Great New York State Fair
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The Great New York State Fair is an annual farmers' exposition and a 12-day showcase of entertainment, education, industry, and technology sponsored by the State of New York. Additionally there are midway rides, games, and concerts. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841. It is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States, with approximately one million visitors annually. (Minnesota and Texas have larger attendance records). From 1842 to 1889 the fair was hosted in many different cities across New York, until settling permanently in Syracuse in 1890. The year 2006 was the 160th year of the Great New York State Fair.
Gates open everyday at 8 a.m. Specially themed days include Dairy Day, Governor's Day, Comptroller's Day, Law Enforcement Day, Firefighter's Day, Midway Ride All Day, Senior Citizen's Day, Student's Day, Veteran's Day, Women's Day, Lottery Day, and others. The Mohegan Sun Grandstand features concerts from some of today's most popular musical artists, and Chevrolet Court features free concerts from acts of yesterday and today.
The Great New York State Fair takes place on the fourth Thursday in August until Labor Day. It is located on the 375 acre (1.5 km²) Empire Expo Center on the western border of Syracuse, in Geddes.
[edit] Syracuse Labor Day Derecho
On September 7, 1998, two people were killed during the fair in the Syracuse Labor Day Derecho, which ripped across the region during the evening. A piece of roof from an exhibit hall tore off and struck a vendor, while an exhibitor camping on the Fairgrounds was crushed by a fallen tree.
The state fair, for the first time in its history, shut down one day early due to the storm and the resulting electrical outages.
[edit] References
- The New York State Fair. The Encyclopedia of New York State. Retrieved on 2005-06-21.
