Top 10 Favorites at the NY State Fair

For my family going to the NY State Fair every year is practically a requirement.  I have lived in New York for over 20 years now, and I think I have only missed the State Fair once in all that time.  In fact the first date my husband and I went on was to the State Fair!  Now once you have been that many times a lot of the things are the same, but for some reason it never seems to get old.  So here are my family’s New York State Fair must-dos.

1. Baby Animals – Well obviously.  There are always piglets in the swine barn, and now there is a Dairy Cow Birthing Center where you can see cows giving birth. We got there when this cow was a just a few minutes old.  You can even set up text alerts to be notified when a birth is imminent!
2. NY State Police Rappelling Show – I am not sure why my kids love this so much.  We have seen it for years in a row, and yes it is funny, but the jokes are always the same.  But it is the only show we see every year, without fail.
3. Free Concerts at Chevy Court – The Grandstand concerts are fun, but so expensive!  The past few years the Fair has brought in great acts to play for free at Chevy Court, which provides cheap family entertainment.  This year’s acts include Nick Jonas, Everclear, Cole Swindell, Salt-N-Pepa, Snoop Dogg, Fifth Harmony, The Jacksons, Rick Springfield and more. We frequently plan which day to attend based on the free concert that night.  My daughters are planning to be there for the Nick Jonas concert later this week, and here is a schedule of this year’s free concerts.
4. Chocolate Milk at the Rainbow Milk Bar – Chocolate milk for 25 cents is a treat, and we always buy a bunch of milk tickets and come back multiple times during the day.
5. Butter Sculpture – While we are drinking the milk we have to check out the Butter Sculpture! This year the sculpture includes scenes from around the state.  This is the Carrier Dome, Niagara Falls and the State Capital Building, and the other side features the Statue of Liberty holding a gallon of milk.
6. Sand Sculpture – This is sculpted while you watch, over the course of the fair, so it is more impressive by the end of the run when it is almost finished.  It is amazing how much detail you can get from sand.
7. 4H Building – The 4-H building is all the way at the back end of the fair off the midway, but it is worth the walk.  There are lots of hands on activities for kids, where they can do science projects and activities.  Usually there are baby chicks to hold, but this year that isn’t possible because of the bird flu outbreak.  They still have an incubator with chicks hatching, which is exciting to see.
8. Food – My husband loves the Dinosaur BBQ for pulled pork or ribs.  The lines can be up to 20 minutes long, but he always waits.  There are also great deals like Baked Potatoes for $1 and apples for $.50 in the Horticulture Building.
9. Horses – The horse barns are closed more often than most barns, so seeing horses there can be hit or miss.  This year there is a new Equine Alley tent which has horse out, ready to meet and great the public, which is a great new idea.  Morrisville College also has horses in a building near the midway that is rarely crowed.  And if you need a break, watching a horse show in the Coliseum is a great way to rest your feet and be entertained at the same time.
10. Collecting Brochures and Other Loot -  We have to walk through all the buildings and collect anything being given away.  This year we got bandaids, lip balm, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, crayons and a year’s supply of pencils.  We even got an ice scraper, a sad reminder that the Fair marks the end of the summer season and winter is coming!

The Fair showcases the best that New York State has to offer in agriculture, entertainment and education. Over the 12 day run, which ends Labor Day, the Fair will attract nearly one million visitors and will features unique exhibits, animal shows, signature State Fair food, agricultural displays, musical entertainment and more!  Check out the NY State Fair website for all the details on where and how to attend!

What do you like to do at fairs