Driving past the Fairgrounds this week affords a look at the midway skyline shaping up and just Friday we got our first view of the new video message board above the main gate. It looks terrific with vivid colors and a crystal clear display that changes every few seconds.

FAIR SIGN 14 004

It looks somewhat how the sign looked when first erected (we’re thinking that was in the late 90s), but some problems developed a few years later and then management gave up on it and covered the screen with billboard-like signage.

It didn’t seem all that exciting to envision a new electronic message board in place, but wow, this thing is gorgeous. It certainly delivers the message that patrons will be entering a new New York State Fair that’s fresh, bright and colorful. We’ve never thought that the folks who say, “It’s the same old thing every year,” were very credible, but this edition should really shut them up.