A recent tour of the New York State Fairgrounds revealed another vacancy where a food stand had been.

The newly empty spot is outside the poultry barn, between the Grange Ox Roast and Twin Trees. Remember Ox Roast moved last Fair after their corner stand was demolished, so that area is continuing to evolve.

A new vendor under temporary shelter will fill the spot this year, opening up those often-crowded walkways a little.

Now that the ice has melted, the schedule at the New York State Fair Exposition Center is filling in with a variety of events that will take advantage of the massive exhibit space and versatility under the multi-tiered roof.  

Coming on Nov. 2 and 3 is Best Fest, featuring entertainment, food and vendors from across the Empire State. One dollar sample portions–so popular at the annual Best of Syracuse Festival held in Clinton Square–will be available and parking on the massive midway lot is free.

Next up will be the alpaca Show on Nov. 9-11, moving into the larger space after years in the dairy cattle barn. More on that event in a later post.

It will be interesting to watch the development of the $62 million Expo Center as it reaches for its potential  on the Central New York entertainment and tourism landscape.

The miles of neon haven’t exactly gone dark, but last call has passed at the 2018 New York State Fair. It was memorable and historic–truly one for the ages.

There’s so much to discuss. Stay tuned to State Fair Hound for all of the reviews–hits and misses–from this year’s New York State Fair.

You may spend most of your Fair cash on something tasty to eat on the grounds, but many vendors offer rarely-seen gift items you can take home as souvenirs of a wonderful day at the Fair. The Iroquois Village is a treasure trove of handmade jewelry, leather goods and decorative items that represent the ancient Haudenosaunee culture.

The Pan African Village is another venue for great keepsakes, most with Caribbean or African styling. Elsewhere you can find an enormous variety of great stuff from western wear to kitchen items and craft pieces, clothing, pet supplies and just about anything else you can name.

It’s never to early to start your holiday shopping, especially if you want to buy something you won’t see at the local mall.

Every day at the New York State Fair brings something different to entertain and excite. Several days include a parade, marching from The Chevy Court area, down Broadway to the new Exhibit Center.

Each parade has it’s own personality, with various bands, marchers and performers rotating through the lineup. Fire trucks, horseback riders, Fair royalty, sports cars, candy-throwing kids, antique vehicles, uniformed military and who-knows-what can be part of each event.

The traditional music and merriment are ever present and the stretched-out route makes it easy to get a good vantage point. Spectators love to wave at the procession and it’s a favorite of photography buffs.

Check the schedule and be ready for this venerable Fair tradition. Hint: It’s a thrill to watch from the Skyliner if you can time it right.

One dollar water isn’t the only thing missing at the New York State Fair this year.

Alert State Fair Hound reader Dave Murray asked what’s up with Footsie-Wootsie, not seen this year for the first time in memory. The vibrating foot massagers are an annual tradition for Fair enthusiasts, offering relief for just a quarter.

The Jerk Hut, a food stand in the Pan African Village from its the beginning, isn’t serving its Jamaican food this year. State Fair Hound has been told by neighboring vendors that Bongo Hanslip, the hut’s founder and driving force has been sidelined with an unspecified illness. Loyal customers no doubt miss the spicy-hot Caribbean  cuisine and the proprietor’s charming accent. The Hound joins them in wishing Bongo a speedy recovery and a return next Fair.

The Hound is surprised that there hasn’t been an uproar over the absence of the adorable whiskered ones known as the Sea Lion Splash. Their poolside antics have been a perennial favorite, but their usual spot in front of the Youth Building is dry this year.

And while there’s plenty of music being heard around the grounds, the one-man band virtuosity of Bandolini isn’t strutting to his rocking beat.

There’s so much terrific free entertainment at the State Fair, it seems almost greedy to ask about missing favorites. But Fair fans are such a traditional bunch, you know they miss what they aren’t seeing.

State Fair Hound has reached out for comment from the Fair and we’ll let you know when we hear back.

For many years one of the most familiar locales at the New York State Fair was known as Times Square. It was a famed crossroads that morphed from a spot marked by such popular food stands as Xristou’s, the Villa and Paisano’s to become known for a prominent, but underutilized clock tower and the Lottery building.

A couple of years ago, a massive renovation of the area completely reformed that section of the Fair and the updated Times Square is now best known as the gateway to a Fair-famous stretch named for another New York City venue–Broadway.

The busy boulevard, lined with many of the popular businesses that were relocated in the remodel, runs the length of the grounds, from the Milk Bar to the new event center, parallel to the Skyliner. It now hosts the Fair parades and provides access to the midway, many barns and other destinations.

It stands as a symbol of the new-look Fair and a reminder of how massive the grounds are, especially for those walking the entire east-west length. You can take the Skyliner, but if you decide to hike it, there are plenty of benches and tables to use as rest spots along the way.