GEDDES — The New York State Fair is reopening for its 174th year next week, and officials have done some work this year to make sure it feels fun and entertaining no matter how many times someone’s been to the fair before.
Julie LaFave, director of the fair, said in an interview with the Watertown Daily Times on Thursday that this year, officials have worked to ensure that the fair stays true to its origins, respects the classics but also brings in a new slate of experiences to show New Yorkers the best of the state.
“I think we really leaned hard in to making the most diverse activity offerings possible that we’ve had at the fair in a really long time, while still preserving everything that’s great, like the 25 cent milk, the dollar potato, the agriculture, the animal barns, the gardens and music,” LaFave said.
LaFave said that she and her team have networked with the other state fair operators across the country, sharing ideas and workshopping new concepts.
“We aren’t in competition with each other, so we take ideas from each other,” she said.
Ideas also come from the unique cultural developments that officials see in New York itself. LaFave said this year’s fair is featuring a new trivia room in partnership with Harvey’s Garden, a beer garden in Syracuse. That’s driven by a spike in interest in trivia being seen in bars across New York, LaFave said.
Additionally, the contract the fair maintains with the Midway operators requires they bring at least three new rides each year, keeping that area of the experience fresh for guests.
Visitors to the fair can enjoy delicacies, regional food and vendors from across the state. Jefferson County has three companies that will be selling their food at the fair this year, including Alteri’s La Bella Dolce Gelateria from Watertown and the Thousand Islands Winery from Alexandria Bay.
And from Adams, for the first time, the Great Lakes Cheese company will work with the Dairy Farmers of America to showcase a replica of a 1,400-pound cheese block from 1835. This year’s cheese will be made with Locust Hill Dairy Farm milk, a dairy farm in Albany County.
LaFave said people looking to attend the fair should look at the special days scheduled during its runtime, like the new “STEAM” day that will showcase science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programming, which will include a class on roller coasters and a Waymo self-driving car on display.
“Everything is on our website, but no matter what your interest is, whether its the arts, or flowers, or the cows or music, you can define your search and find what interests you the most,” she said.
Tickets, parking passes, wristbands for the Midway and more information can all be found on the fair webpage, nysfair.ny.gov.