SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that the New York State fair is on for the summer. This annual celebration brings in millions of people and hosts hundreds of events. It will feature some of New York’s best foods, drinks and more. The director of the New York State Fair, Troy Waffner, is taking the first steps of planning and preparing.
“We’re sitting down with all of our maps and we are starting to layout the property and get a sense of the vendors,” Waffner said. “It’s going to be mainly an outdoor fair this year… so there are just a lot of puzzle pieces at the end that we are just trying to fit together.”
After having to cancel the fair last year due to COVID-19, Cuomo pushed for it to happen this year in the safest way possible. Waffner and his team are strategically planning how many vendors will be in one area and who that will be to ensure rules are followed. The fair will not interfere with the vaccination site, as it has been one of the largest in the nation. They have been proud to operate as a testing site but are looking forward to returning to a fun normal. The vaccination is still a high priority, so to encourage people to do both they may offer a special deal.
“The vaccination site is still operating,” Waffner Said. “We will work that into our program and certainly encourage people while they are at the fair and come up with a gimmickry, if you get a shot and come to the fair you will be able to get in for free or something.”
The fair will offer several New York staples from food and drinks to certain animals that are an important part of the states agriculture. The main idea behind it is to appreciate New York and how far the state has come economically and in spirit. After more than a year of postponed activities, this is a unique event that will bring everyone together despite the difficulties that society has been faced with.
For more information on the state fair, visit https://nysfair.ny.gov
