rides and games for all ages.
Livestock buildings...cows, sheep, chickens, horses, etc.
Something for everyone...if you find yourself in NYS late summer make your way to Syracuse and have fun!!!!

I grew up within walking distance and have only missed the fair a handful of times in the last 50 years. Such fun! Concerts (paying - and FREE concerts, too. Too many country western types for me, but enormously successful for the fair.) . I've seen Joan Jett for free, this week Blondie will be playing for free, Hermans Hermits are always here, Lady Antebellum was free...But so much more. Art exhibits, 4-H displays, any kind of ride from merry-go-round to bungee jumping to a double ferris wheel. Food of every type, drink of every type. The animal barns: you can see bunnies, and poultry, and sheep, goats, pigs, llamas, cows and horses. The Coliseum has horse shows: ponies pulling sulkies, , jumpers, trotters, big old teams of percherons pulling wagons, wonderful wonderful horses. You can sit and relax for a while (though there are only aluminum benches now instead of the nice little leather and ironwork seats - 'Muricans are too fat to fit into the old fashioned seats). Deep fried foods galore, beer, wine. The bus service has been excellent until the last couple years. You can drive, park, and get on a bus for $2 at various places, and go back on a bus to your car to drive home for another $2. Though there is a lot of parking for those who want to do that, and bus shuttles from the lots to the front gate. I've had a wonderful time going there all on my own, where I could walk about at my own pace, eat what and when I wanted, sit under a tree for an hour, looking at the goats and chickens without anyone complaining, The only time I don't go is if it's too hot and humid. We always seem to end up tramping up and down the midway in the hot afternoon sun, and I'm ready to drop....

but I hope I can go to the fair right up to the bitter end, there's something so special about the end of summer and the fair.

The Great NYS Fair is simply an icon. A person can go with no plan and have a blast. Or, they can set specific goals and succeed.

Personally, my first stop is ALWAYS the dairy barn - for some ice cold chocolate milk. Consistently the best I've ever had. Next, we check out some animals, competition, judging, etc. Then, we visit vendors, walk the midway, and let things happen. If a person loves fair food, they will be quite pleased, too.

I go every year and will continue to do so.

Something for everyone at The Great NY State Fair! Whatever your interests, you're bound to find them there. A lot of variety of exhibits; teaching and demonstrating various skills and arts are in abundance; history, arts and crafts demonstrations and gifts to purchase; yummy food at every corner; great people-watching, animal watching and something for everyone's particular interests, tastes and a sense of adventure. A fun outing for the family or just you and your honey!

One of the biggest and oldest fairs in America.
Top entertainment,fantastic foods, and many farm events
This is a must go to event!

Had a great time st the fair. So much to see and enjoy! Really enjoyed the entertainment. Good food
Very helpful people. We were able to take our time to take everything in. Can't wait for next year.

We attended the Newmar International Rally at the New York State Fair last week. We found the fairgrounds to be very large and the facility well appointed. There were 475 motorhomes in attendance and that was room for all although a few units did not have sewer. Although the facility was good, the activities were so far removed from each other that travel was challenging. Overall a good location for motorhomes.

The NY State fair is great and a real bargain. If you don't want to deal with the hassle of driving in, take a CENTRO bus (see their web page for pick up locations) where they drop off and pick up there every half hour. So easy! You would need more than one day to take it all in, but if you rush a bit, you can fit in the main attractions. The bathrooms are the worst part of the facility. ENJOY!

Arrived at the fair and went the wrong way for parking. Finally got to the Brown lot. Paid $10 online earlier. Easy access to Gate 4. Asked at guest relations on how to get arm bands. Told to go to another guest relations booth. Arrived at guest relations booth #2, told to go further into the park and finally found a table for the arm bands. The rides were fantastic. We have two 12 year old's with us and they loved it. Food was very expensive and not very exciting. Plain French fries with watery cheese topping. Sausage sandwich only 6 inch for $14, nothing fancy. Ice cream was terrible. Very Icey and expensive. Let's just say all food vendors were boring and disappointing. Now, try playing some carnival games without spending a fortune. The dinosaurs exhibition was the best after the rides. Overall, too much money for what they offer. The $25 arm band was the best deal for the day.

What a extravaganza! Newly updated this year making strolling though easy. More improvement planned for next year. The nostalgic old buildings remain giving fairgoers a chance to relive a by gone era. With Top notch entertainment reaching full spectrum, these are treats included free with admission. Animal's, good food, easy access and powerful entertainment make this Great Fair one to enjoy.

My husband and I love the whole fair experience. So much to do, see, eat! A perfect size fair to spend the day at and get a variety of shows, shopping and animals. Whatever you go to the fair for, it is there!

The fair has everything someone with kids would want. Take advantage of the all day ride pass and just let the kiddos go. Food is abundant and so are the adult beverages too.
In recent years the fair really opened the grounds up so there are very few areas where it seems jammed packed. We were there this year when there were 127k people and on a day the had about 80k people. I could not tell the difference. They have done a great job opening the place up and making it cleaner.

We have always wanted to go to a State Fair. We have heard so many great things about them from our American Friends. So this Canadian family packed everything up to go on an adventure. We were not disappointed. It was super organized and lots of fun.

We loved the butter sculptor and the large sand art dedication. I have no complaints except for all the under age drinkers in the parking lots.

This is our second year making the trip from NYC to Syracuse, just to visit the state fair. We camped nearby and did two evenings at the fair (based on their awesome bands). We brought two 8 year old best friends who were free to get in, and we purchased the unlimited ride band for each. The rides are a blast, the fair food is amazing and the exhibits go on and on and on...great show of livestock, a really fun mechanical bull even the kids rode! And a fantastic circus which was the kid's favorite. The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo. We missed the pig races which we will have to come back for next year. My boyfriend loved seeing IceCube and Vince Neil. I'm handicapped and was able to navigate the fair grounds easily in my wheelchair, they even offer discounted parking for handicapped right at the entrance! Our only problem was we won 2 GIANT stuffed animals so had to wrap them in tarps and strap them to the room of our car to drive back to NYC. Can't wait to make next year our 3rd annual trip to the Great New York State Fair!!!

I grew up very close to the location of our wonderful New York State Fair Grounds. Although I have been to many State, County and local fairs this one is by far the best

Just spent a fabulous 4 days at the New York State Fair. Something for all ages to see and do. Lots of free music concerts along with paying concerts at the St Joesph Amphitheatre. Will be sure to attend again next year.

I enjoy bicycling and I enjoy the peaceful Iroquios Village at the NYS fair. Last August, I was able to bicycle from the eastern side of Onondaga Lake where there is quiet free parking to the front door of the NYS fair and lock my bike to the fence. No traffic jams, no waiting in lines.

Possible issues: The bicycle path passes through the new Lakeshore ampitheatre area. If a "pay for" event is scheduled, the path is cordoned off at Nine Mile Creek, just a half mile from the fair and no alternate path is available. At least, not yet.

I loved the new building that had the hockey rink in it! Also the new stage along the back, with the seating available to watch local bands.

Went to the fair while visiting family. Went Thursday so the entry fee was $3/person and Parking was $5. Awesome exhibits, great food and drinks at reasonable prices. Gianneli sausage subs (2), a beer, and a soft drink for $15. Oh plus a free Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert. Didn't go to the midway which looked extensive. Don't miss this!

There is always so much to see and do at the NY Staye fair! The Chevy Court Concert series has been getting in some big acts for their free concerts and there is a lot of places you can hear the music from if you don’t want to be right in the crowd. The NY State Troopers put on some great family shows that are always fun to watch and there is such a variety of food, entertainment and things to see! The fair definitely needs some work on making it more handicap accessible though and if you want to drive there you need to plan to get there early or the lots will be full (or you will have to wait hours to get into them). I took the bus in from one of the park and ride locations but the prices of the bus range depending on how far from Syracuse you are getting on it.

My family and I like to take a short trip every year before school starts, end of the summer thing! Anyway this year we went to the "Great New York State Fair" mainly to see paw patrol, as we heard they would be there this year and my 2 year old is obsessed! I happened to read reviews to get there early so we did we were about 75 people in and waited about 3 hours to see them, however it was nice! My kids were happy, we later enjoyed fair food, popcorn, candy and slushy's! We walked around for a while and did alot of activities, I had a real nice time and I'm really happy to have come here this year! Good possibly IL come next year! We will see!!!

NYS fair was great ! Corn on the Cobb dipped in butter, dinosaur sausage sandwich, curly fries, Belgium waffles, free admission!

I enjoyed myself,so much to see and do.The food is great ,seeing and touching the farm Animals.please don't drive your car there,shuttle buses are park at Destiny USA mall ,park your car for free and ride the shuttle buses for 2 dollars also the music ,different bands every night.all kinds of rides it's "Awesome".

I live in Syracuse and went to the fair on four different days this year. They have tons of games and rides, and so many different food and drink options. We loved the free concerts, and this year saw Kesha, Dashboard Confessional, Daughtry, and Chicago there (all at no extra charge besides admission), which was pretty amazing. The fair keeps getting better every year.

This is a top notch event not to be missed. There is something for everyone from shows, music, demonstrations, rides, animals, etc. we go every year for 1-2 days. Put your walking shoes on as you will cover a lot of ground. Some of my favorites are the Center of Progress building (I always find something interesting to buy), the Chevrolet tent (sign up to get a free t shirt), the Dairy building (see the butter sculpture, get a glass of fresh local milk for 25 cents, grab a yummy ice cream, and try the pot roast sundae), seeing all the animals, eating of course (love the chicken tenders from Tully's, and we always leave the fair with the 5 pizza fritz for $16 - each 2 feet long - and nibble on the in the way back home and for a few days thereafter). Everyone has an opinion on improvements - here's mine: ditch the dog water show - it sounds good but was not, add more trolleys and make them free to transport people around the perimeter of the fair. I think more people would enjoy the fair if it was easier to get from one place to another - also many people can't stay on their feet that long to get from one end to the other. I believe people would attend more days if more trolleys were added - but the wait to grab a trolley now is so long because most of the time the first one that pulls up to the station is full fast and you have to wait for the 2nd or third. Lastly - relocate the first aid stands or have more mini stands for simple first aid. The 2 available are way off the beaten path. I needed bandaids for blisters on my feet and had to send someone as was too far to walk with the blisters. And please improve the quality of the bandaids - it's not a big cost - the ones provided fell off within 5 minutes. Get the fabric ones.
Overall the fair is fantastic and I believe worth a mini vacation to attend. We drive from NJ - have rented lake houses in the area, stayed in hotels, and stayed with friends. Book your hotel early though as they tend to fill up quick and then your choices are limited - especially rooms available with points. I suggest staying south / east of the fairgrounds for best experience - even in east Syracuse or Dewitt - about 15 minutes drive to the fair - or take the shuttle in from shoppingtown mall and get dropped at the gate! About 30 minutes away is the Best Western Plus cortland - good if it's enroute to your way back home - it's very clean and breakfast is great!

Saturday was the perfect day for the fair. i love going to the barns and seeing all of the award winning animals. i petted a lot of animals, ate a ton of food, watched a pig race... a great day overall!

we parked on Farrell road and took a shuttle to gate 10. it was so much better than sitting on the road waiting for a parking spot for hours

The fair site is large in size and you will put miles on walking around. There are plenty of animal exhibits for young and old. There are great concerts to go including local and national artist. The children's ride area has a good choice for different ages and sizes. The food choices are amazing and spread out through out the park. Get there early to beat the crowd and heat.

This was our 4th? year at the NY State Fair. Each time it gets better! We've been the NJ, NY, Big E, Georgia, Indiana and Alaska state fairs. This is the best of all of them (although all are great fun)!

The potato bar, the milk bar, all the vendors, the state police demonstrations and sooo much more!

Went here for a day on the way up to Toronto this year. On the way back, it was the last day of the fair, $1? admission and we spent almost another full day!

The New York State fair is a attraction you don't want to miss! There is something for everyone !
They have expanded it in the last two years due to a fact that they demolished an old race track and an old outdoor concert venue. I would suggest looking online ahead of time to plan out your day and to really find out where things are. Especially if you have people with you that have different interests. I do have to say, that the restrooms are kept very clean, and there is always a state trooper presence which is nice to know!

many great exhibits -food-attractions-went with daughter and grand-daughters-long day walked 7 miles

Visited the GREAT NYS Fair for the first time. Price was good at $10 per ticket and checkout was a breeze.TIP: buy your ticket online and avoid the crowds at the ticket counter. The Fair opens at 10am and we were there by 11:30. BEWARE: you haven't seen traffic and parking issues like this venue. All parking lots sold out. Car traffic in all directions complete gridlock. The unfortunate thing is that they have parking for 23,000 spots yet 200,000+ people are all searching for a parking place. The only way that we were able to find a spot was to plead with the good people at the American Red Cross who sponsor a lot (all proceeds to charity) and had a few open spaces but a full lot. It's so bad that we were going to head back home if we could not find a place
As for the fair.. Lots and lots of typical fair food. Super unhealthy but very yummy!! TIP: stay away from all the fried stuff and look for more healthy options.. We did see some of that. Also, if you are over 21 yrs.. Definitely have the wine slushies! They are good and there are coupons for $1 off one.. One other point.. Watch what you eat because $6.50 here, $9.00 there, another $4.50 all adds up FAST!
One negative is the rides at the fair. They have what appears to be a good value at $25 for 25 tickets. That is until you learn that rides are 3-5 tickets each. So 5 rides for $25 is not a great deal and the $30 armband for unlimited seems high considering you can attend a waterpark plus amusement park for a little more. 2 kids two bands = $60 plus the $10 each admission and your at $100 already with no food or attractions..
The other attractions like the dairy cows and the draft horses are a pleasure to see and the cow owners are very gracious and will let you pet their bovines!
The other huge attraction is the $.25 milk.. Super long line with a incredibly long wait for a cup of milk???? Buy milk at the grocery store and save the time waiting in line..
Last point: the concerts are included in admissions and a terrific value! We were there and major music artist Ambassadors were playing live (top 40 song Hey...Hey...Hey...Living Like a Renegade).. The evening before was, for 70s and 80s kids like me a good value with Culture Club.
All in all it was a pleasant visit albeit a little expensive.

I've been going to the Fair for most of my life. The horse and dog shows are great. Fun rides for kids of all ages. Much has been newly renovated so it's clean and less congested. Great food!! Lots of entertainment (free). Super place for people watching.

This was my first time to the new york state fair and I traveled several hours to get there. It is very large and we spent 11 hours there the first day and we were able to explore and enjoy the entire fair. If you enjoy fairs I recommend this one

I've been attending the NYS Fair for 60 years. I've seen big changes over the years, but always find ways to have a great time. The food is always good and there is lots to see in the buildings. The Center of Progress Building has always been a favorite, although it has gone from great to bad to better lately. Keep politics out of the building and it is always better. Chevy Court gets some good free entertainment to make your day even better.

I had hurt my foot on my extended visit to NY, but was still not going to miss the fair. We rented a wheelchair and I was gamely pushed around the fair by my wonderful husband. We ate a ton, as usual. Dinosaur BBQ, Giannelli hot sausage, Butcher Bros London broil, fried dough. Even though we didn't get to see or do as much, the improvements made to the fairgrounds are top notch, We're NY natives retired to the SW and travel back each year for the Fair....among other things!

BTW, take the Centro bus. So easy. We picked up at Shoppingtown. $2 senior round trip. Dropped off right at the gate. Wonderful service.

Seem they have made some much needed improvements. Access and moving around has improved. Does seem a little cleaner, but not like Disney. Good selection of food vendors and lots of rides for the kids. Worth a visit if you haven't been in awhile.

The New York State Fair is a tradition for my family and friends. There are endless things to see, great food at reasonable prices, rides, games, shows, something for everyone! Take the tram around the Fair to get an overview or later in the day if you need a break. See the free animal or stunt shows. The NY State Police do a great show several times a day. The Iroquois Village is a beautiful, cool place to relax. Eat local favorites like salt potatoes, fried haddock, and Byrne Dairy ice cream. Look at the crafts in the Art & Home Center. Relax in the mini parks inside the Horticulture Building and visit their competition displays. See the sand sculpture in the Center of Progress Building. The midway is fun, even if you just want to people watch. Take the kids to see the animal barns and horse shows, and have an ice cold cup of milk or chocolate milk for 25 cents.

This year they have made some major changes to the landscape, with more room for the midway and a new front gate. Looking forward to seeing the changes! Hopefully, they will have some new shows, activities, and displays, as some have been around a long time.

Admission is $10 at the gate, 1/2 price if you buy your tickets in advance. You get a lot for your money! Most of the shows and displays are free with admission. You can also buy midway ride passes in advance for significant savings. You can spend as little or as much as you want at the Fair, and still have a great time. You are even allowed to bring coolers in (no alcohol) if you'd rather not spend money on food and soda. Parking is convenient and still only $5, and the upper lots give you a free shuttle bus to the front gate. You can also take the bus from several areas around town and it is very inexpensive.

Chevy Court has free concerts twice a day that are national touring artists!

Wear comfy shoes as you will walk miles. If you are not up for all that walking around but would still like to go, the wine tent is not too far from the front gate. You can hang out with friends, enjoy a wine slushie (yummy and very inexpensive!) and hear the music from Chevy Court. Food stands are close by, too.

This venue is suitable for families with children and teens, couples, dates, friends or solo.

Always wanted to go there to take my family and this year we finally went, the place is really big, there are many different bands playing around many parts of the fair.
All types of food stands and they are a bit expensive, there is also many different animals which the kids can feed, a few rollercoasters and ferris wheel, at night they is also fireworks.
Parking was $10, I parked in a big lot right before the fair which was about a 10 minute walk and parking was $4 all day

The best end to the summer is a visit to the NY State Fair. Whatever you are looking for, they have it. Great exhibits, easy to get to with bus shuttles all around the area. Great concerts in Chevy court that are free with fair admission. We attend more than one day because we love the experience.

Fantastic labour day weekend epxerience. Wonderful family outing, great time to enjpy fantastic music from big names at the cost of peanuts-where else? Fantastic diversity in food, culture, artisanry, artistic talent and oh exotic jewellry and craft from Africa. Fantastic!

Great times and i long to go back and visit it again, sooo good, I would recommend it to everyone could go.

Weve been to several state fairs and New York is second only to Texas.
This was a fun half day adventure. Lots of activities and shows and rides for all ages.
Alcohol is plentiful however, drinkers went offensive.
Unparrellel options for food and refreshments. Come hungry- prices and portions reasonable.
Nice mixture of exhibits/activities both inside and outside.
Also fun to feed giraffes!

Always something new & lots of old favorites! From hand made fiber items to showing animals to the sand sculpture! Chevy court with free concerts and oh the food!

Once a year it’s great fun to be here. Check Centro for bus schedules.. it’s better than fighting the traffic. Avoid the free days if possible, the crowds are ridiculous. Great food, wine slushies and free concerts

This was a new Fair. Half of the original site had been demolished. The new area was covered with run a crush, binder asphalt and tents. The new RV park was run a crush with septic hook up which was 5" above finished ground. Despite all this we made the best of what we know the fair has alway been. The change is still underway and we have high hopes for next year.

I found necklaces by pic nic tables at chevy court area today 8/29/23 around 2:25 would like to get it back to owner . Contact IM on FB Jane Beach
Disappointed in empty spaces in buildings where vendors should be .
The entertainment was awesome this year

The three groups were The Beach Boys, Hermans Hermits staring Peter Noone-the only original Hermit-and Kansas. Time of each group & # of songs-B.B.s-1:35 & 32 songs, Hermits-1:10 & 22 songs, Kansas around 1:20 & 14 songs, left before concert was completed.

Facing the stage are at least 5 rows of metal benches, with benches at least 30 30 deep. After two hours, a viewer will experience a sore behind. A person needs to bring a 2-3 inch thick, 12X 16 inch cushion, after three bands I know what I am talking about. Big bands like Lynyard Skynyrd, Beach Boys & Wind, Wind & Fire draw sell out crowds. If a concert starts at 7:00 or 8:00, start looking for a bench at least 1 1/2 hours before schedule concert time. When I checked seating for the B.Bs at 5:00-scheduled start time 7:00-half the seating was taken, by 5:45 seating was completely filled. Iended sitting, then standing on the grass. Each side of the benches are 60x120 feet lawn viewing. Two 18x25 (estimated) screens face the crowd.

All three concerts very enjoyable, however the sound system is very powerful, with little bass. I call the sound tinny. I recommend sitting off to one side or 3/4 the way back. All concerts are free, however a person must have proof of gate admission. If a person is 60 or older on senior day-two straight days-no proof is necessary. People can pick any spot on any bench. I recommend sitting on the end of any bench that faces the Center of Progress Building for easy exit.

Food & drink is allowed. Not far away is all kinds of food vendors. The best eatery I encountered was the International Pavilion about a 7-8 minute walk. I recommend this facility for being inside-out of the elements-reasonable price & service-at times-and plenty of tables.
To located the Court, walk straight west from the main gate, the Court will be on the right, across from the Center of Progress Building.

The Great New York State Fair truly lives up to its name. Naturally held at the New York State Fairgrounds, this state fair is one of a kind and remarkable in both size and venue. I have been to plenty of "state" fairs across the nation, but none of which can level with the Great New York State Fair up to this point. Indeed, the fair serves as an iconic cultural event unique to the state of New York.

This review begins with the location. Hosted by the city of Syracuse, the agricultural characteristics of the fair collide gracefully with the industrial footprint of the city presenting a beautiful collage of our nation's foundations. You can see the paths of these two drastically different livelihoods merge together in a symphony carefully orchestrated by the modern composer that is the New York State Fairground. The red-bricked mills and plants along the railway, stables and livestock pens surrounded by patches of green grass, and the modern architecture of the exposition centers clash perfectly together in this melting pot. Indeed, the fairground itself is a sight to behold especially when looking down upon it from the hills across the interstate. This aspect alone make visiting the fair worth it.

All roads getting you to the venue derives from Interstate 81. Depending on whether you're coming from the northbound or southbound direction, you will be filtered into different lots scattered around the fairgrounds. The New York State Police manage the flow of traffic, while the access and parking into the actual lots are managed by the lot attendants. There is a $10 parking fee, which can be paid either with cash, credit card, or using the EZ pass in the respective lanes.

Parking in the Orange B lot, it is a bit of a hike to the actual fairgrounds (requires you cross two pedestrian bridges). However, there are bus shuttles that will take patrons to the drop off point in front of the fairgrounds entry point. This will be an important consideration especially if you are travelling with kids, or with someone that requires wheelchair assistance.

Paid admission to the park can be obtained either through pre-purchased tickets online, on-site kiosks, or an available QR code that is posted at parking lots and in vicinity of the fairgrounds. The fee is relatively inexpensive and nominal, which is another reason to visit this fair.

The entrance is rather grand as you approach and enter through the fairground archways. Immediately, the immensity of the fair becomes apparent as the entrance opens up to a wide walkway straddled by the beautiful architecture of the fairground buildings on either side. There is no other fair that I have been to so far that compares in size and scope. Each of these buildings host a range of vendors, displays, exhibits, and sponsors. Indeed, it will be really difficult to explore the entirety of what is offered at the fair in just one day with the vast layout and amount of space the fair covers.

There is a good variety of dining options available. In addition to the typical fair food (anything fried), you will find over a dozen unique ethnic cuisines (Italian, Chinese, Greek, Halal, Brazilian, African, Carribean, and many others). There is also a steakhouse at the fairground, along with other more permanent food vendors that will give you a culinary journey around the world. There are also plenty of alcohol that is served throughout the fairgrounds, serving local breweries, distilleries, and cideries as well.

There are countless number of activities at the fair: carnival rides and games (these games also reward good quality prizes), circus, petting zoos, animal rides, static displays, merchandise vendors, museums, local agricultural exhibits, and countless others. Again, it will be hard to go through all of this in just one day.

Overall, the Great New York State Fair is remarkable and a must!

Love the New York State fair there's so much to do and every day there's free concerts it's a real great fair

Going to the Fair is a yearly event for us. We enjoy sampling and tasting our way through, dining on truly guilty pleasures along with a few wine slushies. The free concerts at Chevy Court are usually good and this year the Herman Hermits were surprisingly great (Peter Noone still had a solid voice). The newly expanded layout of the attractions make higher attendance days feel less congested. It's great fun!

Where else can you see Culture Club, Flo Rida, Macy Gray and the Headbangers in one week? Fun activities, many free giveaways, local crafts, good food and retail vendors. Great for the whole family!

We decided to visit the NY State Fair last minute while on a shopping trip from Canada. We were a bit nostalgic about old movies we'd seen that pictured this fair. Needless to say we were speechless when we arrived to see the sea of cars, literally, in the parking lot. Don't panic, we discovered that there are shuttles that take you to the door. Just remember where you parked so you can find your car. Hint: take a GPS--it is disorienting when you leave the park at night and the exit is from a different direction. In fact it is probably just easier for a tourist to take the shuttle from Destiny Mall! Anyhow the fair is incredibly huge compare to anything we'd ever seen. It was a good deal, $10 to get in which included the grandstand and $25 for a ride bracelet, with all sorts of daily specials. We happen to hit on free seniors day. There were 51 different buildings to see exhibits and buy things, an African Market, a dairy building, pig races, Aboriginal village, etc. Make sure you allow all day to see everything, maybe even two days. Personally our feet ran out first. You can rent scooters for 50 a day if you arrange online in advance. The food and drink was incredible, everything you can think of and more. We tried as much as we could but alas had to give up. Smoked ribs, bbq shrimp and scallops, pulled pork, funnel cakes,deep friend clams, steak, deep fried oreos and chocolate bars, ice cream of every sort, candy, popcorn, etc. Food was on the expensive side if you want to sample, there were bargains if you are going on a budget. The midway is great too, lots of rides , games and confections. The bathrooms are permenant buildings and surprisingly clean. The park is big so although there were tons of people there, there really was not a lot of lineups nor did we fell over crowded. Make sure you plan exactly where you are going to meet up with members of your group, everyone exits from the same gate and that part is crowded so it is hard to see people there. Meet inside the gates because once you exit you cannot get back in. This was a really fun but exhausting day.

$10 per adult. $5.00 to park. There is a bag check. Backpacks are allowed. Additional charges exist in the fair for food, merchandise, some entertainment, and rides, etc. This fair is HUGE, and you won't be able to see it all in one day. I loved the NY State Troopers Museum, Forensics Exhibit, and shows. The sand sculpture is outstanding. The variety of offerings to people of all ages and interests makes this fair a success. In the future, it would be nice to see a Paleo food truck. And, if you are only able to eat certified, gluten-free food, you are not going to be able to find anything to eat here that meets the requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act.

Best Fair ever. With their expansion of over 3 acres of new midway space, the crowding that occurred in previous years was minimal. The new campground at the midway's edge was very convenient. Camped the entire Fair.

We've been going to the NY State Fair for 3 years now. It's really a great way to spend at least a day, especially if you have kids - rides, vendors, gov't agencies, events, animals, exhibits, all kinds of food, demonstrations and lots that I'm not listing..

$10 for adult tix for 2016 (less if you buy online before the fair starts...something we didn't do) and kids tix are less. They run special promotions so admission can be even less. Parking was $5. Can't get a better deal for a full day of things to do.

One thing you HAVE to do - get there early in the day. We got there on Saturday when the fair opened for the day (10AM). We left (having not seen everything, but tired!) at 4:30. The parking lots were closed to incoming cars and people were being directed to Destiny and some other park and ride lots. I heard 3rd hand that someone was in traffic for 2 hours trying to get to the fair. Seeing the lines of traffic on the highway as we were leaving, I could believe it. A sure sign that it's a great event that people will wait all that time in their cars just to park, then take a shuttle bus to get to the fair... and then another bus to get back from the fair later. But you can avoid all that by going early. Scroll down - any of the lower ranking reviews take issue with parking. I totally understand their frustration. This year broke attendance records on several days! Avoid problems and get there early. Hit the buildings in the middle of the day to avoid the heat if you want.

Another thing - when you get to the milk bar, buy some extra tickets so you can go back for more great tasting milk later in the day and not have to wait on the ticket buying line : )

Find a shady spot and relax during the day (especially with the kids) if you want to. My iphone said I walked 10 miles on Saturday when we were at the fair. We've been to the Indiana, NJ, NY, Alaska and Georgia state fairs. Both Indiana and NY are tied for first in our book!

This is a great ending to the summer. The food, exhibits, rides, and games are awesome. Last September there was standing room only for Earth Wind & Fire's free out door concert. It was wonderful watching the mix of ages from 10 to 80 years old all dancing and singing the songs. From the fried dough to the horse show, native American village there is never a dull moment. Fun for all ages.

I grew up in Syracuse so I've been going since I was a kid. It's awesome. Very crowded last weekend (Labor Day). Lots to see wear comfortable shoes. Great Food! Fun rides. Live Animals. Amazing Bring the whole family event.

A really great fair. Huge, and lots of interesting things to see. Lots of food, exhibits, plenty of parking, and lots of people too.

I have been going to fair for over 30 years now. When I was younger I loved it. As I got older it has lost its luster. The free musical acts are normally very good I must say. They have all types of different musical acts which is good. I enjoy going in all the buildings but they never change it seems. The animals are nice to see as well. The food is pretty good with tons of choices of what to eat. Rides are average and the kiddie area is ok for little ones. I will continue to go for as long as possible but now once a year is enough

The New York State Fair has gone full Technocracy so don’t expect to pay cash for parking or admission tickets because it’s all cashless now. I don’t know how they expect parking attendants to walk around with a credit card reader in the rain and have it function. So if say a kid wants to get into the Fair, they can’t use cash like before and are now forced to use a cellphone which they may not even have their own yet to pay for an admission ticket. I used to go when I was a pre-teen with just my friends to ride the amusement rides all day so now that can’t happen unless you have a cellphone. I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t like flashing my private cellphone around in public ti pay for things when someone could easily snatch it out of my hand walking past me. Keep that in mind if you want to attend this Fair.

Perhaps we're lucky because we are just an hour away from the Fair Grounds....for the past few years we have been able to take advantage of our two favorite activities; listening to music and dining out. The NYS Fair has really upped its efforts in recent years with some of the best musical groups from the 70's and 80's. Last year we saw Air Supply, Boy George and Culture Club, and Chicago...all for free at Chevy Court. This past August we enjoyed Herman's Hermits, Kansas, and Earth, Wind, and Fire while enjoying some amazing Dinosaur BBQ. Combine that with the other eclectic food offerings and great weather and we were in heaven for an entire week. Wish it lasted longer.

We recommend the Great New York State Fair to everyone....no matter how far you have to travel!

Lots to do and see. Great entertainment. Several food areas. Lots of places to sit and rest also. Great for young and old

This was our first visit to the NYS Fair and we were very impressed! First off, the Fairgrounds are well developed and it has the look and feel of an amusement park, with the infrastructure to accommodate a huge event, including paved roads and walkways, ample parking and restrooms, permanent exhibition buildings and livestock buildings, several stages and an amphitheater, a pedestrian bridge across the interstate, an Amtrak train station, and more. The Fair itself was a lot of fun. There were of course all of the stereotypical things that you would expect, like deep fried everything, pig races, and carnival rides, but there was also so much more, including live entertainment featuring many famous acts, live animals, 4-H, crafts, and lots of good food. We especially enjoyed the milk bar and learning to curl at the ice rink. Finally, the New York State Police did an excellent job. Their complex was very impressive and their demonstrations, including the ropes, K-9, and dive team demonstrations, were well done, and very entertaining and informative.

The NYS fair is huge. Is is not a small town deal it is very very big. It has something for everyone. Every kind of food you can imagine. Animals of all kinds. They have a midway with every carnival food and rides. Exhibits galore. There is alcohol available. You can rent handicapped scooters, kids strollers. They have free concerts and music all over the place. Plenty of seats to rest on. This is a great fun time. Bring your walking shoes and appetite.

They changed the layout of the Fair, it is much easier to move around. It appears to be more fair-goer friendly. I love the Chevy Court, they seem to have plenty of free concerts. Like any fair, the food is good.

NYS Fair is the best fair in the state. Rides, tons of food, plenty of educational exhibits. A great time for people of all ages

Crazy amount of people watching! Typical fair food. Don't forget the traditional fair exhibits such as quilting and sand sculpture. We enjoyed the horse shows. We still like to see the animals. Some of the fair games are fun. We just watch our money and don't go crazy. The dollar baked potato is the best! Stay hydrated and bring sunscreen. Plan to walk miles and miles.

The fairgrounds have begun updated in recent years. It's helped with crowd congestion and getting from place to place. Drink your 25 cent glass of milk while you enjoy the butter sculpture in the dairy building. Eat your favorite deep fried foods walking to the midway. Learn about the different places to visit in New York in the Exposition Center. There's plenty of vendors selling all kinds of products in the Center of Progress and Horticulture building. If you need a pool or hot tub, buy it at the fair. They have the best prices. Spend some time looking at the artwork, quilts, and other handcrafted items entered in the fair. There's also a miniature circus exhibit with model trains. Free city buses provide transportation from parking lots to the gates. And wear comfortable shoes. We ended up walking 7 miles at the fair.

This is the ultimate fair of fairs! I first heard about this place on Food Network, an episode of Carnival Eats was describing all kinds of awesome foods available and it was on my bucket list to come this summer. I love going to fairs, every year I attend at least 2 or 3 small events in my home town or across the border (NY, VT) so I knew I was ready for something grand. After months of anticipation and preparation, we finally got here and it was everything I hoped and dreamt of.

I tried doing lots of research before coming, looked up the vendors, read reviews, printed maps and when I arrived, I figured it may be easier to just walk up and down every alley and see everything there is to see. We came on Sunday Sept 2nd 2017 which was a rainy day- both a blessing and a curse. We got here early enough to get the 10$ parking right across the entrance (2 min walk yay!) and were able to move around everywhere without a fear of big crowds or line ups. We don't do rides, but if you plan to, it's definitely worth it to come on a rainy day as there aren't any line ups. Only downfall was the cold, and that we got wet, even with ponchos.

This place is so massive, if you aren't a great walker and are visiting with a couple people, it may be worth it to rent a scooter. For 60$ a day (available near the entrance, or you can book in advance online), this is a very comfortable and convenient way to visit the grounds. You can take turns riding it when you're too tired and the basket in the front is great for holding all your belongings. Impressively, almost every area of the fair is wheelchair accessible, so you can ride all over the place and inside all the buildings too.
Otherwise, just make sure to wear comfortable shoes, your feet get dirty so wear old sneakers, in my case, Crocs are ideal. Bring a big hat, sunscreen, or poncho in case of rain. We noticed many booths giving away free ponchos though.

There are so many pavillions and booths with all kinds of stuff to visit, it becomes kind of overwhelming but it is manageable. My favorite area was probably near the Chevy Court, with all the food trucks and stands, and the dairy pavillion which had the awesome butter sculpture and best food. I got to try the famous hot beef sundae there, the 25cent milk (man that chocolate milk is GOOD) as well as the Milky Buns which was my favorite fair food ever. So simple yet awesome, it's basically a donut ice cream sandwich. You choose your own ice cream and whatever toppings you want. I got cotton candy, bubble gum and marshmallow ice cream inside the donut topped off with gooey glaze. *drools*

There are of course SO many food vendors available. I recommend strolling around back and forth before you decide on settling, that is, if you have a small appetite. Wine slushies seem to be a big hit here, so you'll find many stalls- Many of then offer free samples which can help your decision.

There are tons of rides for all ages, family friendly shows even a big top circus- Unfortunately we didn't get to attend any of the scheduled events as we preferred wandering around the site. However if you plan on coming more than 1 day, it would be easier to take the time and create a schedule and itinerary. The fair website has a great tool for that.

We were there from 9 AM and left possibly around 4 in the evening, a very full and fun day. Had there been a band worth seeing, we probably would have stayed longer but due to the poor weather and after visiting most of the fairgrounds, we felt satisfied. I still can't believe how cheap admission is too, we bought pre-sale tickets for 6$ but for our weekend, they had special 1$ days. This beats any activity anywhere!

I really enjoyed the variety of events, foods, things to see and overall organization. This was one of the best weekends I've ever had and I really hope I can make this a yearly tradition. The Great New York State fair is the kind of place to build memories and summarize your summer. Until next year!

The Great NYS Fair draws over a million folks per year. If you want fried food, exotic foods, even healthy choices, go here. It's also got prize winning animal & agriculture exhibits and the 15-acre Wade Midway thrill rides and games of chance. It's best to take public transportation. There is direct bus service on Centro Fair shuttles.

The NYS Fair is the MUST GO attraction in Central New York to end your summer. 2 free concerts from national acts daily. FOOD Galore and an all inclusive look at New York States multiple industries such as farming displays, wine tasting and technology. Ample parking, Reasonable ticket pricing (suggest advanced sale), Massive midway with rides for all ages and adventure seekers. This is just a great place to go if you are in CNY the last weeks in August until Labor Day. I try to go every year. You should too.

Has become too big, and far too commercial. We miss the Fairs of the ‘80s and ‘90s, when the emphasis was on typical Fair attractions - animals, agriculture, home arts, etc.

We tried to park for handicapped parking we came in from the west side of fair blvd, told we couldn't enter from that side for handicapped parking NYSP told us to go up to 690 come down and enter gray lot from the other side, which we did and by then they were full-told to go to Willis lot which we did. ONLY that isn't handicapped accessible!!! but after sitting in lines of cars trying to get parking for 11/2 hours and then having to stand in line for 1 hour we got into the fair.
The fair has become a lot more about drinking after 5 pm, and a little too much political campaigning then what it used to be, take me back about 3yrs it was a lot more enjoyable than more of the small companies selling thing.

Wow I love the NY State fair. There is something for everyone. Food and drinks galore. Great wine slushees and beer. The animal exhibits are excellent. I got to feed a giraffe. Quilts and crafts were fun, rides, live music shows. Picnic tables to rest in the shade. This is a massive fair, not some little county fair. It is a must go to. You can RV, on the web site.

I'm not a fair lover but I went this year so I could see Ozzie in concert. They do a really good job with the traffic and their walkways have improved a lot over the years. I think the prices for drinks and food are outrageous. I also appreciate their beefing up security.

First of all, it's a huge fair with lots to see and do. If you want to park nearby, go early like before 10am or you'll end up at some park and ride and get on a bus. The Red Cross parking lot costs 10 bucks and is just outside the gates. Lots of agricultural exhibits with big buildings dedicated to bovines, horses and poultry. Rooster crowing contests and pig races are there to see. One building has every type of dairy products you can eat or drink. There are food concessions of every type with some exotics such as bacon wrapped chicken or huge cocunut shrimp on a stick etc etc, you can even buy wine slushees. There is a large chair lift which gives you a great view of the whole park. The midway has lots of rides, a circus and of course all those carny games of chance. There are exhibits for wildlife, police diving, housing products etc. You can buy one of a gazillion T shirts or have a custom one made. Chevrolet also has an exhibit with some nice Camaro's and Corvette's. it's hard to see it all in one day, so go early and stay awhile.

Plenty for all ages from midway to wine/beer garden. Lots of choices from food vendors, both inside and out. Plenty of rest areas and bathrooms. Free concerts. Live stock competitions. Plenty of affordable parking and several commuter lots throughout the city. So much to see and do, plan a two or three day visit. Before you plan your visit, check the schedule for daily specials. Some days $1.00 admission to the fair. Love the wine slushy's!

Went on line to get the tickets, comes out to be 8 dollars per person cheaper. I bought the unlimited rides and it includes the price of admission. Went the first day it opened, weather was good, not too much sun, but still a little humid. The food at the fair was good, a good variety and the prices were reasonable. My daughter build a bird house (forgot it at the fair :(. The place is big so wear comfortable shoes. We watched a horseback riding competition, saw the goats and cows. Get there early so you can enjoy the whole fair. Looking forward to going again next year.

Fun day at the State Fair. I've only been to county fairs in the past and by comparison this seemed both nicer and less commercial, which we appreciated. Lots to do, too much to eat, plenty of shade when we needed it. Worth the trip.

We went twice to the fair this year. There were some updates to the midway and layout. It made a huge difference. There's good food (get a baked potato, a cup of 25cent milk, and funnel cake), rides, and displays. If you're going to ride more than 4 rides, get the wrist band. It's a better value. Check out the daily deals on the website to see if there are days with free admission. We'll be back next year!

Never miss the butter sculpture at the NYState Fair . Every year is different. They usually sculpt whatever is in that time if the year . It’s amazing to watch the skulpters do this . A must to see .

Went on a Saturday. The staff were great. The bus ride into the fair was well organized. However, for the reasons below, I had a hard time believing this was such an amazing fair that so many thousands of people come from all over to see. It seems it was in the past, but no longer.
1. For a saturday, there was no little to no music. You would think it would be the perfect opportunity to let a local band play, but the stage remained empty. Something would have been nice to go over the uncomfortable hum, if you want to call it, of thousands of people crammed together.
2. Some of the food trucks advertised weren't there.
3. I wasnt sure if it was a mattress store when walking into the seller area. Some of the sellers had some unique stuff, but there were few of them and most of the stuff was from temu. Again, being so busy, you would think it would be the perfect opportunity for locals or other sellers.
4. There was little to no craft stuff or shows, anything. And this was the middle of the day on a Saturday.
5. I saved the worst for last - many animals were in small wire cages stacked up. In other fairs, the animals are usually in more open areas or in clean pens with better descriptions of them. It was depressing to see and hard not to tear up.

Our first trip to the fair in at least 10 years. Loved the State Police presentation s, both informative and entertaining. Finding the right parking lot can be a challenge, signage coming off route 690 and on the grounds not clear. There is plenty of food but if trying to eat healthy there is little. The line at the Potato Booth would take at least an hour to get through (Staff should take a look at this for future fairs). We did find a place called Prime to get turkey burger, plus it was air conditioned! Definitely recommend them. Was glad to see them honoring Law Enforcement the day we went. They do have electric scooter s to rent to elderly and disabled, but think they ran out due to it also being Seniors Day.

Lantern festival and show was very good. was there on June 30, It was little expensive but worth seeing the festival.

If you want to waste a day with thousands of people, many who pay no attention to what they’re doing, wander aimlessly while your trying to move through exhibits this fair is for you. The fair is definitely NOT stroller or handicap friendly. On hot days, good luck finding shade unless your in one of those buildings where thousands of people are elbow to, well you know... the Colliseum is hot and ventilation is poor and the laneways aren’t It big enough for the size of the crowd. The fair brings hot temps and hot tempers. Save your $10 a person and waiting in traffic if you arrive anytime after 930am and do something else with the family.

We have gone to the NY State Fair every year for the past 9 years or so. It’s the best fair that I have ever attended with so much to offer all interests from animals, music, food, rides, shopping, crafts, shows & demonstrations, etc. Friendly staff work very hard to keep the grounds neat. There are times that it can get very busy & parking can get crowded but it is definitely worth attending! The new convention center is very nice! Child, teen & adult in this family enjoy it every year. The only bummer is that the fair means the end of summer.

Many new attractions and awesome free enterainment all different acts something for everyone easily could spend a couple days there

the International Food building, outside the Center of Progress and in small food and drink tents as well as the three main venues. It is fascinating to visit the themed buildings. If doing so you may need to return for a second visit. Attended the 2018 NYS Fair several days in a row.

My family had a great time at the fair. We made sure to check out many things that the fair offers. The Dairy barn for ice cream,bake goods, and milk (grab tokens from the machines outside it's much quicker)and make sure to see the butter sculpture. We enjoyed the building of progress-Many photo ops, freebies and the "progressive" sand sculpture. The train and miniature circus display was fantastic. We also checked out the Erie canal booth with canal demos and the State parks building. The kids loved the birds of prey show and we also took time to check out the cows, poultry and a horse show. There are lots of great rides(25$ all day pass) and awesome places to eat and eat and shop. The highlight of our day/evening was the free concert 3 Doors Down in Chevy Court. We didn't even care that it rained! So much to do and see make sure to plan for the whole day. We can't wait to return next year.

We love to go to the fair every year once or twice. It is somewhat of a hassle (although taking a bus is not horrible) to get there or we d go more. Yes the food is good and there's many rides, but the exhibits and farm animals are what we go for. Usually we end up only a few sections since there's such a wide variety. We usually go to see the poultry, and cattle. The vow birthing center is informative. Plus we like talking to the farmers who are so knowledgeable.

There was so much new an approved features to see and experience. I especially looked all the comfortable picnic tables throughout the fair to enjoy all the yumminess the NYSF has to offer.

It is a fun time and something to do. They have live music every day and night and a lot of information about and on NY. It is very cheap to get in and have deals special days that you get in for very cheap. I have never done the rides and games but they have a lot of them and sure you will find something you like. They have a lot of entertainment and learning activities. It is one of the biggest and only fairs around. I have been going for years always had fun. This is no joke they have the cleanest bathrooms lol. You will have Z fun time for very little money.

I've been going with my Godson since he was born. Every year it's getting better. Look forward to some of the favorite things we do. Then always stumble on something new.

For a City kid, this was an absolutely GREAT experience. Seeing up close cows, pigs, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, roosters, bunnies, etc. was incredible. I walked a llama and received a ribbon saying, "I walked a llama at the NY State Fair." Food, rides, music all around us. Great fun for the whole family!

This is a must at the end of every summer. A great experience for all ages. We like free admission senior days. Ginnelli sausage is a must. We like the maple sugar treats but the maple milkshake tasted sour. Soft maple ice cream was great. Chevy Court entertainment was excellent this year. Lots to see and do. For us it's all about the food, horticulture exhibits & artwork with animals and farm exhibits too. Always fun. More & more affordable bus shuttle service this year.

The sheer size of the fair and the variety of offerings, in exhibits, food/merchandise and the farm demonstrations make it a must do.

from rides to wine awesome time at the fair food is fresh from new York famous speidies to all types of fried foods armed forces challenge to flight simulation there are all types of activities from children to adults

We spent a wonderful day enjoying the fair. There were sno many shows and exhibits we did not have time to see everything. .We especially liked the Birds of Prey show nd State Police presentations. You are never too old to learn something new! It was a little crowded but expected since it was a senior citizen day when all seniors did not have to pay admission. Next year we are going for 2 days!

This venue includes rides, food , exhibits ..livestock..bars ..music...camping...
Competitions....rated the best state fair in the country...live music events across
The street... a must see...good for all ages..look for free admission

Awesome. Better than ever. New exhibits this year.
New areas with a lot of money put into. Grand stand area is all new.

The Great New York State Fair was huge and tons of fun! We ate delicious food - Dinosaur BBQ - and had a great drink - wine slushy - and saw things like the butter sculpture, a concert in the theatre with the big Wurlitzer organ, and the rides and carnival games.

We had friends from Rochester and Syracuse meet at the NY State fair this year. Parking was much better than previous years, when they were working to make parking better. It is always a fun time with the $1 potato but they changed it to charge 50 cents more for additional toppings and changed the topping from shredded cheddar cheese to something that looks like cheese whiz ... oh my ....but still fun! Butter sculpture and all the agricultural and farm displays are great for all. The horse show was fun and the food was like a carnival of choices. I settled on the greek gyro but if you go there hungry it is best! Also, we had a cup of fresh milk ( they offer regular or chocolate) so it was a great deal. We heard bands playing in smaller venues as well as the big headliners like in chevy court. We love the army and military challenges, information as well as the chevy trucks on display. This year there were some shirts available too as well as a chance to win other prizes. We didn't have time for rides this time but experienced them in previous visits which is a good time. We originally planned to go for 3-4 hours but it was so fun we were there until after 9:30 pm and got home late but totally worth it! Fun summer adventure.

I can't say enough good things about the fair. There is so much to do and see...animals, shows, rides, demonstrations, butter sculpture, sand sculpture, vendors, shopping, informational booths, and food galore! I look forward to the fair every year. The organizers work hard to ensure there is something for everyone. There are plenty of air conditioned buildings to cool off in and free buses to and from the various parking lots.

Great concert was free grounds were clean also went to an organ & piano concert which was excellent. Liked looking at exhibits in buildings.

Went to the fair during our recent NY visit. Many unique things to see and lots of vendors. This fair is too big to see in one day. If you really want to take in all it has to offer plan multiple days. The high light was seeing a cow have her calf during our visit.

Been going to the NY state fair since I was very little. It’s a yearly tradition. Great food, great concerts, great midway, great atmosphere, and so much to do!

The first night is the best! The parades, food, rides and attractions are geared to all ages! People watching is fantastic!

We went to the NY State Fair on Saturday, August 25th. Our main reason to go was to see the bands Live and Counting Crows at Chevy Court. Shows were awesome!!! Large selection of different winery vendors with great wine slushies and tons of food to choose from. Loved the newly paved parking lots. Great time!

Interesting, there are so many things to see each time you go you never get tired of going. I love seeing the new carvings they do every year out of butter it's never boring.

Absolutely love the Fair. Something for everyone. Animals, rides, food, equipment, demonstrations, food, entertainment, competitions, food and more. All ages and all abilities. Lots of parking options & shuttle buses. Great promos for admissions, rides and more. Great value.

Everything that a state fair should be:
Extensive livestock exhibits, including MANY rare breeds of cattle, pigs, fowl, pigeons, guinea pigs, horses, etc.
Extensive craft exhibits. The circus models and the musical instrument exhibits, including two very vintage player pianos, are not to be missed.
4H exhibits, vintage farm machinery, a HUGE MIDWAY with games. many typical State Fair food choices (fried this and fried that), games, and amusement rides.
Flowers, honey, for sale.
Two HUGE IMPECCABLY CARVED BUTTER SCULPTURES in the dairy building.
This list is by no means exhaustive.
You will enjoy the fair. I am going to go back every year.

We made our annual pilgrimage to the State Fair this past weekend, and had our normal great time. The line on Route 690 was VERY long, so plan on that if you are going on a busy weekend, but that was the only hassle. We all had great food (including my fried shrimp lunch), and spent several hours walking around looking at the animals and exhibition center buildings. Be prepared to walk quite a way from the parking lot to the fair entrance...although they do have shuttle buses to take you up to the orange lots at the top of the hill, if needed. You can often find free tickets to the Fair if you look hard enough. I highly recommend that everyone goes at least once...fun for all!

Annual trip to the fair, crowds were not as busy this year, weekends entry only $1, had the usual gianell sausage, dinosaur BBQ, and the usual fair goodies

Concerts, Exhibits and Animals were what we came for. Also the food was good albeit not healthy. There were a few problems though. Difficulty accessing shuttles and getting into the Fairgrounds itself at Gate 1 as there was no proper control in place. Second: Two Chevys are confusing. Chevy Court and Chevy Park. One of the names has to be changed. Third: There is Guest Relations desks, but there needs to be Guest Relations people walking around the fair to offer assistance as well. The map to me and my wife is just plain confusing to say at best. Other then that it was good to be back after a 10 year absence.

Went to the New York State Fair on Sunday - the traffic was terrible backed up for miles - the parking - we were in Orange Lot - very far away they had a shuttle bus but had to wait in long line for that as well - they should of had the buses lined up so people could get on without a wait - parking is $5.00 - to get into the fair was $10.00
Lynyrd Skynyrd was there - Excellent show - seen them many times always great.
The food - we at Dinosaur - good pulled pork sandwich and sausage sandwiches both with fries -that was right by the concert - had the pumpkin custer at the diary building - was just like pumpkin pie/ice cream - So many people - OMG - crazy - crazy - was hard to walk around to see everything in one day.

Lot's to do here. If your new then quite exciting. If your a long time attendee then it's basically a celebration of the end of summer with good entertainment,food, and people watching. Don't know what was wrong with the parking situation this year but I saw a whole bunch of staff standing around looking confused. Also the money spent on the Indian village seemed like a state contract rip-off. Chevy court needs some attention like a whole bunch of dirt brought in to slope the back to the front into more of an amphitheater effect as well as more benches and tables. Do like the cleanliness and more open space. Not much new at Center of Progress.

In the WITT Building there is always the wood crafters and a selection of items to try to win WELL, I won the NORFOLK PINE BOWL gave my address and PO and NO BOWL. I tried to call Barbara(who called) and the number was out of order??? I do believe I have no idea what to do next. I lost my home this year to a fire and I thought things were turning around GUESS NOT!!!

We went on a Friday. We got there a few minutes before ten and we were able to get a good parking spot for $5.

We bought tickets on-line. That was a mistake. New discount specials are added all the time and you can't take advantage on-line. I think the admission would have been $1 per adult, if we paid at the door, but we paid full price ($10) on-line.

The trolley moves very slowly and only around the edge of the fair. By mid-afternoon it was crowded and we had to stand. Personally, I would have skipped it and just walked, but the kids wanted to ride. The length of the fair is about a 1/2 mile. Walking was very doable.

We had never been before. We were told it would be very crowded and very large and we should plan on a couple days. That was not true for us. We got there about 10am and we had seen everything twice (not many shows) by 4pm. That was perfect for us, but it was not what we were expecting.

The attractions were nice. Our favorite was the 200th anniversary of the canal system. Very nice people there. We also enjoyed looking at cars, the museum exhibits, the vendors, the food and everything else.

The skyline was nice and a good way to get halfway across the park since you can get on at one end and off at the other. We did not do any other rides. The games on the other hand were very expensive and did not give you much of a chance/prize. It was very easy to drop $50 in 15 minutes with no prizes to show for it. About the only thing I would change on a future trip would be to stay far away from the games.

It was fun and we will go back next year.

This fair is fun for everyone. My teenage daughter enjoyed it so much esp the rides. There are lot of choices of food to purchase. Huge place and ample parking close to the fairground. Very organized. Kudos to the administrators. Shuttle buses and public transit is very accessible. I love the farm animals; I see the children and youth enjoying the llama and the cows.
This is place highly recommended to everyone especially the tourists.

There is definitely something for everyone at the New York State Fair!! Way back in the day I used to come as a 4-H teen worker, worked a few more years as a summer 4-H agent and supervised kids in the dorms-and for my next 40 years after that we have gone just about every year. The first 10 years out of college we met college friends here and spent the night at a local hotel. Fabulous memories!!!
Most of the time now it is just the 2 of us enjoying the Fair. We arrive about 9 or so and start at the Center of Progress. After that we usually go in most of the buildings...hitting the dairy building by mid-afternoon to enjoy some ice cream. We love the wine and brews-so enjoy being able to wander around with a glass of wine or beer in hand. I hope that never changes.
There are great animal exhibits and shows, comedy shows on the sidewalks (The Skinny White German Boy is so funny and awesome) and this past year they created lots of green space.
So many great changes over the years since I first came in the early 70's. It is a day we look forward to all year-and prepurchase tickets every year on Cyber Monday.
HIghly recommend a day spent at the New York State Fair!

Have been attending 54 years & this has become pitiful. Fun attractions such as wandering street performers, the parade & animal shows not in evidence. The plantings around are pathetic. The Expo Center a total waste...it should be FILLED with representatives from every county with features & tourist attractions. Where's ski area reps? National businesses with located in NY (chobani, Frito-Lay etc)? Found only 2 or 3 places where you could afford to feed a family. Emphasis lacking on agriculture (apples, grapes, produce in general, hay judging, Christmas trees etc). -all pretty much missing. Many empty spaces in buildings. Pluses - a few cows are finally back, and there is (an overload of) people picking up the trash.

We took 3 teens from NYC up here, and the fair is a very wholesome experience. Lots of free or low price activities, rides and whatnot are available for those who want it. Crafts, toys and all kinds of interesting foods abound!!

Our first time visiting drove from our vacation rental in MA and had such a good time. Did not think it was going to happen with all the rain storms stopping and starting, but once we parked at the Park & Ride ( which we recommend) it stopped. Park and Ride was perfect on the air conditioned bus and drop off was just across the street. Visited on the last day (we missed out on the Food Truck competition) Labor Day and was just amazed at the size and everywhere you turned was food, games, music, rides, Expo/agricultural centers.
My favorite was petting the giraffes and the I ❤️ NY expo where you could take a selfie with their camera, the lounge chairs that showcased all the different counties, celebrations, nature, parks within the whole state of NY. You need a good 2 days to see everything that is offered.
Kudos to all the NY State police that were out and they were the friendliest men and women and K9.
With all the issues going on in our country, I felt so comfortable, at ease, and walking in a true melting pot. I saw people of every race, ethnicity and we were all enjoying ourselves and walking with smiles on our faces. As we all enjoyed the closing firework show.
I’ll be back next year!

We went to this fair just some days back and it is worth to visit.One day is not enough to enjoy the fair so atleast go there for 2 days.We loved the family fun zone and rides most.Very good arrangement for transportation and parking were made.

Bring lot's of cash with you as you will have to pay in cash for food and carnival games. Rides use anywhere from 3 to 6 tickets a ride so if your child is adventurous and wants to go on a million rides get the bracelet. We were only going to be at the fair a few hours so we opted to pay for $25 worth of tickets. Some of the rides look very scary and I fear that that they are not as kept up as they should be as some of them looked old and worn out looking. We did not deal with parking as we picked up a bus at the Destiny Mall - I would not venture to park there and look for bus shuttles or just Uber it to the fair - don't deal with parking if you don't have to. Food choices are varied but very little in the way of healthy options. Most everything was fried. We found the best options for food was deep into the fairgrounds past the Exposition Center. I was fairly impressed with the bathrooms so that is a plus and my wait was never more than 5 minutes. Lot's of beer tents so there are definitely some drunk folks walking around. Personally, I find this type of activity boring after 2 hours but of course the kids will love it and not want to leave. Definitely worth a visit but don't expect to get your socks blown off.

went on a Know How Tour to the New York State Fair with friends for the very first time, and it was very interesting. being SENIOR DAY---we got in FREE. wow!!!!
the first building we went into (restroom break) had tons of FREE stuff. we got bags, pens, key chains, band-aids, paper fans, and even sunscreen. amazing!!!!
we had some cream put under our eyes to remove our "bags". what??? anyway, the guy tried his hardest to sell us his cream, but we didn't fold. nice fella though. then, off to the Dairy Building where we saw the BUTTER SCULPTURE. awesome. then, we bought a sundae made up of: mashed potatoes, pot roast, grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream with a cherry tomato on top. DELICIOUS. and, prices were very reasonable. there is even a milk booth, and for 25 cents a glass, you could have white or chocolate milk, or both, and that was very refreshing.
did I mention that it was SWELTERING HOT? well, it was.
there are a lot of food vendors outside, games of chance and I must say, plenty of picnic tables to sit at.
and by the way, I found only one "I Got It" and it cost a dollar a game. huh??? at least you get 2 games for a dollar at the Hamburg Fair. needless to say, cut my game playing down, but I did win once. hooray!!!!
so by the time we left, we were pooped out, and drenched from sweating. ugh!!
but, we had a wonderful time.

We attended the NY State Fair at Syracuse in Aug 2016. It was a large state fair with something for everyone. The atmosphere is family friendly, nice people, lots to see.

It was a hot day and it was nice to see several vendors charging only $1 for water. Lots of exhibits including a calliope from an old circus and an indoor circus and train model exhibit. There was also an indoor booth with the D.A.R. & S.A.R. (Revolutionary War info) which is interesting for family history. Both indoors and out were lots of vendors with food, services and wares.

The animal displays were nice and very clean. Lots of rabbits of all varieties, but NO horses at all. Turns out there is a transition day for horses in which one set goes home and the other comes the next day, leaving no overlap and a day without any horses to see.

The food was good. Unique to this fair is the maple cotton candy and the maple ice cream. No grandstand anymore. The midway was extensive. A good day of family fun. I was impressed by the friendly atmosphere throughout the fair.

We got turned off this year due to seeing Gov. Cuomo's face in so many places...our favorite outdoor log cabin building, showing the trails, the woods; things of the great outdoors, to have been replaced by the state trooper's display(and photo of the Gov)...at least, the Agricultural building had many live demonstrations going on; very gracious women playing their harps was a great touch!(and they let me sit and try one, too)...quilters, weavers...coopers were there too...love that building...less exhibitors in the "sell sell" building...thank goodness for that...the food was decent: junk food , high calorie choices; lots of wine in that area; otherwise, we stuck with safe choices: milk and hot potatoes...followed by maple ice cream...guess since we don't go on rides, we usually skip the midway(but you couldn't miss the tall rides)....guess it is a good bargain for a day's activities...try it if you 've never gone there...

We just returned from visiting the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York and felt I needed to write a review on our positive experience there. The day was extremely hot and humid at the fair and after spending a long day, walking around and visiting exhibits, we were completely exhausted. We were attempting to find our way back to the parking lot when one of our party members found it difficult to even walk to the gate. I approached, John, one of the greeters to ask about how to get over to the parking lot. He immediately hailed down a tram and even went with us to the Main gate where he found someone to take us via a small cart to the parking lot. Everyone at the gate was so helpful. Eric was the driver of the cart and he drove us directly to our car, saving our friend from walking all that distance. I can't speak enough on what wonderful service we received from our "helpers". Everyone made sure that the friend that was experiencing difficulty was comfortable and safe. I would certainly go back there again.

Took my son and two granddaughters, 13 and 11 yrs old, to the greatest fair. They have Wade Shows rides which are great and plentiful. They have great deals on wristbands for unlimited rides and even a mega ticket for rides the entire length of the fair, Good deals on food such as 25 cent milk cups, $1 baked potatoes and sweet potatoes with toppings, $1 burgers and hot dogs, Little Caesars Pizza, a pizza deal elsewhere for $20 including 1 large cheese pizza with 4 drinks. Get the coupon books when you come in the gate. Lots of guest services booths where you can even charge your phones. And fantastic free concerts. The girls loved Daya. We loved Kansas and are looking forward to Lee Ann Rimes, Taylor Dane, Blue Oyster Cult, DNCE. Lots of good shows including acrobats, a circus, animal shows etc. It has a petting zoo. And lots of animals for kids to see and learn about. I has an Indian Village which was interesting, a mural artist, a one man band and lots of other things. Truly something for everyone. Kids 12 and under free. Admission $1 today and tomorrow and Labor Day.

We visited the fair for two years in a row and it certainly does not disappoint. Great family environment with plenty to do! We make it an all day affair arriving when gates open and leaving around 9-10pm. If you can, purchase admission and wristbands early to save money. Be prepared to spend some $$$, this is a fair after all. For a family of 6 (2 adults, kids 16, 11, 10, and 2) we spent about $300 on admission, rides, and food. Money well spent, this is our new yearly tradition. Reminds me of my childhood fair memories and the kids have a great time!

Visited the Fair on Labor Day Saturday...that being said, I'm sure we would have had a different experience if we visited on a less busier day, such as mid-week. We arrive around 3PM and traffic was nuts on that day as expected. While on the highway, there are lots of signs directing you where to go and even a local radio station giving live updates of the directions and parking information. Though many people were unaware of the information so they stayed on the highway which was backed up forever, and seemingly got to the parking areas only to be redirected. We listed to the radio which gave the locations of a few remote parking areas with shuttle service. We went to the LOWEs location which was packed. We were lucky enough to snag the last parking spot and then waited for the bus. Before boarding you have to buy tickets, which I believe are around $5 round trip per person. The bus only took 15 mins or so to arrive and got us to the fair entrance in about 20 minutes. When we got there we realized that both ZZ Top and Ozzi Ozborne ?! (MAybe) were performing that night. We were able to buy tickets a few days in advance for only $6 per person. We printed them and brought them to the fair. I also bought a ticket for my 7 year-old, not realizing that children under 12 are free....good to know for next time. The fair was nice but very crowded. There were lots of exhibits to see and tons of food. I could easily imagine how you could spend an entire day there. Lots of interesting crafts and activities for the kids too. We liked the section with the rides and the expo center which had a bunch of activities there. After a while though, given how crowded it was, it got tiring very quickly, navigating through the tons of people. I would highly recommend visiting during the week, especially if you have kids. If you are going by urself, walking through a crowd may not be so bad, but with a family, it gets tough. When it was time to go home, the bus line to get back to our satellite parking lot was insanely long. We waited for 15 mins for a bus that couldn't accommodate everyone, and then another 20 for one that we were able to get into. Overall it was a good experience. I would love to return during the week, I am sure our experience would be very different. I can't really criticize the Fair or it's organizers, I mean when 100,000+ people attend the fair on a given day...parking, traffic and transportation in general is gonna suck.

The NYS Fair is a lot of things...a local institution, a fun 12 days, a lot of walking, a sometimes traffic jam and an orgy for all five of your senses. The sights, the sounds, the noise, the smells - they are all interesting if not totally unique. It is also a fun time and relatively inexpensive. For $3 on a Thursday or $1 on Labor Day you get in the gates and can watch big concerts on Chevy Court or you can watch the juggling guy who does the same show every year but it's still funny or the people dressed up like birds on the stilts or the animals or the fine arts competition. There really is a lot to do.

The improvements they made will get better each year, the bigger midway was fantastic but they need to add more stuff by the old stables and the west side of the Fair.

If you've never been you should go, I'd you don't like crowds go early on a weekday or when it's raining, but go. It's definitely worth seeing.

The space gained by converting the grandstand and track to usable space pretty much doubled the size of this fair. I've been attending the fair on and off for the past 30+ years and never realized how much wasted real estate the old grandstand / track took up. The fair literally has more space than attractions. There are many areas that are clear and waiting for an attraction - it's promising to think how much more entertainment and attractions they could add in years to come! Either way, it's more definitely worth a trip here just to see all the changes.
The two places that are "must visits" are the Dairy Bldg and the adjacent courtyard with all the NY Wineries. Both have multiple areas to sample and try food and drinks. The wineries even give free samples of their wine slushies! Important Note: if you are in the dairy bldg and want to get milk at the Rainbow Bar, get your tickets as soon as you can because the line that forms for the tickets gets very long, very fast.
Overall, a great fair and will only be getting better. The only missing now from the fairgrounds is a full service hotel(s) - that would be a great addition!!

The NYS Fair is HUGE and requires a lot of standing and walking. After 25+ years of going to the fair with young children, elderly parents and now a senior myself, I would suggest:

*going in the early morning when it first opens up.
*leaving by 1 pm.
*returning at 7 pm, when the sun starts going down, and everyone is moving to the free concert area.
*avoiding weekends.
*going on rainy days.

The following is also suggested:
*minimize walking by taking the free trolley.
*take frequent food and drink breaks.
*find places to sit and watch events out of the sun.

It's important to get a map and review each day's schedule of activities. Map out your route.

Going for more than 3-4 hours at a time is exhausting. Maximize your time by planning ahead.

We had not come here for years because being wheelchair bound it was not a good experience. We heard about the changes made and decided to give it a try again. Boy, were we glad we went to the Fair. It was awesome. We had a blast. Our only regret is that we set aside only one day. There is so much to see and do. From our perspective, it is much more expansive with much wider walkways which make it so much easier for a wheelchair to get around. The food areas were accessible and we had no problems getting a spot at a table, even with the large crowds. The family-assist restrooms were great. There are many shows to stop by and watch. The midway was easy to get around. The variety of foods is awesome and the food was very good. We especially like having breakfast available when we first entered early in the morning. Next year we will allow for more time to see everything. All we can say is - the changes made are a "job well done"

The fair had many different shows and things to see. There were many buildings and they had a/c. Also many places to sit and relax and to enjoy those fair foods.

The Great New York State Fair lives up to its name. You're going to have a great time! There's a tremendous number of things to do -- something for everyone in the family.
There are rides on the midway, novelty vendors in the Center of Progress building, food and clothing vendors lining every street, a circus, a petting zoo, all sorts of farm animals in competition -- and speaking of competition! Wow! You wouldn't believe the number of competitions! Arts & crafts, fine art, produce, flowers, table settings, beer, wine, food trucks, antique tractors -- all in competition.
Don't miss the sand sculpture, which is started at the beginning of the Fair and built throughout the fair; the butter sculpture, over in the Milk building, is completed before the Fair starts.
And there's all the musical performers -- a wide range of styles, daytime and evening performances, always lots of big names.
A few things to keep in mind: the Fair is held the 12 days leading up to Labor Day, and it is HOT. There are plenty of places to buy water, but it's definitely cheaper to bring your own, and you'll need to drink plenty of it. The Fair is large, and once you get inside the gates, you'll be walking everywhere, so wear your comfy shoes. There are lots of places to sit, but not always right where you need them; keep that in mind as you plan your day.
Bring an empty backpack with you, unless you are much better than I at resisting the temptation to buy all the wonderful things you see. And definitely bring your camera -- you'll want to get pictures of all the amazing things going on at the Great New York State Fair!

Be warned the food is pretty expensive. Pretty much the same vendors every year. Lots of animals and exhibits to see. Fun kid activities. Great experience in NY.

Good times! Clean and friendly personnel. Great bands! I do wish they had white milk at the Dairy Building. Food selection is marvelous. Parking was plentiful this year and buying tickets on line made it so easy to get it. We purchased tickets and had them on my cell phone

I have been to many a Fair. As I have been part of the business. This one is top of the list. A bit of everything, for everybody. Including an ice skating rink. Walk around Steak Tips a great value. Beer and Wine to tour the Fair. Great Demos from National Grid and the State Police. Very good Free concert Line-up. Eddie Money, Smokey Robinson, Dave Mason, ZZ Top.

We walked around the Fair on a Friday afternoon, and it was very enjoyable. Not too crowded, plenty of places to sit and just soak it in. Watched the young teen Equestrians in the Coliseum, watched a demo at the NYS State Troopers Exhibit, checked out the new convention center. Ate at Daniella's - very good!

This is a not to be missed occasion! The fair is 13 days this year. They absolutely have something for everyone. Livestock, crafts, photography, petting zoo and food, food, food!! There are rides for everyone. This year (2017) there are some great discount days, dollar days and special days for veterans, fireman, American Indians and others. I go every year and always see something new. It is also a wonderful place to people watch from all over. I love it all!!

From the piggies, horses, cows, sheep to the buildings, food and shows, the NYS Fair is amazing. I could go every day!

Family was visiting and had never been to the fair. We got there early hoping to avoid the crowds and it worked. We had a 12 year old with us who got a bracelet ($30 on weekends). It wasn’t very crowded and she rarely waited long in line.
There’s a lot to see and if you only have one day, it’s going to be a long day trying to get it all in. Concerts, animals, food and rides. Prices are kind of expensive and it’s easy to spend quite a bit if you’re not careful.
Fun way to end summer.

I don't see any low reviews here, so I'll do my part and add one.

First, the good.

The NY State Fair has great free music at Chevy Court. Free, except for the ticket getting into the fair. However, to get a good seat at a big name performance will require getting there early to save a seat, which can mean sitting in the scorching sun (or rain, if you are lucky).

The NY State Fair has tons of food, some at a good price. The cheaper food is not something you would go to the fair for, however. It's more for saving money and eating something (anything) just to satisfy your appetite.

OK enough of the good. Now for the bad.

The crowds on the weekend can be unbearable, especially when the governor offers a free (or cheap) admission day. It makes the fair not fun at all.

The shows and attractions are fairly standard, year after year. After seeing it once, why would I want to see it again? I really wish the fair would be DIFFERENT every year. But alas, it's pretty predictable.

In other words, the crowds and the shows/attractions (except for the chevy court shows) make the fair humdrum for me. However, if there is someone I like at chevy court, I may go JUST for that. Otherwise, no.

I have Attended the Great New York State Fair for many Years, it is a Diamond in the Rough. It has been totally abandoned and left to die. This is the WORST FAIR EVER!!! 1/2 the Boths were boarded up and empty. I have never seen the New York State Fair so run down and forgotten. The Midway had about 6 rides, 3 Adult 3 Children and nobody was on any of them. Many Exhibit's were just empty or abandoned. The Expo Center had a lame Dinasaur exhibit that was absolutely Terrible! Stayed for about 1 hour, We usually stay all day, just to see the huge Midway lit up at night. I have never been more Disappointed and may never attend again!!!!!
The Great New York State Let Down!

Had a wonderful weekend at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. All exhibits were very interesting and entertaining. Plenty of food concessions of all types, lots of beer booths and open air bars. Great entertainment on stage. Many vendors displaying and demonstrating their products and services. Really an entertaining way to spend a day or two.

We go every year but never stay too long. We usually go when there is someone we want to hear at the Chevy Court. Survivor was too LOUD be anywhere near the court. It is always too hot when we go and there is not much escape to get out of the heat as the exhibition buildings aren't very cool. I think the International building was one that was comfortable and not quite crowded as the others. Also, with all the strollers and wheelchairs going down the aisles, you really can't move along at a decent pace. Besides all that, they do a great job with the exhibits, agriculture, taste of NY etc. I also think they should have designated smoking areas.

This fair gets better and better. Many improvements have been made and it's very roomy. You don't feel closed in when there is a lot of people there.

Went to the ny state fair for the first time even though I lived in New York my whole life. Long drive from nyc, about 6 hours with traffic. But once we got there parking was only $5 and to get in was only $10, numerous vendors food stalls and entertainment, spread out enough so it did not feel overcrowded and had indoor stuff as well as outdoor so when it got a bit too hot or Rainey we had a respite. All in all it was a great experience and I would come back again.

I have be coming to the fair for almost 30 years and it continues to be an amazing time!!! We actually travel in from out of state to visit. Just the food alone is worth the visit!!!! There are so many awesome exhibits to look at and cool activities for people of all ages!! We don't even bother with the midway since there are so many other things to do that are included in your admission! The butter and sand sculptures are always out of this world!! They are a must do! There's tons of animals to see and different shows to watch. And did I mention the food?????? This is absolutely worth the trip!!!

The 2017 NY State Fair was a hit this year. 13-days of mostly sun and fun.

True, it gets a little redundant if you've gone year after year. But, it's always a good time for people watching, checking out the animals and EATING!

My favorite is Gianelli's sausage and pepper sandwiches: a State Fair favorite! Or, you can go for the London Broil sandwich--another one of my personal favorites.

Here's an often overlooked stop: The Coliseum! Step inside, grab a seat and enjoy many of the horse shows. This is an especially good place to go on a hot, sunny day to get out of the heat and solar glare!

One complaint: the layout for some of the food vendors had them facing the walkways so that those on line for food and drink interfered with the crowd traffic. That needs to be addressed and corrected for next year.

We went to the Fair during the day and again at night. Both times were great.

Will return next year!

We traveled 4 hours to go to the Fair and very happy we did. It was just like we remembered and a little better. The smell of the food, the openness which made it easy to move around, and the surprisingly inexpensive food prove this is the best state fair in the country. $2.00 burgers and $1.00 drinks? Unheard of when at such an attraction. We saved far more than we thought we would and loved the fair. It makes sense that the crowds are large when NYS has figured out how to do it right. Bravo...

Nys fair has made some great updates but gone are some nostalgic things that made part of the fair worth going to. I have a love/hate relationship with the fair. There are some great things I look forward to seeing every year but there are the crowds and dirty bathrooms and not many places to cool off on a hot day. Overall I end up going back because of the variety of things to see.

Loved seeing the new calves, feeding the giraffes and watching the Angus competition. Food is everywhere so you won't go hungry. The hot beef sundae is delicious!

This is one of our favorite things to do at summers end. The food, dairy building, chickens, food, horses, goats, food, environmental exhibits, fish, agriculture, food, center of progress, photography, flower exhibition, food, cultural exhibits, entertainment, fantastic rides, food, butter sculpture, sand exhibit, games and did I mention great food. Awesome experience.

Have attended this state fair several times over the years with a friend of mine from the USA. He is originally from Buffalo and moved to Maryland several years ago. He has attended numerous other state fairs and says one can't compare this fair to others. I would agree with this as I only have the Canadian National Exhibition to compare it to but would say it is comparable. For a low admission fee, one gets to see numerous events, displays and rides if one wishes to pay for. Rode the overhead sky ride and it gave an excellent overview of the whole park. Very crowded during our visit and took a bus shuttle to avoid parking problems closer to the fairgrounds. I attended the Maryland State Fair several years ago and it was average in its experience for me and more like a County Fair. Thus another reason to give this experience an excellent rating here!

What makes the fair special is the many things that you do every time you go-the baked potato, Chevy Court concert, etc. But there is always something new to do or try. And the people watching can't be beat. Parking was a breeze, the bus ride was quick and efficient transportation, and the admission was free for the day we went, so if it works out, we will go again next year.

Just an observation, it is amazing all the things the state government seems to be involved in, but of all of the state exhibits, the State Police had the best.

The NYS fair has become too large and too crowded. I don't like it when you take your grandchildren to the amusement area and it takes 45 to get on a ride. I also don't like when people buy tickets for the fair and then find out there are so many free days and dollar days and this just adds to the crowd. I liked more the old-fashioned fair but our Gov. Cuomo has put so many miilllions into the fairgrounds it makes me sick to think us taxpayers pay for this.I think I will just stick to the county fairs as it is more like a fair should be!

Go there every year mainly to have the special foods you only get at carnivals and fairs.
Pizza-friz , italian sausage sandwich, london broil sandwich, roasted corn on the cob. The only bad thing is the prices are way out of line anymore, we don't go every year anymore can't afford it.

Herman's Hermits MADE my first day there, as they always do. I love seeing them: all the great songs and Peter Noone is so funny and handsome! I'd drive all day to see them again. This years fair was so much better: cleaner, more colorful: seemed to offer more and at better prices! Always something going on all over: the problem is deciding WHICH. Love the cooking shows in the old Women's Building. I have been going probably since 3, so that makes 60 years. I love the historic informational booths and environmental stuff. Really ALL of it and you can't do it in one day. Went again Labor Day and still didn't see it all. Nostalgic, educational, fun, informational (helps you decide where to travel in NYS) and interesting! I'll still come back for this when I retire and move out of state. Best to park and ride the bus, so parking's free. For seniors, the cost of the bus is $2 round trip. Go on discount days: 2 free days for seniors, some $1 days. Wear your most comfortable sneakers. Though there's also a tram. Bring water and snacks. Food can be expensive. Discount ride days.

We arrived early afternoon, parking was immediately off of the highway, gravel and grass. $5 plus tax, card only or EZ Pass Plus.

Then just a short walk, 5 mins from where we had parked to the gate. We bought tickets at the gates using our phones. There isn’t a way to buy physical tickets anymore by the looks of things. Tickets at $3 each plus tax, and kids under 12 were free.

There’s a quick bag search and at 3pm there was no line to get in.

The fair had plenty of food options, and there’s a large selection of pay to play games and vendors to do a little bit of shopping at. And a concert area setting up for the night. Nothing was super busy which was nice except for the $1 potato’s.

There just didn’t seem like a lot to do compared to other fairs though, probably because of pandemic restrictions also. But can’t complain for the cost of entry and parking.

If you purchased wristbands ahead of time online for the Midway rides, make sure you arrive early because you still have to wait in 2 long lines to get your wristband. A half hour or longer. We got here at 11:00 a.m. I’m not sure what time the booths open in the morning. There are 2 places one on each end of the midway. Other than that the fair was GREAT!! Plan ahead and early!!

The fair has free admission for seniors on a couple days. See schedule online to see which days. They also have free concerts with older acts for senior day at Chevy Court.

It can be a fun day as there is something for everyone. I have been going since I was a little kid.

If it's a nice weekend just be prepared for big crowds. Week days seem to be a little less busy. But it also depends on the free concert lineup.

You want to get to Chevy Court early for a popular show so you can get a seat. If real sunny you will want shade or bring an umbrella for sun in metal seats. They have 2 different shows a day at Chevy Court.

How can I even begin about the fair. Dinosaur bbq, Gianelli hot italian sausage, Bakers chicken coop. And the best London broil sandwich smothered in cheese and mushrooms is the best sandwich at the fair....my opinion. All others aforementioned are amazing too.

All sorts of vendors. Butter sculpture. Cute piglets. Horse shows. Dairy cows. Dairy cows giving birth.

Fried dough. Our only negative. Even though the wildly popular baked potato...Sweet Potato too long lines were prohibitive. So popular it was moved to new location. Still too popular for us to wait, however.

Also Doug's fish fry scallops were amazing.

Cold beer and live music.

State Police exhibits are always so fun for all. But the kids really make me smile whole watching various demonstrations.

Park off-site and take centro bus. $2 for adults. $1 for seniors. We parked at shoppingtown mall. Very convenient. Drop right off at fair front gate.

The music at Agricultural museum was great....right across from Butcher boys sandwiches. I see a connection.

We had a great time. Since we moved out of state a few years ago we only visit every 2-3 years. Make use of special days. We got I for free on senior day. Also first responders, military. Cinco de may tix are only $5.

Good job. Alot of money has been pumped into the fairgrounds and it is a wonderful family event.

The 3rd largest fair in the USA. Admission is $10, but almost with the specials they have, I think most people get in free or at a greatly reduced rate.
The food is not fine dining, but if you like trying new (mostly deepfried) food items, it's got some pretty off the wall stuff. There is Strong Hearts Cafe for the vegetarian or Vegan pallette.
The midway is a bit pricey if you have more than a couple children. Best rides are at least $5 each.
Free entertainment throughout the day, and there are first rate bands at Chevy Court at no charge, so you need to stake out a seat early or you'll be standing in the wayback.

This fair is held annually and it has many elements for all ages. It is clean and offers much variety of foods and beverages. The entertainment held is free and they have some great bands for all tastes. The only draw back is when the traffic backs up due to concerts and good weather. They are supposed to address this and hoping 2018 will see some improvements.

My adult daughters, my grandson and I traveled from Queens, NY to stay in Syracuse over Labor Day weekend 2016 to attend the State Fair. This is the oldest state fair in the United States.

We bought our admission tickets and vouchers for 1-day unlimited ride bracelets in advance on the website so we did not have to wait in line to make a purchase and saved a few dollars. The entrance to the rides is a long walk from the entrance. We saw the butter sculpture and purchased fudge in the Dairy Building. Outside, there wee food stands selling standard fair fare. We food a place which sold a large bucket of French fries for $6. We also had food coupons for various food stands. The best was for Moose Joose wine slushies which were very refreshing on such a hot day.

There were dozens of rides for both children and adults. There was a list of the rides by height, so my nearly 4 year old grandson was able to enjoy several rides. My daughters and grandson enjoyed the carousel, bumper cars, Himalaya, and many others. I do not recommend the carnival games which were very difficult to win.

The fairgrounds are extremely large so plan on walking a lot if you go to the fair. In the ride area, there were very few places to sit, so when you find a table, be sure to have most of your party remain seated while one or two go off to buy the refreshments. Be sure to bring cash because the ATM fees are high.

Let's get it out of the way: if you hate crowds, don't go. You'll hate it, as the fair gets crowded quickly. Or go early to minimize the issue, just be aware that as soon as noon hits, people just start pouring in.

That being said, the fair is very well organized. The farthest parking lots offer shuttles directly to the main entrance. They're free and very frequent. Also, it's worth noting that public transit also offers direct access to the main entrance and buses have the right of way over cars....a detail worth noting as traffic can get very difficult.

The animals.....wow. The various building are very well set up for visiting and you can tell that the animals are very comfortable. One thing to know is that due to the fact that there are so many breeds to see, they're not always there at the same time so you might want to plan ahead if you want to see specific anmals (for example, when we were there, the dairy breeds present wer the Brown Swiss and Jerseys. For, say, Holsteins, we would have had to be there at another period).

There are numerous rides and attractions for basically anybody except maybe for extreme thrill seekers. You can see everything from award-winning begonias and quilts to tractors, window vendors and maple everything. The antique train cars are particularly interesting.

But most of all, it's the food. Smokers everywhere, microbreweries, fresh eats....wow. There is just so much to eat and drink that you could spend a week there and never eat the same thing twice. Granted, some of it is junk and most of it is not exactly diet food, but a large part of the choices are of much better quality than you'd expect for such a place. And not to mention the samples that you're offered in some places.

Despite the crowd, you're never overwhelmed. The site is so huge, there is so much to do and everything is so well organized that you never have too long a wait to do or eat something.

One sore point: not enough seating all across the board. And you'll be doing a lot of walking.

Still, a great way to spend a day and a fantastic experience.

I get so excited thinking about the fair. I go almost everyday. Let me know if you have any question.

We go to the nys fair 7 or 8 night. We really like going after work just to walk around and to have dinner. This year they changed the fair layout and we were kind of lady for a couple of days. I am sure when all the upgrades are done the fair will be better than ever. Some people have a problem with the fair parking. We park at the pink parking lot that is on state fair blvd. or we park at gate 6. Both are short walks into the fair. We seldom go to the fair during the day because of the heat and we find it is less busy at night.

As a child my parents would bring us to the New York State Fair every year and it was a great time. This year after not going since i was a child I finally took my son for his first time. We arrived around 10:30 am on Friday Sept 1st and the parking lot was already half full. Parking was $5. The day we went it was $1 admission if you had a NYS sports team logo and children 12 and under were free. We went one by one thru the exhibit buildings. One contained tanks with aquatic wildlife native to New York, another had a fire department exhibit with fire fighters on hand to talk you thru how to deal with different fire hazards ranging from a fire in the oven, to how to prevent smoke from coming under the door of a bedroom. My son enjoyed being able to throw the demo blanket and pillows in front of the door to block the smoke from the fog machine just like you would do in a real fire. Another highlight for him was feeding a giraffe carrot sticks. They offered camel rides as well, but wanted $10 for a very short ride so we skipped that. At the 4H exhibit area he was able to create a set of glasses with a 3D printing pen, as well as try his hand at a few farm themed games. His favorite part of the fair hands down was the live animal exhibits and shows. Rabbits, rooster, hens, pigeons, turkeys,pheasants, guinea pigs, and the list goes on and on. By the end he was begging me to buy him chickens and pheasants. There was so much to do you could easily spend 2 days at fair. One just to see the exhibits and another for the children to enjoy all the rides and shops. The only reason i could not bring myself to give the fair 5 stars was the congested layout of all the food vendors and the overall congested feel some of the exhibits had. Some exhibits had a nice amount of space to view everything that was going on, where others felt like they crammed as much as possible into that area as they could. Bring your walking shoes and enjoy.

The fair is a must visit for family friends etc. it's the same every year though- so we try to go about every 3-5 years.

There is a huge variety-rides, food, birthing center of calves (a must see-very educational and entertaining), sea lion photography are, dancing, concerts, etc.

The only disappointment this year was the food- little pricey as usual- but we bought chicken Caesar wraps and it's similar to those At a gas station.

I would recommend visiting the butter and sand sculptures, the 4H center for your kids-lots of hands on learning here. Also check out the horse and cow shows. There are pigs goats and llamas as well.

The one man band was very good! He played ACDC! The crowd loved it. There is lots of security and places to park.

I would reccomend avoiding 690 traffic. Take 81 and get off at the Hiawatha Blvd and Destiny USA exit. From here go towards Solway and on the nys fair Blvd there is better parking for about $4 or $5, a much quicker walk and a lot less traffic!

They have black-topped all of the pedestrian walk ways and it is so much cleaner.
They added a couple little "nursing houses" for Moms. Why you feel it necessary to bring your newborn or nursing baby to the fair is beyond me.
I noticed more misting fans and they put picnic tables beneath the new sky ride.
Last year they had the petting zoo. I usually don't frequent these because I worry about the care that us given to animals in these circumstances. But, we checked it out. How nice, you were able to purchase food and hand feed the animals. The giraffe's absolutely loved carrot sticks.
One of the shows I highly recommend is The Birds of Prey. The people that put on this show are so good. I came away with an appreciation for buzzards and a better knowledge of raptors. This show is wonderful fior adults and children as well. The fair ought to provide more seating.
The free concerts are usually pretty good, but the negative is that unless you want to miss all the fair to secure a seat early, like 2-3 hours prior to the show, there is nowhere to sit. It's not that there isn't ample seating, they just need more. I cannot stand for 1-2 hours so I miss this entertainment.
The parking is paved, and they have lots of handicapped parking. They also shuttle you into the fair.
I guess my biggest gripe is about the parents who bring their children under age two (2) to the fair, the kids are tired and cranky, often sunburned. Clearly not enjoying the fair. Why not wait till your children are maybe five (5) and can understand and appreciate everything the fair has to offer.

The State Fair is always a great time, and this year was no exception. Lots to do, lots to see, a huge choice of great places to eat, and don’t forget about the rides on the other side of the midway. Not much has changed about it from last year to this, but that’s not a bad thing. We had a blast, and will be back next year. BTW, the prices seem to have dropped for admission; it was only $10.00/person, with special deals on top of that. That is cheaper than I remember

Had a wonderful day at the fair lots to do lots to eat even tried for the first time deep fried pickles and deep fried Mars Bars oh my God they're great

The best way to end summer is a trip or two or three to the Fair. We wanted to see the improvements made this year and were quite pleased. The new layout and expanded areas took a little time to adjust to but overall were a plus. The Midway is spread out nicely and we didn't feel crowded. We thoroughly enjoyed the History of the Fair exhibit. The grounds and restroom facilities were very clean. Any safety concerns one may have are eased with the presence of the New York State Police who always do a stellar job. The new entrance, flowers, and lampposts were a definite plus. We're already looking forward to attending next year.

Millions of tax dollars were spent on upgrading the fairgrounds. My, tax dollars, your tax dollars. For all that money, I wasn't impressed. The new expo center is, nice. The midway was. ok. Some rock group was playing in Chevy Court around 2:30 pm Saturday 8/25 that was loud and had a messed up sound system. New area for NYS Troopers was good. The rest, eh.

This place is so fun - carnival rides/games, face paint / hair wrap booths, tons of food options, carnival tent, typical fair activities with animals (bunnies, chickens, cows,etc), animatronic life-sized Dino exhibit, wine/beer tents, small mini golf course, maple syrup exploration trailer, and so many other exhibits! A solid days worth of fun activities, maybe more. Games were pretty pricey ($5-10 per player/game) and food isn’t cheap but it’s all very good. Parked for $15 in the brown lot (cc only), across from the front entrance, not long of a walk.

This Fair has it all and then some! I enjoy going with friends every year. Check out the butter sculpture and the sand sculpture. Enjoy all kinds of food. Walk through all the animal barns and see all kinds if different breeds of farm type animals,cows,pigs, goats, sheep, chickens and ducks and lots more. My personal favorites are the horse shows in the Colloseum. They go on every day for most of the day!
Animals not your style then check out the rides! Tons of fun in those! Also they have special bands playing everyday.So much to see and do one day doesn't really do it justice.
Hint, if you get your tickets early you will pay less for them. Overall it is a great bargain at any price though. You can spend a lot or a little and have a great time either way. Much more fun if you have friends or family there. Hope you can come!

Honestly don’t go! Terrible place. Bartender was a die hard Steelers fan. I will let my 700 clients know. Go to Shoeless Joe’s if you want a business that cares about you !

4th time here in the last 4? years. 2nd review. Still a great way to spend a day! They keep adding things and keeping what makes it great.

25c cup of nice cold milk, baked potato, the new State Police demo area!, the convention center, government and vendor booths and sooo much more!

Check the website before going to see what admission promos they are running the day(s) you are going. Still a great value paying the regular rate at the gate.

Every year improvements are made, and it gets better and better. Even with 93,000 people the day we were there parking was a breeze. I think the $5.00 is a fair price for parking. The buses were quick and plentiful. I do wish more men would stand up and offer their seat to the older folks though, but that's a different story. Dropped off at the gate and we were off. They offer wheelchairs, but $60.00 was too steep for my father in law. He could have used it. If the price was lower more people might use them. Why does there need to be such a huge profit on those? Please think about that.
Everything seemed clean and organized. The free shuttle around the fair was a nice surprise. Plenty of trash cans and recyclable bins too. I love that the water bottles were only a dollar. I probably had six myself. I love helping the charities. Finding seating was easy, and there was lots of shade if desired. It was so pleasant to sit by the fountain and relax. The attractions were nice, and I had no problem finding a bathroom. The lines were fairly quick. There were some healthy food options, along with all the other not so healthy selections. The tokens for the milk were a great idea, and that ran smoothly as well. Plenty to eat and see. We were there for seven hours, but that was with several rest stops which was a nice time to chat. The weather couldn't have been better which helped the overall experience. It was great to see the police presence throughout the fair. I am going back with different family members this coming weekend. The only issue we had was it looked like someone tried to break in our car. It was locked but there were dusty fingerprints near the door handles that were not there when we left. I saw a few groups sitting around their car drinking and being a little aggressive verbally when we walked by. I didn't see any staff in the parking areas when we left around 7:30 pm. That is my only "complaint" Overall a fun day.

I visited the New York State fair on labour day weekend in September. We found a great deal on tickets online, and found many coupons for the food vendors available. The fairgrounds are very large! They offer a map, but it is not 100% comprehensive. Several of the vendors have multiple names and descriptions and this can get confusing on the map. We tried many different vendors, including the wine slushies (highly recommend), the Dino BBQ pulled pork, deep fried Oreos and Reese cups, the corn dogs, and some Gator. We did not enjoy the rides, as we ended up eating too much food to want to go on any. We plan on making it an annual trip.

The fair is an annual tradition in our family. Great for people watching & we all get our favorite food for dinner. There is always something to do as you walk around and run into people you know. An end of summer must do!

had a fun time, lot's to c go every year. look at all the shows, spend lot's of money on weird stuff, eat too much usually go two three times each year

This fair is always so much fun, even though it is kind of "campy." It is the oldest State Fair in the country (175 years), and there is truly something for everyone. It's even great after dark, when the concerts play. Bring a sun hat and REMEMBER WHERE YOU PARK YOUR CAR in their huge lot!

There is so much to see, eat, and do!! You will find something here that you would enjoy eating and an activity that you would love to do!

There is so much to do at the NYS Fair that you can become overwhelmed with a To Do list. It is a must see and there are deals with entrance charge, food and entertainment that can save you money. Be sure to check their website for deals and daily entertainment before you make plans.

I had not been to this fair since 1970!!! I don't recall a lot about that visit, but I thoroughly enjoyed it this year. There is something for everyone. Lots of free stuff given away. Great food choices, and many of the prices are very reasonable. The free shuttle helps a lot since this fair is SO HUGE. Honestly, going for two days instead of one might be good because there is SO MUCH.

We visited quite a few venues at the NYS Fair, the milk building is always a hit for butter sculpture, chocolate milk and ice cream, the center of progress building has all kinds of interesting products, art and craft exhibits, conservation building, international pavilion, fish display, potato booth, sand sculpture and all kinds of food and beverages!

We visit the New York State Fair every year and we always have a great time. The exhibits are wonderful and the food vendors and concerts are excellent. Highly recommend everyone to experience!!

Ok, it’s not as good as the (incredible) New Mexico State Fair, and not as good as the near-perfect midwestern state fairs, but, for the East Coast, not bad, probably the best of that lot. Mostly, thanks to upstate agriculture. Does have some good wine product, and good free concerts.

The NY State Fair is always a good time. Lots of stuff to see and do; don't miss all the great food and rides, too. This year, we just happened to walk into a Leonard Skynard concert! Woohoo....what a great time! I will go every year for the rest of my life!

Taste food native to NY State such as salt potatoes. Taste the freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot day at the Fair. Enjoy art work and sewing in the Home Building or visit the latest projects by NY state 4-H members. Always good music and entertainment as well. Something for young and old.

The Great New York State Fair is the best fair I've ever been to. There are so many attractions and things to see and do. The food is varied and delicious! There's an International Building with tons of food stalls featuring different nationalities, such as Greek, Italian, Chinese, German, etc., besides the booths all through the fairgrounds. Children and adults will have a great time. Be sure to stop at the Dairy Bldg. for ice cream before you leave.

Great fun for the whole family. Had Dinosaur BBQ food..ribs, beans..so yummy. Rode the big gondola. Visited the pavilions...lots to do and see. They even had sunscreen dispensers.

Great fun for anyone who enjoys a variety of things to see and participate in. Midway is the mecca of carnival rides and games. The food available is amazing and o e of the best things about the State Fair. The music venues usually have some of the top entertainers performing daily throughout the whole couple weeks of the fair. Bring sunscreen strollers are welcome and plenty of parking.

Want to take the kids? Go have a beer or glass of wine? Ride the rides? Eat? See new innovations? Listen to some great entertainment? Horse competitions both riding and multi hitches.

Its all there at the fair. Best deal is to park off site somewheres and take one of the Centro buses right to the front gate.

Wear comfortable clothing, especially good shoes or sneakers. Leave the flip flops home.

Many free days too. Seniors get two days, vets have a day as well.

Not the biggest in the world but certainly one worth seeing.

We tend to go every year. Sometimes we go once, but other years we go a few times. The latest improvements are getting better. The bathrooms are everywhere and kept very clean. The selection of food is mind blowing. The rides are cleaner, safer, and more of a selection. The best deal is the all day ride wristband. There are some of the best shows on earth to see. The great Bandaloni is my favorite check him out on you-tube .

First timers from Canada, we arrived around 10:30am (thank goodness) managed to get parking right beside the entrance, 2 minute walk - although I would advise the park and ride as getting out later that afternoon was very time consuming BUT the layout is great Its so big and so much fun - we went on a few rides checked out the Rooster Crowing Contest and saw TONS of chickens and other foul multi-coloured lol my fab had to be the King Shrimp on a stick WOW
It was very hot and by 3PM VERY VERY busy so we left but you could easily spend 2 days there just to get around

The fair has a wide range of food for everyone with so many delicious smells. My favorite besides the food is the people watching. So many different types and fads to watch and they all look like they are having fun.

New York has a Wonderful State Fair. I have been to state fairs in other states and there is no comparison to the size, variety, quality and cleanliness of the NY State Fair. There is something for everyone and worth the trip.

I wait all year for the fair. The best food, and attractions!! Great free concerts, and fun vendors.

first visit in a few years.... the deletion of the track and grandstand really spreads out the attractions and food vendors. I am not bumping into people this year! The food is wonderful! Animals are fun to watch... love to be here on a Monday!

We've gone every year since our kids were little - the past 21 years! We especially enjoy the free music concerts, the $1 baked potato and the 25 cent milk! We like to go at off times when it's not as crowded.

I like the Pan African court, the animals and the concerts. I don't like the buildings as much - it used to me more interesting, now it's just lots of vendors selling junk.

Best Fair of all. Park off area (we parked at Lowes lot)and for $2 - $4 RT shuttle bus brings you to the door - so you miss walking a great distance to get to the Fair itself. Also they have their own lane so no waiting in line on interstate to enter! They also have trams to take you to different areas.
Many free days and special admission days - also discount tickets available. You can spend the whole day til midnight and not see it all in one day. Free concerts by famous people or groups, free circus. Plus lots of crafts and skills of entrants and Lots of animals. Fun for the whole family. Picnic tables, seats around the lake, etc. Every day you are given a map with a list of the activities and their times. Look on line first and plan your days.

The fair always has a great variety of free live music in multiple venues. Take the bus from one of the many shuttle locations to save the hassle of parking!

Anyone visiting the NY State Fair this year will see many changes along with familiar favorites. For the most part the changes are fine except for the young children's midway area set up in a gravel area. This makes for a nearly impossible maneuvering of strollers and children's wagons. I am baffled why this area was not placed in a grass area with some shade and benches. (There is an empty grassy area nearby which would be perfect.) So be ready to carry your little ones through this area. The most affordable food was located at the Twin Trees. There are also a few vendors selling water 2 for $1. Restrooms are all clean and spread out nicely throughout the fair. As always the fair lives up to the name of The GREAT NY State Fair!

It was a bit to crowded for me, but it was a great day none the less. The grounds are laid out nicely and the vendor booths were much more interesting than our county fair, because it was more than someone selling you gutters/windows/roofs. The information for NYS services was very helpful. The FREE concert that was happening the night we were there was a pleasant surprise and kept us around until after dark. The parking was a nightmare, they could use some shuttles/golf carts to help people out.

I have lived within 2 miles of the State Fair for 70 years. I have attended for 65 years. It has evolved over the years into the most beautiful showcase of New York State and everything that it offers plus a little of everything else. The fair is very well organized, very clean with many signs.
The New York State troopers are there in many capacities. Traffic direction, safety, guidance, photos with kids, and training performances several times daily. The midway is wonderful. Rides and fun for every age- very well maintained and inspected. Misting stations and clean bathrooms are plentiful. FOOD, PERFORMANCES, FOOD, HORSE SHOWS, ANIMAL SHOWS, MILITARY EXHIBIT, FOOD, FLOWER SHOW, TALENT SHOW, INDIAN VILLAGE, AFRICAN VILLAGE, POND AND PARK LIKE SETTINGS TO RELAX, ETC. ETC. ETC.

This is a huge fair, attendance was said to be a 125k the day we attended including close to 30k at the free evening concert. and while busy, there was plenty of room to maneuver so it didnt seem crowed (our hotel offered a free shuttle which enabled us to bypass the parking lines that looked quite long (and the lots themselves were of significant size). There are tons of activities going on, vendors selling every conceivable product, and too many food choices to nosh on (remember, its a fair so lots of deep fried, so top it off with some great ice cream) - so plan ahead to make sure you get to see everything you want.

New York at its finest , something for everyone. Very family oriented, and a nice way for families to be together before the new school year.

It was very educational for kids. Nice place to spend a day with family and learn something new. awesome concert at the end of the day

Had a great time at the 2018 Fair. We parked at the Orange lot and walked to the main gate. I enjoyed free entry with my NY State hunting license. The band Jackel was booked to play free concert at Chevy Court.
We had Dinosaur BBQ for lunch that was really yummy. The buildings have vendors with items for sale and represenatevites of health care and state servives, DMV, 529 savings plan, unions and other departments.
Lots of promo items pencils, bags, magnets chip chips, etc. The hortaculture building had the prize winning flowers and vegetables. This year the events are a little farther apart making for wide not as crowded walking paths. We are planning to go back with my 11 year old and use the all you can ride wristbands.
The power company has very cool safety demonstration. Several offer digital photo opportunities and send them to your phone.

This was our first time going to the NY State Fair, and there's SO MUCH TO DO. Arts and crafts, animals, rides, food, more food, cheese carvings, live calf birthings, dressage competitions, rabbit agility courses, miniature circus models, a small museum of old-timey musical instruments... If I could say anything, it'd be that you shouldn't stress yourself out, trying to do it all in one day. It'll be there again next year.

PRO-TIP: There's always a HUGE line for baked potatoes. It goes a little faster than it looks, but not much. ...And in the end, they're just potatoes.

I love the New York State Fair , I have gone to the fair my entire life. I have never had a bad experience or visit to the fair. This year I expected big things, having read of the 50 million dollar investment in the fair by New York State. Some of the money spent was easy to see in the streamlined entrance archway and the widened avenues for foot travel. There were many less visible, but valuable improvements to the grounds. I feel the fair staff and committees still have a way to go to improve the fair experience. What brings future visitors to the fair is when you have a great time the first time you want to keep coming back. If you feel like everything is about getting you to spend more money you are less likely to want to return, especially if you have a large family. I visited the fair on 3 different days, Monday was a senior day and I was dismayed to find that the scooters for rent for disabled people were all gone by noon. We were told by the staff to keep stopping back to see if a scooter became available, this is very difficult to do when you are accompanying a disabled person as it is quite a walk from anywhere in the fair to the rental areas. It would be helpful if the staff would take your mobile number and call you if the scooter became available. I went to the fair again on Friday with family, it was the best day I had at the fair this year. There was plenty to see and lots of free entertainment. I wish there was more that you could do with your children without adding to the cost. The Midway has been greatly enlarged, which also means if you are a family with children most of your money is spent in the Midway area. This benefits Wade Amusements, but I'm not sure if it benefits the New York State businesses that we are trying to encourage to partner with the fair to the benefit of all. It felt as though the historic vendors of the fair were pushed to the wayside to favor the midway type kiosks and expensive alternatives. I think it would be wise business for the fair to promote healthy inexpensive or free entertainment for families with children. There were extremely long lines for popular attractions such as Paw Patrol some families waiting for hours for a 15-minute experience. Much of the new seating is in the Midway which is fine, but it doesn't encourage exploration of the rest of the fair. I would encourage the fair committee to develop a one page guide to the fair specific to families with children. The children who come to the fair now are future visitors to the fair as well. There are many good activities for kids that are overlooked as the families spend the whole day at the midway. The parking on Sunday September 4th was terrible. The station visitors were told to tune in to was static, direction was poor, the NY state police were underutilized and ineffective. I love this fair, I hope it continues for many years to come. It is still such a wonderful thing to come to the Great New York Fair and enjoy all that it has to offer.

What happened to the Fair? I remember when there was so many flea tents in the streets and buildings. Unusual things that you only see at the Fair. So many people you could hardly move. The speedway with the demolition derby and concerts. The Fair was jammed pack with vendors as soon as you walked through the gates venders were selling Fair shirts. And now the only thing on the streets are food vendors and the rides. The buildings are so stretched out they look empty. Every thing is stretched out. Very boring,disappointing. Will not be going again anytime soon. Bring back the speedway with the concerts instead of going to the amphitheater.

We had a fun time going on the rides on the midway. There were plenty for young children. A little pricey though.
We also enjoyed having a sampling of all the different treats you can find.

By far the largest fair we have ever been to...so many things to see and really well done. Definitely worth a visit...maybe even multiple days to really take it all in!

I have been attending the NYS Fair each year since I was about 8 years old. My wife and I would often buy several discounted advance sale ticket just so we could enjoy the free entertainment each evening. The fair has evolved over the years and the parking, restrooms, places to sit and relax and the safety of the entire venue is very family friendly. Lots to see and do, and of course, eat all kinds of food to try.
My oldest daughter and granddaughter come up from Maryland, and we will usually spend up to 10 hours trying to see as much a possible

For the cost, there really isn't a better entertainment deal the the NY State Fair. We went 4 days this year and it was enjoyable.

Due to Covid, the Fair opened a bit later than normal and had fewer fair goers which was fine by me. It made parking easier and could sleep in a bit longer and still get great parking. We started each day by catching lunch at one of the venues having BBQ, Mexican, Italian, Corn Dogs, Salads and Japanese. My favorite was stuffed meatlaof with bacon and wrapped in bacon and the BBQ sundae was good too (mashed potatoes, BBQ beef, corn, gravy and stuffing in a glass). Yum! I did feel sorry for vendors missing out of the breakfast crowd and with smaller crowds I don't think they did as good as normal.

My girlfriend was disappointed that the bunnies were not there due to Covid but we did see the goats.

We saw a few acts such as Diving Dogs, The One Man Band and a Strolling Juggler. We visited the Police cars on display and both Army set ups. Nice seeing some of the helicopters, drones and big equipment. We saw the zoo with Zubu, Zebra, Giraffes and other cute animals which you can feed.

My girlfriend got milk every day and we enjoyed the butter sculpture. They have soda vendors where can get a cup and then get $1 refills which we got a lot of being so warm most days (brought the same cup back each day). This makes a great deal. They also had a good deal with slushies that my girlfriend liked.

They had a food truck rodeo one day where got to try different foods for $1-$3 dollars including BBQ, pizza and ice cream.

The sand sculpture was cute this year with a Covid theme. My girlfriend liked shopping at the different stores and bought some fancy sock, face masks and a vibrating pillow. I got some wine and alcohol tasting which is always enjoyable.

My girlfriend got the biggest thrill by going in the butterfly room, where they will land on you. They give you Q-tips that can dip in a mixture that the butterflies eat. It was a great experience.

Missed a few things that normally hit due to time or being closed this year like the Carriage Museum, the old time player piano, the trains and the circus. I did like the Prison Display and the fish tanks.

The main reason I go is the music. This year we saw Brothers Osbourne, AJR, Vixen, Ratt, 98 Degrees, Tee Grizzley and All That Remains. I always enjoy the diversity of acts and the quality. In the past, I have seen many great artists at the like Jacksons, Culture Club, Pointer Sisters, Gatlin Brothers, Christopher Cross, Chubby Checker, Charo and the Family Stone. I like the two stages esp the one in the back. The handicap area is convenient and nice to take the tram back after the show to your exit. They people who run the trams are very helpful.

We spent 4 great days at the Fair this year, ate some good food and listened to some amazing music for reasonable costs. I am looking forward to next year.

Always fun and so much to see. Hard to do everything in one day.

The museum is a collection of horse drawn carriages, sleighs, buggies & farm machinery from the 1800's into the early 1900's.

A partial listing of the carriages/sleighs;
1.) Park Phaeton Top carriage.
2.) Early 1900's Meadowbreak cart.
3.) 1807 sleigh.
4.) 1880 Victoria sleigh.
5.) 1875 runabout.
6.) 1890 panel carriage.
7.) Two milk delivery vehicles.
8.) Huckster poultry wagon.

Farm equipment.
1.) 1880's mover & reaper.
2.) 1864 Ames Steam engine.
3.) Mid-19th thresher.
4.) Two horse thread mill.
5.) Massy Harise early 1900's reaper & binder.
6.) Replica of a chuck wagon.
There is small 'The Force of Horse" exhibit. In the museum's rear is a working demonstration blacksmith shop. Met at least two volunteer staff members who would take the time to explain any unknown sleigh or farming equipment.

No admission, with donations appreciated. The museum's location is at the Cheyenne Street & Delaware Avenue intersection, number 29 on the fair's visitor's map. Just 75 feet to the museum's right is the Witter Agricultural Museum-#29, with restroom & ATM unit between the museums. Museum is open ONLY during the fair. Hours are 10:00-8:00. The best time for a visit would be about 10:30, as this is time for the blacksmith demonstration to start also not many visitors yet.

Any visitor with an interest in 1800's farm equipment, sleighs & buggies should enjoy a stop. A visit depending on what is viewed could last one hour-including the blacksmith shop.

The museum I historical, educational & interest. A stop is recommended.

I’ve always attended the NY state fair since I was a little girl & now I’m able to continue the tradition with my children. It something we look forward to every year we get to pig out & enjoy the rides just before school starts...

it was a mixture of everything. concert, specialty shopping, rides, circus, stunt shows, petting farm, zoos and food galore. Entrance fee was very cheap. ith day was $1.00 second day was $3.00. Most things inside the fair is of no extra charge. the rides are extra. there were hundreds of rides. we did not go. But there for everyone to do and watch young and old with kids and without kids.

I have to say they have really updated the fairgrounds a lot. I have been coming to the great NYS fair since I was 5 years old. Now I look forward to taking my daughter each year. We went on military day because we have family that have blocks with their names written on them for what branch of the service they were in. We did all the fun usual things checked out all of the buildings, saw the butter sculpture, had milk, and just had a good time as a family. We love to watch the horse show and its always nice to sit in there and cool off a bit. I can't wait to see what more they will do to the park.

the fair is great! The food and definitely all the amazing free concerts at Chevy court! Out with the girls for.. Counting Crows.. awesome band , amazing friends

It's a big state fair and you should give yourself plenty of time to see everything. I liked the wine slushies that they were offering this year plus the Italian Sausage is a staple. There is lots of food but hang up any notion of calorie counting once you walk through that gate. Some highlights: 1) hold a baby chicken at the 4H pavilion, 2) see some of the livestock shows to see some breeds you never knew existed, and 3) be sure to get free samples at the "Made in New York" pavilion.

Yesterday was the perfect day for the Fair. Not too hot, no humidity and lots of clouds. We spent the whole day eating, walking (20,000+ steps on my pedometer) and enjoying the sights and sounds that make the end of summer bittersweet. There was a food truck competition and having $3 samples was definitely a money-saver.

There's a wide array of stuff here and just about anyone can find something of interest. However, you might find, like me, that the few things you like aren't offset that well by all the hassles. Here are my observations.

First, traffic and parking can get ugly. If you have patience with this sort of thing and go early, you'll be okay. Next, while admission isn't that much even on full price days, there are many days when it it is free to certain groups and reduced price for everyone; if cost is an issue, plan your visit accordingly. Also, this is a horrid place to be on a blazing hot day in the 90s. The shade is limited and the concrete and crowds can make it unbearable. If you have the flexibility, avoid nasty hot days.

Some people love the Fair for the food, but I don't. There are dozens of ways to find ordinary, everyday hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries and that sort of stuff that you can get anywhere and don't need to go to the Fair to find, plus many unique and unhealthy fried items. If you try you can find okay food that is quasi healthy but mostly this is a mega junk food fest.

If you like carnival games and rides, there's plenty of that sort of thing. I'm not into that stuff, myself.

The one truly good thing about the Fair is the animals. I have no farm background and I like visiting the livestock buildings just to marvel at the beauty and diversity of the animals.

One area I detest is the Center of Progress building, which is packed with exhibitors trying to sell you all sorts of stuff. I suppose some people like spending tons of money this way but it doesn't make for a fun time for me.

Worthy of a visit is the new Exposition Center. Hint: This is a good place to grab something to eat and have a cool indoor place to sit and eat it (literally thousands of seats available). The sand sculpture here is nice.

You may be aware of the baked potato booth. We stood on line for over 30 minutes just to get very ordinary, not as good as what we could do ourselves at home, baked potatoes for $1 each. I'd skip it if I were you.

I used my fitness app on my phone to track our progress today. We walked just over 8 miles over the span of 5 hours, and did not go to see everything. If you have mobility issues, the Fair is mostly handicap accessible, but it is still challenging to cover the distances involved. Similarly, if you have small children, a stroller will be a big help.

I tell people that I go about every third year or so, just to remind myself why I didn't go the previous two years. Maybe you will like the Fair, lots of people do, but be aware that there are some of us who just don't enjoy it all that much and think it is overrated.

I Love the NY State Fair! For the price of admission and parking there is music from bands at Chevy court to a single guitar at one of the many great food and beer stands, the many buildings have vendors, livestock, horse shows, rabbits, chickens, sheep --- the baby pigs are always a hit. Train displays, police demonstrations, contest for growing things and sewing things, people watching (one of my favorites) this is just some of the free things. You can purchase and try foods from many different cultures, ride carnival rides and play games. There is something for everyone young and old.

Love all the buildings and exhibits. All the great food and beverages. The entertainment is top notch, we saw Chicago on the free concert stage and many more well know groups over the past 10 decades. Love the Great New York State Fair. The best place for a family outing to end the summer before the kids go back to school.

Beautiful new Expo Building, Very under utilized! Imagine if there was a Neon Sign above Featuring Everything Made in New York Hot dogs, Maple Syrup, Amish Furniture, Sheds, Buildings, Potato Chips, Boats, Lawn Equipment, Forestry Products, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Eggs, Chefs, Honey, Wine, Distilled Beverages, Craft Beer, All Small Business and hundreds of other Items made right here in NY. This is what the NYS Fair used to be. Imagine all this under one beautiful building that is very under utilized during the Fair. The only reason to go there is it is one of the only Buildings with Air Conditioning. What a waste to have a Ice Rink or Soccer Field in the Middle with players on the field a couple of times all day Long. Midway is very Small with Know Large Rides like the Sky Diver Double Ferris Wheel you could see Miles Down rt. 690. So Many small things could make this a blockbuster event!

Got some issues, they made the disabled parking into a bus transfer spot so the other disabled lot(pink) and spots fill up fast so get there before noon. The offer so many discount admissions, buying passes early is a waste. Otherwise it's a fun thing to do, games, rides, and more different food everywhere. Don't expect cheap anything, most prices are set by the state who gets a huge cut. Stay away weekends and nights if you can. Come early or take a day off from work. Centro has bus shuttles from many area malls and lots, but again earlier is better. I'd rather arrive at 900am and leave early afternoon, trust me, I have driven the Centro bus and also worked at the fair years before that.