Press Releases
State Fair wins national award for new media efforts
2009-11-18 – The Great New York State Fair and Pinckney Hugo Group, a full-service marketing communications firm in Syracuse, N.Y., have been awarded two Hall of Honor Communications Awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) for Be…
Pride of New York Harvest Fest draws more than 4,000
2009-11-17 – The 2009 Pride of New York Harvest Fest drew more than 4,000 people to the New York State Fairgrounds Nov. 14-15 to sample and purchase New York State award-winning wines, beers and food products including sauces and marinades, meats, cheese and ice …
Pride of NY Harvest Fest to Feature Wine, Food & Beer Tastings at the State Fairgrounds
2009-11-03 – The 2009 Pride of New York Harvest Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. More than 100 growers and producers from across the State will…
Halloween events planned for 'Scaregrounds' - Fright Nights, Halloween Havoc to raise spirits
2009-10-26 – The New York State Fairgrounds is the place to go when the sun goes down this Halloween weekend, and two of the area's biggest Halloween celebrations come to life. K-Rock's "Halloween Havoc" will fill the Horticulture Building with screams Saturday, …
Chevy Court named best free concert series
2009-10-06 – The New York State Fair's record-setting 2009 entertainment lineup on Chevy Court was recently named Central New York's best free concert series by readers of the Syracuse New Times. Chevy Court, which hosted 24 shows by top-name performers like Sara…
Super DIRT Week returns to the Fairgrounds
2009-10-05 – Super Dirt Week, one of New York's biggest and most exciting annual sporting events, roar into the New York State Fairgrounds today, kicking off five days of racing expected to draw an estimated 100,000 to 120,000 fans from throughout the Northeast a…
“Fright Nights at the Fair” opens today in new Fairgrounds location
2009-10-02 – Fright Nights at the Fair, one of the largest Halloween attractions in the Northeast, will open for the season tonight in new location at the New York State Fairgrounds, offering five haunted houses and a terrifying hayride through the Fairground's b…
Paid attendance hits 25-year high during successful 2009 Fair
2009-09-23 – Paid attendance at the New York State Fair hit its highest level in at least a quarter of a century, and overall Fair attendance grew more than it has in a decade, as families flocked to one of the most successful state Fairs in New York history. Thi…
Fair will host annual Labor Day Parade
2009-09-06 – The New York State Fair will host its annual Labor Day Parade across the Fairgrounds Monday morning; the final day of the 2009 Fair. The parade, organized by the Greater Syracuse Labor Council, will begin at 11 a.m. near Gate 6 and travel the length …
"Homegrown Talent" Day features four CNY groups on Chevy Court
2009-09-06 – A pop music revue by the acclaimed Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center will be the centerpiece of this year's Homegrown Talent Day at the New York State Fair on Sunday, Sept. 6. Three other Central New York musical groups will round out the Homegro…
Westbound motorists urged to use Exit 6 from Route 690 for Fair parking
2009-09-05 – Motorists traveling west on Interstate 690 to go to the New York State Fair this weekend are advised to bypass Exit 7 and use Exit 6 for quicker and easier access to State Fair parking. With large numbers of people expected to attend the final weeken…
Fair hosts largest Six-Horse-Hitch Event on the continent
2009-09-05 – The New York State Fair today hosted the largest six-horse hitch competition in North America, bringing 22 teams before a packed crowd at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The event was one of the most prestigious involving draft-horse teams - groups of six on…
Fair headed toward world postcard record
2009-09-05 – Visitors to the New York State Fair dropped 1,228 addressed and stamped postcards into a special US Post Office box during the first three hours of the Fair Saturday; one quarter of the way toward the total needed to break a world record. With the he…
Discount admission to the State Fair this weekend with ticket to Saturday’s SU football game
2009-09-04 – Syracuse University and The Great New York State Fair are partnering to offer discount admission into The Fair this weekend for those who attend Saturday's football home opener. Syracuse hosts Minnesota Saturday at noon in the Carrier Dome. Fans who …
Fastest text-messager in America to take on challengers
2009-09-04 – The American record-holder for text messaging will be taking on challengers Saturday at the Fair, during a day when the Fairgrounds will be trying to set a world record for postcards mailed on the same day. Ben Cook,, the United States' record holder…
Fair hosts pep rally for SU Football season opener
2009-09-04 – The New York State Fair will help fire up Syracuse University Football fans for Saturday's season opener with an old-fashioned pep rally at Chevy Court on Friday, Sept. 4. A trio of SU football greats - College Football Hall of Famers Don McPherson a…
“Today Show” commentator to offer financial advice
2009-09-04 – Jean Chatzky, a bestselling author and financial expert for NBC's "Today Show", will share her thoughts on prospering in an economic recession during two appearances Friday at the New York State Fair. Ms. Chatzky will talk about personal finance, inc…
Fairgoers can help break world record
2009-09-03 – The New York State Fair and the US Postal Service are asking Fair visitors to help them break a world record at the Fair Saturday by mailing more postcards from one location in a single day than has ever been done before. To do that, Fair visitors ne…
Commander of USS New York visits Fair
2009-09-03 – The commander and several crew members of the USS New York, the ship depicted in this year's State Fair sand sculpture, will visit the Fair today and participate in the annual Veterans Day ceremony. Today is Veterans Day at the Fair, and all veterans…
Bobby Flay's State Fair Demonstration Recipes
2009-09-02 – Wild Mushroom Grits with Poached Eggs & Serrano Chile Sauce & Blue Corn Tortilla Strips Serves: 4 Poached Eggs 4 cups cold water 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 4 extra large eggs Salt and freshly ground pepper Bring water and vinegar to a simmer …
See a professional boxing title fight for $5
2009-09-02 – Visitors to the New York State Fair today, have an opportunity to see a world title boxing match...for only $5. People who have paid admission to get onto the Fairgrounds today can go to the Fair Box Office and buy a $5 ticket to Fight Night at the F…
Fair’s 75th Women’s Day highlights sustainability
2009-09-02 – The woman behind the creation of the first "green-certified" private home in New York State will headline this year's Women's Day Luncheon, anchoring a full agenda of events aimed at women and families. Professor Elet Callahan of Syracuse University …
Bobby Flay to appear at Chevy Court on Sept. 2
2009-09-01 – Bobby Flay, restaurateur, cookbook author and Food Network star, will appear at Chevrolet Court at The New York State Fair on Sept. 2 at 1 p.m. Flay, who stars in four Food Network shows and does cooking segments for the "Early Show" on CBS will give…
“Fight Night” boxers to weigh in today before Country Showdown
2009-08-31 – Professional boxers participating in Fight Night at the Fair - which includes a world title bout featuring women's boxing legend Christy Martin - will officially weigh in for the Sept. 2 event at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the Mohegan Sun Grandstand Stage. Th…
CNY Jazz Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony musicians to perform
2009-08-30 – The Central New York Jazz Orchestra and members of the Syracuse Symphony will treat Fair visitors to a free Big Band Swing show at Chevy Court on Aug. 31. The 2 p.m. performance will feature vocalists Nancy Kelly and Ronnie Leigh and kick off two day…
Syracuse band will fill in as opening act for The Fray
2009-08-29 – Soul Risin', a Syracuse rock and blues jam band, will replace Our Lady Peace as the opening act at tonight's grandstand concert by The Fray. Soul Risin' blends traditional blues and classic rock with folk, R&B, and reggae to create a modern sound all…
Emergency forces Our Lady Peace to cancel appearance
2009-08-29 – The New York State Fair has just learned that Our Lady Peace, the opening act for The Fray at tonight's Mohegan Sun Grandstand concert, has been forced to cancel its appearance due to an emergency involving a family member of one of the band's musici…
State Fair one of five featured fairs on MSN.com
2009-08-28 – The Great New York State Fair is one of five in the nation highlighted in MSN.com's City Guides, and the only one from the Northeast that was mentioned. The New York State Fair, which runs now through Sept. 7, appears in the article, "A Bumper Crop o…
State Fair connects to thousands through social media
2009-08-28 – The Great New York State Fair is communicating with thousands of fairgoers on a daily basis by using social media to provide updates and stay connected to a community of fans and followers that stretches from Hawaii to Wisconsin to New York. It inclu…
Governor Paterson opens the New York State Fair
2009-08-27 – Governor David A. Paterson officially opened the New York State Fair today, welcoming a crowd that was running well ahead of last year's opening-day attendance by mid-afternoon. A total of 32,019 people had entered the Fairgrounds By 3 p.m.; 5,576 mo…
MTV Show will be filmed at Kelly Clarkson Concert
2009-08-26 – An MTV production crew will be at tonight's Kelly Clarkson concert at the Fair's Mohegan Sun Grandstand to shoot footage for an upcoming documentary that will also feature professional basketball star LeBron James and President Barack Obama. The docu…
New York State Fair to be featured by NBC's
2009-08-25 – On Thursday, The Great New York State Fair will be featured by NBC's "Early Today" as the Eastern Event of the Day. The show is broadcast on NBC prior to the local morning news and the "Today" show. The Fair will be included in the Eastern Regional f…
Fair unveils exhibits that promote New York
2009-08-24 – The New York State Fair and the state Department of Agriculture & Markets today unveiled several exciting new attractions aimed at promoting New York State agriculture, business, tourism and pride. The attractions include two new restaurants dedicat…
Boxers announced for Fight Night at the Fair
2009-08-06 – Women's boxing legend Christy Martin, Olympic heavyweight Jason Estrada and James McGirt Jr. - the son of a former world champion - will headline "Fight Night at the Fair," the first professional boxing event ever held at the New York State Fair gran…
38 Special, Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play free shows at Fair
2009-07-31 – Southern rock powerhouse .38 Special and legendary blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd will play free concerts at Chevy Court during the 2009 New York State Fair. .38 Special, which mixed Southern-rock guitar riffs with a big arena sound for a strin…
Tractor Pull, Demolition Derby tickets now on sale
2009-07-30 – Tickets for the New York State Tractor Pulling Championship and the New York State Championship Demolition Derby and Championship Double Figure 8 Races are now available at the New York State Fair Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Both events will …
Komen invites 100 cancer survivors to Big & Rich concert
2009-07-29 – One hundred cancer survivors will have a chance to see "Pink Warrior" Candy Coburn perform at the New York State Fair this summer, during a special promotion through the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Coburn, a Komen celebrity ambassador and partner wh…
Amtrak offers to take kids to the Fair for free
2009-07-28 – Amtrak this summer will once again provide service directly to the New York State Fair, offering families from Rochester and communities in western New York a convenient and affordable way to travel to the state's largest annual event this summer. "F…
Colgate Country Showdown to hold state finals at the Fair
2009-07-24 – The New York State Fair will host a FREE live music event at the Mohegan Sun Grandstand Sept. 1, as the Colgate Country Showdown brings the state's best up-and-coming country musicians together to crown a New York Champion. The competition - a Nashv…
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay will cook at the New York State Fair
2009-07-14 – Celebrity chef Bobby Flay, a world famous restaurateur, cookbook author and the Food Network's reigning superstar, will demonstrate his culinary skills at this year's New York State Fair. Flay, who stars in four Food Network shows and does cooking se…
Tractor pulling championships return to the State Fair
2009-07-13 – After an 18-year absence, the New York State Tractor Pulling championship will return to the New York State Fair, bringing dozens of dirt-churning, super-powered machines to the Mohegan Sun Grandstand at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6. The competitive tra…
Summer’s hottest ticket on sale today
2009-07-13 – Advance sale tickets for the 2009 New York State Fair are available now at the State Fair Box Office, giving families an opportunity to save 40 percent off the $10 ticket price charged during the Fair. The $6 tickets went on sale Monday, July 13, at…
Three top country music acts to play free shows at Chevy Court
2009-07-04 – Eric Church and Chuck Wicks, two of country music's hottest rising stars, and the legendary Oak Ridge Boys, one of the most popular and long-lasting groups in country music, will all play free concerts at the New York State Fair this summer. The conc…
Nation's top Jersey cattle event set for July 4th at Fairgrounds
2009-07-03 – Some of the nation's finest Jersey cattle and the breed's top breeders will be at the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 4, for the American Jersey Cattle Association's 52nd annual heifer sale. It is the first time that the annual event - w…
Highway parking near Fairgrounds prohibited during Fireworks
2009-07-03 – Fountains of light will once again fill the sky above the New York State Fairgrounds Saturday, but motorists should not stop along Routes 690 or 695 or their exit ramps to admire the show. The New York State Fair, The New York State Police and the Ne…
Uncle Kracker to open for Kid Rock at the New York State Fair
2009-06-30 – Uncle Kracker, the idiosyncratic rapper-turned-country-singer who collaborated with Kid Rock on the biggest song of last summer, will join Kid Rock at the New York State Fair at the end of this summer. Uncle Kracker, who co-wrote Kid Rock's No. 1 hit…
The Fray to perform at the New York State Fair
2009-06-30 – The Fray, the multi-platinum-selling pop band whose music provides the backdrop for some of television's hottest shows, will play at the New York State Fair's Mohegan Sun Grandstand Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The concert, with opening act Our Lady Peace, i…
Drake Bell, Drew Seeley and Jordan Pruitt to play free concerts
2009-06-29 – Nickelodeon television star and popular rock musician and songwriter Drake Bell will be one of three performers aimed at children and teens scheduled to play free afternoon concerts at the Fair' Chevy Court this summer. Drew Seeley, an accomplished y…
Seven more free concerts announced for Chevy Court
2009-06-26 – The free concerts on the State Fair's Chevy Court stage this summer will include performances by hard-rock hit maker Shinedown, classic rock legend Grand Funk Railroad, hip hop pioneer MC Hammer, country crowd-pleaser Lee Greenwood, oldies superstar …
Wine competition unofficially kicks off 2009
2009-06-17 – Belhurst Winery of Geneva recently won the first blue ribbon of the 2009 New York State Fair, taking the "best of show" award for its semi-dry Riesling during the commercial wine competition at the Fairgrounds. The contest, held in the Wegmans Pride …
Professional Boxers to battle at the New York
2009-06-13 – Some of the nation's top fighters will square off during a professional boxing event at the Mohegan Sun Grandstand on Wednesday, Sept. 2, as part of the 2009 New York State Fair. The evening will offer fans three main events and a full undercard of …
Syracuse firm wins grandstand concession
2009-06-05 – The New York State Fair has awarded a one-year contract to operate food concessions at the Mohegan Sun Grandstand to American Food & Vending Corp. of Syracuse. American Food & Vending will give the Fair 31.25 percent of all grandstand concession reve…