GEDDES, N.Y. — At the Great New York State Fair, there are plenty of ways to win big. Fairgoers take their chances on games; and for the lucky players, stuffed animals are handed over as trophies.
But once the excitement of the win wears off, what happens to those prizes?
For some fairgoers, the stuffed animals become part of a collection. For others, they are gifts, or even something to pass along to a stranger.
The games themselves can be a challenge. One fairgoer said what a lot of us are thinking:
It’s kind of hard to win.
Others said their strategy was straightforward. “Just try to hit the middle,” another player said.
And sometimes, there is no strategy at all. “I was lucky,” said one of the winners.
For some, the prize is about more than winning a game. Nikki Nguyen said she collects the stuffed animals she wins at the fair. Her collection has grown so large that there is no longer room for them all in her home.
I personally like to collect them,” Nguyen said. “I have a collection at home, and there’s no space, so they’re in the basement, but it’s fun to have.
For Nguyen, the prizes serve as souvenirs from each trip to the fair: a physical reminder of the memories made each year.
But not everyone wants to keep their winnings.
Lily Revelle said after winning a game, she let a young child nearby choose one of the stuffed animals.
We played the game down there, and I won, and I let the little kid next to me pick what he wanted.
The other stuffed animal Revelle won, the one she was holding during her interview with CNY Central, also had a destination: Revelle planned to give it to her younger sister.
Whether they are collecting memories, naming a new stuffed animal, or passing a prize along, fairgoers say there is more than one way to win at the fair. For some, figuring out what to do with the prize may be the real challenge.