GEDDES \u2014 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\u2019s been to the fair before.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we really leaned hard in to making the most diverse activity offerings possible that we\u2019ve had at the fair in a really long time, while still preserving everything that\u2019s great, like the 25 cent milk, the dollar potato, the agriculture, the animal barns, the gardens and music,\u201d LaFave said.<\/p>\n
LaFave said that she and her team have networked with the other state fair operators across the country, sharing ideas and workshopping new concepts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aren\u2019t in competition with each other, so we take ideas from each other,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ideas also come from the unique cultural developments that officials see in New York itself. LaFave said this year\u2019s fair is featuring a new trivia room in partnership with Harvey\u2019s Garden, a beer garden in Syracuse. That\u2019s driven by a spike in interest in trivia being seen in bars across New York, LaFave said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s La Bella Dolce Gelateria from Watertown and the Thousand Islands Winery from Alexandria Bay.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s cheese will be made with Locust Hill Dairy Farm milk, a dairy farm in Albany County.<\/p>\n
LaFave said people looking to attend the fair should look at the special days scheduled during its runtime, like the new \u201cSTEAM\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n