Great New York State Fair
Encyclopedia
The Great New York State Fair is an annual farmers' exposition and a 12-day showcase of entertainment, education, industry, technology, and more, sponsored by the State of New York. Additionally there are midway
rides, , 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, it is ranked third behind Minnesota and Texas. From 1846 to 1889 the fair was hosted in many different cities across New York, until settling permanently in Syracuse in 1890. 2011 marks the event’s 170th anniversary.
Gates open everyday at 7 a.m. Specially themed days include Beef Day, Dairy Day, Firefighters' Day, Governor's Day, Law Enforcement Day, Native American Day, Senior Citizen's Day, Student's Day, Veterans' Day, Women's 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 and is one of the best free concert venues in the country.
The Great New York State Fair begins on the third or fourth Thursday in August and runs for 12 days, ending on Labor Day
. It is located on the 375 acres (151.8 ha) Empire Expo Center
on the western border of Syracuse, in Geddes
.
The state fair, for the first time in its history, shut down one day early due to the storm and the resulting electrical outages.
O'Hara has been criticized for his treatment of State Fair employees. He allowed his daughters to attend an August 29, 2008 Jonas Brothers concert at the grandstand in seats normally reserved for the handicapped. When a fair employee who was ushering the concert attempted to tell the girls that they wouldn't be able to sit in that section, O'Hara's children called the director, who threatened to fire the usher.
According to State Fair employees at the time, O'Hara used a stack of Burger King
job applications as a prop during a 2007 meeting to convince them that there were other opportunities for employment if they didn't like his way of running the fair.
O'Hara's actions have been investigated by the New York State Inspector General, Joseph Fisch. Despite the investigations into the well-reported incidents, O'Hara remains the fair's director. The Inspector General concluded that O’Hara did not break any laws.
Since LaGuardia was moved from his post, the quality of music presented at the fair has been criticized by the arts sections of local newspapers. The Syracuse New Times published a scathing preview of the 2009 country acts at the fair in its August 29, 2009 issue, for example. Attendance at the fair's concerts has been unpredictable since LaGaurdia's resignation, as described in other Post-Standard articles.
During the 2009 State Fair, the traditionally operated Post-Standard building in Chevy Court was torn down. Other local media sources reported difficulties covering the 2009 version of the State Fair. Some felt this was because the director was retaliating for the Post-Standard's previously critical coverage of the fair by reducing opportunities for photographers and restricting press credentials for State Fair concerts.
On December 20, 2010 former New York State Fair Director Peter Cappuccilli Jr. was arrested on charges of grand larceny, defrauding the government, and official misconduct, accused of using his fair position to benefit himself and his family.
Midway (fair)
A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
rides, , and concerts. The first fair took place in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
in 1841. It is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: with approximately one million visitors annually, it is ranked third behind Minnesota and Texas. From 1846 to 1889 the fair was hosted in many different cities across New York, until settling permanently in Syracuse in 1890. 2011 marks the event’s 170th anniversary.
Gates open everyday at 7 a.m. Specially themed days include Beef Day, Dairy Day, Firefighters' Day, Governor's Day, Law Enforcement Day, Native American Day, Senior Citizen's Day, Student's Day, Veterans' Day, Women's 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 and is one of the best free concert venues in the country.
The Great New York State Fair begins on the third or fourth Thursday in August and runs for 12 days, ending on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
. It is located on the 375 acres (151.8 ha) Empire Expo Center
Empire Expo Center
The Empire Expo Center is an exhibition ground located in Geddes, New York, outside of Syracuse, New York. It features eight exhibition halls and 375 acres of ground space, which are used year-round for exhibitions and trade fairs...
on the western border of Syracuse, in Geddes
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
.
Attendance Records
| Day | Attendance | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 74,385 | 2000 |
| Friday | 92,782 | 2001 |
| Saturday | 115,324 | 2010 |
| Sunday | 105,894 | 2002 |
| Monday | 85,711 | 2011 |
| Tuesday | 102,136 | 1972 |
| Wednesday | 112,706 | 1972 |
| Thursday | 81,369 | 2003 |
| Friday | 103,117 | 2002 |
| Saturday | 120,516 | 1989 |
| Sunday | 119,726 | 1985 |
| Monday | 108,216 | 2001 |
| Total Attendance | 1,011,248 | 2001 |
Syracuse Labor Day Derecho
On September 7, 1998, two people were killed during the fair in the Syracuse Labor Day Derecho, a windstorm that 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 falling 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.
Controversy
In recent years, the director, Dan O'Hara, a former Baldwinsville, NY mayor, has fired a variety of long-time employees. Among those O'Hara fired include Joe LaGuardia, the fair's marketing director of 32 years. In September 2007, Syracuse's daily newspaper, The Post-Standard, reported that LaGuardia had announced his resignation, which O'Hara had requested. After firing LaGuardia, who had booked the bands who played at the venue's Mohegan Sun Grandstand during each year of LaGuardia's long tenure, O'Hara engaged in a controversial deal with the concert booking agency Live Nation that was made outside of the normal bidding process. In 2009 O'Hara reversed that decision by accepting a bid from Triangle Talent, Inc. In August 2010, Inspector General Joseph Fisch concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing in connection with the Live Nation deal.O'Hara has been criticized for his treatment of State Fair employees. He allowed his daughters to attend an August 29, 2008 Jonas Brothers concert at the grandstand in seats normally reserved for the handicapped. When a fair employee who was ushering the concert attempted to tell the girls that they wouldn't be able to sit in that section, O'Hara's children called the director, who threatened to fire the usher.
According to State Fair employees at the time, O'Hara used a stack of Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
job applications as a prop during a 2007 meeting to convince them that there were other opportunities for employment if they didn't like his way of running the fair.
O'Hara's actions have been investigated by the New York State Inspector General, Joseph Fisch. Despite the investigations into the well-reported incidents, O'Hara remains the fair's director. The Inspector General concluded that O’Hara did not break any laws.
Since LaGuardia was moved from his post, the quality of music presented at the fair has been criticized by the arts sections of local newspapers. The Syracuse New Times published a scathing preview of the 2009 country acts at the fair in its August 29, 2009 issue, for example. Attendance at the fair's concerts has been unpredictable since LaGaurdia's resignation, as described in other Post-Standard articles.
During the 2009 State Fair, the traditionally operated Post-Standard building in Chevy Court was torn down. Other local media sources reported difficulties covering the 2009 version of the State Fair. Some felt this was because the director was retaliating for the Post-Standard's previously critical coverage of the fair by reducing opportunities for photographers and restricting press credentials for State Fair concerts.
On December 20, 2010 former New York State Fair Director Peter Cappuccilli Jr. was arrested on charges of grand larceny, defrauding the government, and official misconduct, accused of using his fair position to benefit himself and his family.