SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WBNG) — The Great New York State Fair is underway in Syracuse. The fair started Wednesday and runs through Monday, September 7.
Admission is $8.32 for adults and free for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and older. Parking costs $12.41 per vehicle.
The nation’s oldest state fair is expected to draw more than 800,000 people over the 13-day run.
New attractions added this year
Fair Director Julie LaFave said new additions include drone shows Wednesday and Thursday night, a circus in the Exposition Center, jet skis on the pond, a corgi race and other features.
“We know that a lot of people love the New York State Fair. I mean, I think we feel confident that a lot of people are going to come, but then there’s still that… Will the sun shine on opening day? What will happen? But there’s a lot of anticipation because we try to add new things. So now it’s that part right now where we’re waiting to see if the new things we’ve planned are going to be taken well or well received,” LaFave said.
LaFave said the fair reflects the cultures found across New York.
“New York has Upstate, and I think people who live Upstate are very proud of Upstate. We’re proud of our farms here, and we’re proud of the area we have here and what we produce. You know, we have apples here. We make a lot of wines. So it means a lot because it’s all on display here,” LaFave said.
Fairgoers return for variety of attractions
Dawn Lehman, of Adams, New York, said she returns to the fair for its mix of cultures.
“I like it when it’s a variety of different cultures, the melting pot. And I like to see the different foods and different cultures. I love seeing the African village. I visit the African village every year,” Lehman said.
Planning a visit
LaFave said visitors traveling to the fair, including those coming from I-81, should plan ahead.
“Plan it in advance. If you’ve never been here, make sure you take the time to look at our daily schedule, download our app, enroll in our text alerts. We have some rain in the forecast for tomorrow, for instance, if you’re coming tomorrow. If you’re under text alerts, if we have bad weather and we need you to take cover, that’s what we’ll do that. But plan your trip in advance,” LaFave said.
Live music lineup
Live music performances include a concert Wednesday night with the All-American Rejects. Sean Paul, Flo Rida, Ashanti, Gym Class Heroes and other artists are scheduled to appear in the coming days.
Copyright 2026 WBNG. All rights reserved.