09/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2024 10:23
With the 2024 Great New York State Fair in the books, the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Fair are proud to reveal a number of fun facts, statistics, and figures that demonstrate the Fair's hugely successful 13-day run. With several exciting new agricultural exhibits and activities, the Fair was able to offer even more opportunities to bring fairgoers closer to New York agriculture, while providing an inclusive, diverse, family-friendly space for fairgoers that was packed with record-setting entertainment and concerts, an increased number of food and beverage options, dozens of new rides on the Midway, and more.
"The Fair is part of the fabric of New York State and has been for nearly two centuries," said State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball. "As one of our state's most cherished traditions, The Fair is the perfect backdrop for educating visitors on the importance of agriculture to our communities and to our economy while also providing top-notch entertainment, workforce development initiatives, culinary delights, and so much more. The 2024 New York State Fair was one of the most successful Fair's we've ever had, serving as a place where families were able to come together to make unforgettable memories, experience things they may not have an opportunity to try elsewhere, and come together to enjoy the very best of New York all while learning about New York agriculture."
"I'm so grateful to everyone that played a part in making this year's Fair a memorable experience," said Fair Director Julie LaFave. "We heard so many anecdotal stories from fairgoers, vendors, partner agencies, and staff that highlighted the success of our agricultural competitions, exhibits, concerts, grounds entertainment, and more. These statistics and figures not only support those stories, but they also tell us that fairgoers truly enjoyed all that The Great New York State Fair had to offer."
AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, AND SO MUCH MORE
As the oldest state fair in the nation, The Great New York State Fair is deeply rooted in agriculture, and we are proud to say it is still one of the biggest draws for fairgoers. From the Butter Sculpture to the Maple Booth, from the 4-H for Horses Exhibit to the brand-new Mobile Dairy Experience, agriculture continues to be front and center at the New York State Fair, giving its more than 868,000 visitors an opportunity to connect directly with farmers and learn more about the animals that are essential to the industry.
As part of Agriculture Career Day, 163 youths ages 10-18 joined FFA and 4-H student members for an educational scavenger hunt with interactive exhibits to learn more about workforce development initiatives and to gain awareness of potential career paths in the agricultural industry.
The Fair also worked hard in 2024 to increase the number of agricultural competitions offered and the results speak for themselves. The Agriculture Office at The Fair filed a total of 11,652 total entries for youth, animals, flower, produce, wine, and fine art competitions - up from 10,000, which is an increase of over 11% compared to 2023.
Other highlights include:
"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?"
The Fair always prides itself on having a diverse entertainment lineup that appeals to fans of all ages and musical tastes. With multiple Grammy winners, Hall-of-Famers, family-friendly acts, and more, this year's lineup was no exception. In all, The Chevrolet Music Series featured 39 national recording acts in Chevy Court and Suburban Park, including two shows geared toward a younger audience. Kidz Bop performed in front of nearly 4,000 fans while Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour entertained 15,000 fairgoers - the largest crowd of The Fair inside Chevy Court.
Additionally, this year's lineup had three crowds rank within the top seven largest concerts in Suburban Park's history. On August 26, Megan Moroney nearly toppled Lainey Wilson's record after serenading 47,000 fans - the second largest concert ever at Suburban Park - while Flo Rida packed in 42,000 fairgoers, which is the fourth most ever in that venue. Rick Ross's performance tied for the seventh largest concert in Suburban Park after 39,000 watched him perform live on stage. In addition, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Dropkick Murphys, Warren Zeiders, and Chevelle all drew crowds in excess of 15,000 to Suburban Park this year.
Still, there's more to The Fair's musical offerings and performances than what is seen at Chevy Court and Suburban Park stages:
MIDWAY MOMENTUM
Wade Shows' Midway, featuring dozens of new rides this year, also proved to be a big draw for families. According to Wade Shows, if all equipment were to be stacked end-to-end, it would span 1.5 miles in length. Additionally, nearly a half of a mile of wire was used to power the rides, vendor stands, ticket booths, and trailers at the Midway.
Ridership was also at an all-time high with 1.5 million riders having enjoyed themselves. From a revenue perspective, the Midway enjoyed a record year with both advance sales and online sales seeing significant growth from 2023. Wade Shows also reports awarding the equivalent of 50, 48-foot semi-trucks worth of prizes and close to 50,000 turkey legs, friend dough, and corn dogs having been sold.
The Fair continues to collect feedback on fair experiences and welcomes perspective from all who attended this year's run. A link to participate in the survey is provided here. Participants will have an opportunity to win lifetime admission to the Fair and one of several $100 Amazon gift cards. Feedback provided will help Fair staff inform future programming and events.
MOBILITY MATTERS
Centro Bus, which provides shuttle service to and from The Fair from Downtown Syracuse and two Park-N-Ride locations, and The Fair's tram service, which offers 10 stops positioned around the perimeter of the grounds, helped hundreds of thousands of patrons navigate transportation, avoid traffic jams, and travel safely to and from The Fair each day.
Now just 330 days away, The Great New York State Fair returns for its 2025 presentation - and 177th occurrence - on Wednesday, August 20. Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment and is a key piece of the state's CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest state fair in the United States, and consistently ranks among the Top Five state fairs in the country.
The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about The Great New York State Fair online, and follow the fun on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Guests are invited to see photos from the Fair on Flickr.