GEDDES, N.Y. — The New York State Fair will expand to a 13-day event in its 2017 edition, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
Cuomo’s State Fair task force had recommended the move, and the governor endorsed the recommendation.
The annual State Fair has historically run 12 days from a Thursday in late August to Labor Day. This year’s Fair will start on Wednesday, Aug. 23, Cuomo’s office said in a news release.
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The decision to lengthen the State Fair’s run comes after last year’s event attracted a record total attendance of more than 1.1 million people.
Cuomo also today unveiled plans for the $70 million, second phase of the plan to improve the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes.
The plan includes $35 million to develop an 80,000-square-foot, multi-use exposition center and $15 million for an aerial gondola between the Fairgrounds and the Lakeview Amphitheater, according to a presentation Cuomo made Monday during a visit the Fairgrounds. Cuomo’s budget proposal will provide $50 million in funding for those projects.
The plan also includes the state using $20 million from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI) to pay for the construction of a new on-ramp to Interstate 690 West and other improvements to the Orange parking lot, Cuomo said.
The plan from the Central New York regional economic-development council (REDC) won one of three $500 million awards in the URI, the Cuomo’s 2015 economic-development contest.
The second phase is part of the capital program to develop the State Fair into a “year-round destination,” Cuomo’s office said.
He provided the second-phase details as he outlined his budget proposal during the noon-hour visit to the State Fairgrounds.
About the task force
Cuomo last November appointed a State Fair “Phase Two” task force of 21 local officials and industry leaders,
Richard Ball, commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney co-chaired the task force.
The group worked to develop new ideas that would build upon the first phase of improvements debuted at the 2016 State Fair
The task force provided its recommendations to Cuomo at the end of 2016.
Sky ride, new shows
This year’s State Fair will also include an aerial sky ride over the Midway, which will debut on the Fair’s opening day.
Wade Shows Inc. will build, operate, and maintain the sky ride. It will feature “at least” 100 double-passenger seats.
The state has also announced new events that are coming to the Fairgrounds, saying they’re “a direct result of the State’s investments to improve and expand the fair.”
Right Coast Inc., promoter of the PPG Syracuse Nationals car show, will bring three events to the State Fairgrounds in 2017, including Syracuse SnowCross, Kawasaki Syracuse StadiumCross, and the Syracuse Man Show.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com