State Fairgrounds events attendance rose more than 50 percent in 2017, Cuomo says

GEDDES, N.Y. — Attendance at events held at the New York State Fairgrounds — outside the 13 day window of the State Fair — jumped by more than half to an estimated 832,048 in 2017.

The figure is up 57 percent over 2016’s estimated attendance of 529,000, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. Non-fair event attendance is estimated using vehicle counts.

The Fairgrounds hosted 189 privately-operated events in 2017, up more than 16 percent from 2016, generating 732 event days of activity, up more than 12 percent, Cuomo’s office said.

Non-fair events

The Fairgrounds hosted more than a dozen events in 2017 that were new to the facility, including a Chinese Lantern Festival, Jurassic Quest, Syracuse Stadium Cross, the Salt City BBQ Festival, a centennial celebration for the New York State Police, the Family Motor Coach Association motorcoach rally, and other public festivals, trade shows and meetings.

The Fairgrounds hosted more than 30 equestrian competitions in a season that stretched from early April to the end of October. State and local-government agencies also “made frequent use” of the Fairgrounds for training sessions, workshops, and meetings.

In 2018, new events scheduled at the Fairgrounds include a day of family fun with the arts hosted by Symphoria, Syracuse’s professional symphony orchestra; the Syracuse wedding bridal show; a new rock concert series in the science and industry building; and new national horse and rabbit competitions.

In addition to the year-round events held at the Fairgrounds, the 2017 State Fair attracted a record crowd of 1,161,912. When combined with the non-Fair attendance figures, nearly 2 million (1,993,960) people visited the Fairgrounds in 2017, the state says.

Ongoing project

The State Fair is in the midst of a multi-year, $133 million project that includes “new and upgraded” facilities designed to increase the Fair’s year-round business.

The second phase of renovations, which includes a new building for major events and reconstruction of the Fair’s largest parking lot, is underway.

Construction crews have started work on a 136,000-square-foot Expo Center on the Fairgrounds. The building, featuring 110,000 square feet of open, flexible event space, will be the largest such facility north of New York City between Boston and Cleveland, the state says. Located in an area of open space created during the first phase of renovations, the Expo Center “will attract very large agricultural, consumer and trade events that otherwise would have bypassed Upstate New York, delivering significant economic benefits to the region,” Cuomo’s office contends.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com