(Story Updated 1/22/2020 – 1:37 PM)
The governor included $4.9 million in his state budget proposal, issued on Tuesday, to fund the additional days.
If the state legislature approves the proposed extension, the State Fair would include an additional weekend and new programming, including a motor show held in the Expo Center and “sensory friendly days.”
The State Fair already started promoting the extended Fair on its Twitter account, saying “2020 New York State Fair….now 18 days of fun! That’s right Fair Fans 18 Days…No you’re not dreaming :)”
Overlap with Erie County Fair
The new projected timeline of the New York State Fair, Aug. 21-Sept. 7, would cause it to overlap on three days with the Erie County Fair, which this year is scheduled for Aug. 12-23.
The two fairs are each ranked among the largest 12 fairs in North America. The New York State Fair ranked No. 9 in attendance with 1.33 million in 2019, while the Erie County Fair placed 12th with attendance of 1.24 million last year, according to carnivalwarehouse.com. Both fairs set news attendance records.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Visual credit: New York State Fair Twitter account