GEDDES, N.Y. — Heavy rain and flooding at the Great New York State Fair sent fairgoers running for cover and left vendors scrambling to protect their products, equipment and employees as water quickly pooled around booths on Restaurant Row.
“A lot of water really quickly,” said Gregory Horan, owner of Horan’s.
As the rain poured down, some vendors said the flooding brought back painful memories of past disasters.
“There are people stuck, like, even though it was 21 years ago, Hurricane Katrina, just standing on cinder blocks or the bleachers not moving,” said Mario Torres of 546 Chicken & Waffles.
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With water collecting around vendor stands, business owners worked to keep equipment and supplies dry. Horan said his biggest concerns were keeping key equipment out of the water.
“My refrigeration was my primary concern. The gas from the hot water tank was a main concern. All the fryers I had to make sure they were all high enough so the water wouldn’t come into play,” Horan said.
The flooding prompted fair officials to temporarily close the fairgrounds to new visitors. For vendors, even a short interruption can have an impact, with many relying on the fair’s 13-day run to bring in customers. Horan said there was little vendors could do to stop the weather.
Still, he said vendors were eager to continue operating once conditions improved.
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“We’re ready to get back to work and we got a lot of fair left and we’re excited to do some work,” Horan said.
As the water began to recede, the fair reopened and vendors returned to business, cleaning up their spaces, reopening service windows and serving customers again. With more showers and thunderstorms possible, some said they were staying prepared in case flooding returns.