If your idea of R&R is winning a giant pink panda by knocking down a triangle of wooden pins with a baseball, admiring prize-winning livestock and agricultural displays, riding a Ferris Wheel, listening to concerts, and washing down corndogs and giant pretzels with a beer chased by cotton candy, candy apples and funnel cake, New York State is home to more than 50 county and local fairs, not including the Great New York State Fair, that are calling your name.
The State Fair, which runs from August 25 - September 5, 2016 in Syracuse, was recently named among the top five in the U.S. by Country Living magazine. Highlights include the best milkshakes we have ever tasted, an impressive butter sculpture that rivals any in the world, and a staggering array of animals! You can buy your $10 admission ticket in advance at the State Fair website, or in person. Inside tip: On Thursday, August 25 and September 1, admission is only $3.00, and on Labor Day admission is just $1.00. Special fares are available for seniors and students under 18, and children under 12 are admitted free. Just remember to wear comfortable shoes and use sunblock.
The State Fair isn't the only one worth visiting. New York's county and local fairs each have their own charms. Saratoga’s, for example, features a rodeo. As listed on the State Fair's website, here is a comprehensive list of 2016's county fairs. A few have already come and gone, so check the dates (or flag your calendar in anticipation of next year's events) and don’t miss out. Upcoming fairs are denoted in BOLD.
Afton Fair: July 6 – 9 in Afton, NY
Allegany County Fair: July 18 – 23 in Angelica, NY
Altamont Fair: August 16 – 21 in Altamont, NY
Boonville-Oneida County Fair: July 26 – 31 in Boonville, NY
Broome County Fair: July 26 – 31 in Whitney Point, NY
Cattaraugus County Fair: August 1 – August 7 in Little Valley, NY
Cayuga County Fair: July 28 – 30 in Weedsport, NY
Chautauqua County Fair: July 25 – 31 in Dunkirk, NY
Chemung County Fair: August 4 – August 9 in Horseheads, NY (in 2017: August 1-6)
Chenango County Fair: August 9 – 14 in Norwich, NY
Clinton County Fair: July 19 – 24 in Plattsburgh, NY
*Columbia County Fair: August 31 – September 5 in Chatham, NY
Cortland County Junior Fair: July 5 – 9 in Cortland, NY
Delaware County Fair: August 15 – 20 in Walton, NY (in 2017: August 14-19)
*Dutchess County Fair: August 23 – 28 in Rhinebeck, NY
Erie County Fair: August 10 – 21 in Hamburg, NY
Essex County Fair: August 10 – 14 in Westport, NY
*Fonda Fair: August 30 – September 5 in Fonda, NY
Franklin County Fair: August 6 – 14 in Malone, NY
Genesee County Fair: July 12 – 16 in Batavia, NY
Goshen Historic Track: July 1 – 4 in Goshen, NY
Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair: August 2 – 7 in Gouverneur, NY
Grahamsville Little World’s Fair: August 19 – 21 in Grahamsville, NY
Greene County Youth Fair: July 28 – 31 in Cairo, NY
Hemlock Fair: July 19 – 23 in Hemlock, NY
Herkimer County Fair: August 16 – 21 in Frankfort, NY
Jefferson County Fair: July 12 – 17 in Watertown, NY
Lewis County Fair: July 19 – 23 in Lowville, NY
*Long Island Fair: September 24 – 25 & September 30, October 1 – 2 in Old Bethpage, NY
Madison County Fair: July 7 – 10 in Brookfield, NY
Monroe County Fair: August 4 – 7 in Henrietta, NY
Niagara County Youth Fair: August 3 – 7 in Lockport, NY
Onondaga County 4-H Youth Fair: July 28 – 31 in Syracuse, NY
Ontario County Fair: July 26 – 30 in Canandaigua, NY
Orange County Fair: July 20 – 31 in Middletown, NY
Orleans County 4-H Fair: July 25 – 30 in Albion, NY
Oswego County Fair: August 10 – 14 in Sandy Creek, NY
Otsego County Fair: August 2 – 7 in Morris, NY
Putnam County Fair: July 29 – 31 in Carmel, NY
Saratoga County Fair: July 19 – 24 in Ballston Spa, NY
*Schaghticoke Fair: August 31 - September 5 in Schaghticoke, NY
Schoharie County Sunshine Fair: July 30 – August 6 in Cobleskill, NY
Seneca County Fair: July 20 – 23 in Waterloo, NY
Steuben County Fair: August 16 – 21 in Bath, NY
Tioga County Fair: July 5 – 9 in Owego, NY
*Trumansburg Fair Association (Tompkins County): August 23 – 28 in Trumansburg, NY
Ulster County Fair: August 2 – 7 in New Paltz, NY
Warren County 4-H Fair: August 9-13 in Warrensburg, NY
*Washington County Fair: August 22 – 28 in Greenwich, NY
Wayne County Fair: August 15 – 20 in Palmyra, NY
Wyoming County Fair: August 13 – 20 in Pike, NY
Yates County Fair: July 12 – 16 in Penn Yan, NY
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