(Photo by Herm Card)

For each day of the 2013 New York State Fair, the Hound will post a trivia question to test out your Fair knowledge. Look for answers on the following day’s post.

Day one question:
What was the first business to be naming sponsor for the venue currently called Chevrolet Court?

Your State Fair Hound editor will be a featured guest of CNY radio veteran Gary Dennis for an interview to be aired Sunday at 6 a.m. on TK99, Sunny 102, K-Rock and ESPN 1200 AM. We and Gary go back many years and we look forward to renewing acquaintances and catching up. We’ll talk up the New York State Fair then and now, so please tune in. Thanks, Gary. See you at the Fair.

It appears that this year’s Grandstand concert series generally won’t be well attended, especially since Jon Bon Jovi has been diverted to raise funds for our overexposed governor. That’s disappointing, but the public should understand that the process of booking acts for those 10 days—remember that for the last two days the venue is used for motorsports—is much more complicated and difficult than just coming up with the names of some acts that may be well-received.

The late Joe LaGuardia taught us that booking the Fair is a tricky combination of timing, balance and luck and that you’ve got to work on it all year. It’s not easy when you consider that some acts won’t play outdoors, some are priced beyond what would be reasonable in a 17,000-seat venue and other are touring another part of the world in late August/early September.

To be fair, some of the acts on the bill could have logically been expected to draw bigger numbers. Reasons for the slow sales could include multiple previous appearances for some acts, ticket prices being higher than some fans will pay and the shortcomings of the Grandstand, referenced in our Venues on the menu post. Ironically, a major reason may be the emergence of Chevy Court in drawing monster crowds as it did with Bruno Mars, Lady Antebellum and Shinedown. This year Vince Gill, one of the most talented musicians of our time, will play there. Since he plays adult music, he’s definitely on the outs with hot country radio, but he’ll still draw, as will Grace Potter, Austin Mahone and others. Fairgoers take in the free acts and skip the pricey ones.

So what’s the answer? Well, a new venue would be great. Failing that, making the current accommodation more customer-friendly would be nice. Allow plastic bottles and snacks to be carried in and work on courtesy with security personnel. Get creative on ways to make those seated at the fringes feel closer. Try multiple-bill shows and more emphasis on rising acts that haven’t played here. And let’s recognize that a poorly-attended show isn’t necessarily better than no show at all. A break-even show is OK as bringing more patrons through the gates is important, but losing money makes it hard to justify the concert. In fact, a few real blockbusters among some dark evenings as a complement to a strong Chevy Court line-up may be the wave of the future.

It’s good news for fair fans that the President’s late August visit to Central New York won’t include a stop at the Fair. That feeling isn’t fueled by politics, but by a flashback to traffic jams outside the grounds and pedestrian mobs inside on previous VIP visits. Anyone who wants to see Obama can drive over to Henninger High School, while those who don’t can spend the day at the Fairgrounds.

Speaking of presidents, historic Kennedy and Reagan tribute displays and a meticulous model of the White House were among a series of terrific exhibits being displayed in major buildings at Fairs past. These door busters, as we like to call them, drew long lines and so did many others, including a hip-swiveling Elvis Presley set-up, a fascinating NASA exhibit, the quirky and fascinating Toothpick City and a barnstorming Baseball Hall of Fame exhibit that awed diamond buffs.

You have to wonder where these great, adult-oriented, one-of-a-kind exhibits have been the last few years. If this year’s new attractions, one documenting the State Fair’s history and another illuminating the Onondaga Lake clean-up plan, signal a trend to fill wings of some buildings with high-profile displays, that can only be good news for fairgoers and it may even have a positive impact on attendance numbers.

The performing dog show this year is a new one for the Fair and previous canine hijinks have been among the most popular of the family fun sideshows. Dogs are natural hams when it comes to show business and animal lovers don’t feel the guilt that can come while enjoying wild animal acts.

But with large crowds comes the issue of how to best present them to maximize the audience’s comfort and viewing positions. That’s been a problem as the Fair has to resort to movable bleacher seating that doesn’t allow enough space for the favorite acts.

A bigger, perhaps permanent venue for the sideshows would be a great addition if the financing were available. But it’s unlikely to rise to the top of a priority list that would include improvements at Chevy Court to cope with the crowds there and the holy grail of Fair improvements—an amphitheater for concerts to replace the Grandstand. OK, it would be tremendously expensive by Fair standards, but how much does it cost to erect and tear down a stage on the track every August? Plus a stage that’s more attractive to top-name acts and seating that is more comfortable and fulfilling for fans would be a dynamic addition. Throw in the added revenue that would come from non-fair events, perhaps booking acts that would bypass Syracuse on the way to Saratoga, Canandaigua or Darien Lake and it starts to sound like a pretty good idea.

One week to go until opening day, so it’s time to get excited. There will be a few new exhibits and performances to see, including a motorcycle stunt show, a bird tent and a comic hypnotist. The Hound is most excited about the new exhibit in the heretofore underutilized Grange Building. It documents the history of our favorite event with photos, memorabilia and, from what we’ve heard, replicas of icons from Fairs past including butter sculptures and that glorious old main gate arch.

The other major debut will be in the Center of Progress where there will be an interactive display on the resuscitation of Onondaga Lake. We promise it won’t include the odor our Camillus neighbors have to endure from the sludge they dredge from the lake and dump in their backyards.

Speaking of smells, we can’t wait for those glorious food odors that hit you before you can even make it through the gate. It’s time to get your tickets.

The Hound will be roaming the grounds and reporting back on all the hits and misses, highs and lows, so stay close.