It’s always a treat to see State Fair characters cavorting on the grounds Get your candy ready in case they come to your door on Halloween.
Month: October 2016
New York’s Got Talent–as these two glamorous dancers proved at Talent Showcase.
Today State Fair Hound introduces its new header photo, cropped from a shot taken on Labor Day, 2016 by Hound photographer Nick LoPresti. 
The previous header featured the most beautiful ride ever on our midway, Strates Shows’ wave swinger, also seen through Nick’s lens. Alas, Wades Shows doesn’t have a wave swinger, so photos will have to sustain us from here on out.
The expanded midway provided thrills for riders including these on the Tilt-a-Whirl.
There are plenty of reasons to visit the Fairgrounds in autumn.
The handsome Gatsby competed this past weekend in the Stepping Stone Horse Show. Check the Fair website for more horse shows coming up.
The Empire Alpaca Extravaganza runs Friday through Sunday. It’s free to attend and a chance for a close-up look at the fascinating South American beasts.
Reported attendance at Chevy Court was down from last year, but it’s always a popular venue. That’s Ted and Amy introducing a show.
Some Americans are observing Columbus Day this week, recognizing the 15th century explorer credited with “discovering” the continents of the western hemisphere. A growing movement takes another approach, recognizing that the Americas was already inhabited by many civilizations when Columbus landed in the West Indies and his arrival was a precursor to centuries of genocide, brutality and exploitation.
The New York State Fair 
honors Native American culture and history, primarily within the Iroquois Village, one of the most popular attractions on the grounds, where descendants of the original inhabitants of New York provide entertainment, traditional food, education and exhibitions to Fairgoers.
The venerable people of the Six Nations, whose Great Law of Peace inspired the United States Constitution, are an indispensable part of the Fair every year. Thus, State Fair Hound salutes the Haudenosaunee people on Indigenous Peoples Day.
Many Fair visitors took home a product or two purchased from a demonstrator on the grounds. This pitchwoman sold high-tech mops in the Horticulture Building.
Though there may be improvements in available transportation, as suggested in State Fair Hound’s Sep. 26 post, Travel Channel, many people will continue to walk the middle section of the Fair, where the midway runs along between Broadway on one side and the RV park on the other. The addition of more oases with shade, seating and amenities is needed and The Hound has a suggestion. Most of the rest stops this year were tables with umbrellas, which is fine as far as it goes. 
Bigger, sturdier structures would be a good idea, not only for the protection and comfort they provide, but to give that area a classier, neighborhood look.
Picture wooden pavilions like those in state park picnic grounds, covering tables along with snack or drink vendors and possibly some entertainment. Maybe some clever designer could make them easily assembled and removed to maintain the flexibility that the Fair cherishes.
That same concept may be a good idea for some the food vendors who occupied tents this year. Sure, they can do business under a canopy, but rows of tents give the feel of a second-rate county fair. 
Sandwiched between the high-tech midway rides and the lovely permanent buildings, they just looked a little shabby. The Hound wouldn’t be against the idea of building permanent stands, two or three under one roof, as modeled on Restaurant Row. It’s very expensive, but may be worth some money, especially if helps to keep established vendors who are willing to make long-term investments in their annual businesses.