The New York State Fair finished with its best attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing 932,699 visitors during its 13-day run. The 6% increase from last year's total of 878,110 is another indication that large-scale events are recovering from the pandemic.
The fair benefited from great weather conditions and top-notch musical performers, including Lainey Wilson, who drew a record 53,200 people for her Suburban Park concert. Opening weekend attendance was solid, with 80,000-plus fairgoers on both days. After the usual lull in the week leading up to Labor Day weekend, the crowds picked up. The fair topped 90,000 for the first time on Saturday (91,926). Sunday's attendance (95,591) was the best single-day total of this year's fair.
The fair's comeback began in 2022, when it returned to a 13-day run after being canceled in 2020 and expanded to 18 days in 2021. New leadership was installed before the 2022 fair, with Sean Hennessey named interim director after Troy Waffner took a different state job. Hennessey sought to focus on quality, not quantity, and the fair's attendance has increased in each of the past two years.
The 2024 fair will run from August 21 through September 2. Crews will begin cleaning up the fairgrounds on Tuesday, and the butter sculpture in the Dairy Products Building will be dismantled and recycled.
Photo Credit: New York State Fair
Categories: New York, Rural Lifestyle