Spectacle and sparkle at the New York State Fair
Spectacle and sparkle at the NY State Fair
From cows getting haircuts to doughnuts getting stuffed with ice cream, the annual celebration of New York creates a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells.
Even a cow needs a haircut before showtime.
That’s one of the many things we learned navigating the 375-acre grounds of the Great New York State Fair and its kaleidoscope of vendors, rides, farm animals, and musicians.
The fair started coming to Syracuse in 1841 and made its permanent home west of the Salt City on the shores of Onondaga Lake in Geddes in 1890. It now draws nearly a million people a year, giving birth to an entire city at the end of every summer that then goes quiet two weeks later. In that short span, the state estimates the fair creates thousands of temporary jobs and tens of millions of dollars in economic impact.
Here’s a taste of what our reporters saw, smelled, heard, and ate while covering this year’s fair.
Shaving for showing
The air was thick with the smell of cattle, feed, and straw. Kids laughed as they walked out of the milking parlor observation room, holding their parents’ hands as they strolled through the Dairy Cattle Building and ambled past farmers like Keith Demun.
Demun was busy shaving the cow he was tending. When curious fairgoers stopped and asked him questions, he turned off his clipper and answered with a warm smile. Once they left, he turned his clipper back on, kneeled and continued his work.
The cow stood still, looking sleepy. Its fur fell in clusters as the clipper went up and down.
“We’re going to exhibit them, a dairy show,” said Demun, explaining the last-minute haircut. “We do it here because these are called dairy animals, and they want them to look as dairy as possible, so we get the hair off of them.”
The hissing sound continued as the clipper in Demun’s hands skimmed through the cow’s body. He bent down further to shave the cow’s legs.
— Nick Yang
Don(u)t mind if I do!
Jernessa Donaldson is one of the four high schoolers staffing the Milky Bun’s booth at the New York State Fair on a Thursday evening. The workers maneuver around each other in a harmonious dance, each taking around five minutes to complete an order, topping it off with rainbow sprinkles or brownie pieces or chips.
A few customers wait in line, gazing at the colorful displays of the signature Milky Bun — doughnuts filled with ice cream and toppings on the inside, cotton candy burritos, chocolate chip “sammiches” and brownie sundaes.
Donaldson expects business to pick up later in the week. “We get a lot of people during the weekends,” she says.
A coworker hands her an order slip. Her eyes skim over the paper, her hands scoop vanilla ice-cream and sprinkle loose chocolate chips into a warm glazed donut. She hands the finished treat to the customer with a cheery “here you go” grin.
— Manaswini Pillai
Cattle find comfort in the chaos
Dozens of New York’s finest cattle line this industrial-sized barn they call home for the 13-day duration of The Great New York State Fair. The large animals lounge amongst the hay, their freshly groomed cowhides reflecting the bright lights of the barn, the air heavy with manure.
Friday night’s attendees work their way through the pens to admire the animals, some stopping to stroke them, others snapping pictures. Some of the pens are topped with signs announcing the championship pedigree of the animals below them.
“Southtown’s Choice, Peach Pie,” one reads, with a medal pinned next to it. The owners sit in lawn chairs not far away, chatting amongst themselves and with anyone interested in their animals.
Amongst the rush, it would be easy to miss the pair of human legs nestled between two of the thousand-pound cattle. Those legs belong to Emily Leclair. Leclair and her two 10-year-old cows, traveled 90 minutes north to Syracuse from Winsor Acres in Harpursville, near Binghamton. Cows are like dogs, Leclair said, and trading the comforts of their farm for the busy barns of the fair and its thousands of attendees can be overwhelming.
“They want to be close to you,” Leclair said of the cows, as one rests its head on his shoulder, its eyes closing. “You lay there, and they know they’re safe.”
Winning at the State Fair
An extra large, plush dog. An inflatable Spongebob character. A tie-dyed alien — nearly Michaela Sposato’s height.
Sposato won all those prizes, and more, at the fair on Thursday. She held the alien, which looked ready for a Phish or Grateful Dead concert, horizontal under her arm, turning carefully to avoid passersby, self-conscious of the toy’s outrageous size.
The sun was beginning to set, and Sposato, 27, had no idea how long she’d been at the fair. A yellow, folded bandana sat atop her forehead, catching the small beads of sweat that had accumulated from the day. She clutched a lemonade, shaking the plastic cup in order to get the good stuff at the bottom.
A friend with Sposato had a bundle of prizes, too. There were too many to count. Some were on Michaela’s arm while the rest were beside her, smushed into the basket of a wheelchair.
“There’s three here,” Sposato said while proudly observing her winnings. “There were more,” she trailed off, turning to rifle through the basket again.
— Beth Dawkins
A Girl and her cow walk the runway
Kazaya Ripley, in a red top and white pants, stood beside Kringle, her calf. Kringle, with patches of reddish-brown and white, stayed with Ripley, her eyes following every movement.
Ripley’s hands moved, looping the halter strap through the buckle, making sure it was secure around Kringle’s head. The calf responded by shifting her weight and lowering her head against Ripley’s arm.
Around them, handlers tied leads, brushed coats, and adjusted the positions of their cattle. The ground underfoot crunched as straw was pushed aside with each step, with the occasional “moo” of a cow breaking the steady noise.
As Ripley’s hand moved along Kringle’s neck, she leaned in and whispered, “Chill, chill.” The calf’s ears flicked, and she extended her tongue, licking Ripley’s arm.
A whistle cut through the air, and Ripley stood up, taking the lead in her hand and walking. Kringle followed, her hooves tapping a rhythm on the dirt floor.
As they approached the grandstands, Ripley raised her free hand in a wave, while Kringle kept pace beside her.
— Tiki Huang
Inflation? What inflation?
Sara Welsh, a 16-year-old cashier at The Milk Bar, noticed Rick Merritt approaching her with a dollar.
“Four?” Welsh said.
“Please,” Merritt said. She handed him four tokens.
“Have a great day!” she said.
He went to the bar next to the cashier and dropped the tokens in the can. The teen poured cups of milk, and Merritt turned to his grandson.
“Two hands,” Merritt said.
The boy in an orange T-shirt and a Nike hat clutched the cup of chocolate milk and slurped it. He held the cup to his lips till the bottom faced the ceiling.
Merritt and his grandchildren visit The Milk Bar every time they come to the fair. But they aren’t alone. The Milk Bar pours 30,000 cups of milk daily during the fair. Each morning at 4 a.m., milk from an upstate dairy plant arrives on a tanker trunk and is loaded above the bar. One out of every three fair visitors stops by this attraction, according to Jacob Maslyn, a manager at The Milk Bar.
“I think it’s great,” Merritt said. “They give you a great portion for 25 cents. The kids love it. Just a nice family part.”
— Ryann Phillips
Savory goodness and a side of Daddy Yankee
The smell of garlic, grill smoke and sweets filter through the air as you approach the state fair’s Latino Village. Marked by a large light-blue arch adorned with the flags of various Spanish-speaking countries, the village — located next to the sea lion show — features picnic tables and approximately five food trucks.
As you enter the area, the music of Romeo Santos and Daddy Yankee echo from an empty stage — no instruments or artists, just speakers broadcasting the rhythm of reggaeton and bachata.
One of the food trucks, Calle Tropical, is owned by Nelson Negrón, who waits for customers to arrive and experience the culinary wonders of Puerto Rico. Inside the truck, Negrón, the owner and cook, works diligently.
On the metal bar of the truck, a boxing medal was displayed with the title “Food Truck Battle,” and at the end, it read “Judges Choice” and “Savory.”
A customer named Naomi chose the spinach and cheese empanada. Freshly made, it was handed to her in a brown paper bag with grease stains and with just one bite of the dough — before even reaching the filling — Naomi closed her eyes, savoring the delicious pastry filled to the brim with spinach and cheese.
— María Victoria Arenas-Quintero
More pets please
On the outskirts of the State Fair, a hidden agricultural exhibit features sheep from the Honeoye-based Down Valley Farm. A few people roam the fragrant manure-filled tent, some poking their head close to the open-top cages before moving on.
One man stands out from the wanderers. He takes his time gently petting a sheep’s head, smiling as if he is at peace with the furry animal. He stops briefly, only for the glassy-eyed sheep to nudge back in his direction, asking for more.
Paul Oakley, 70, has attended county fairs for most of his life but is particularly enamored by the New York State Fair. The Manlius resident has attended the fair since the 1980s, with fond memories of seeing musical acts like Chuck Berry and Debbie Harry up on the fair stage. Now, he primarily comes in for the animals, feeling a special connection between him and them.
“It’s the only time I can pet farm animals,” he said as he smiled towards the sheep. “I just love it; I wouldn’t miss it.”
— Ankit Bandyopadhyay
Rare moments of rest
Kathy Jamerson reclines in her seat as she watches over her granddaughter’s cows. It was a long day for everyone involved with Sapphire-Bell Farms. The two cows, Bell and Buttercup, lie on their sides, lifting their heads every so often to lazily drink water or snack on hay. Kathy is also reclining, a can of root beer on the blue-wooden chest beside her.
She introduces her granddaughter Katie sleeping behind her. Facedown with her hoodie pulled over her head, Katie, worn down from the day, doesn’t move while on top of her sleeping bag, cushioned by hay bales. Not even the sound of Zach Bryan playing from the next stall could awake her.
Though Kathy remains on watch, she makes it clear Katie runs the farm with the help of kids throughout the year.
“We sold most of our herd in the ‘90s,” Kathy said. “But we kept a few on. Katie does all the work and has kids with the 4-H program help.”
Even though it’s after 5 p.m. the day is not over. Kathy is ready to step in when needed, pausing during the intercom announcements in case the cows need to be moved. There is always something to be done. That’s the life of a dairy farmer.
Sometimes spontaneity needs a map
It’s 10 a.m. and hundreds of people were already walking the fairgrounds, buoyed by a slight breeze and bright sunshine.
Bill and Maria Miranda were among the fair goers, seated at a picnic table studying a map of the state fair.
After visiting Saratoga Springs, the spontaneous couple headed west to the fair in search of adventure.
“We’re open ended,” said Miranda.
But they also like a plan, hence the map.
“She’s a virgo,” Bill said of his wife. “Maria is the detailed person in the relationship.”
While Maria encourages Bill to grab a map, Bill prefers to go with the flow.
“I would have grabbed the map on the way out,” joked Bill.
— Naomi Campbell
Golden buzzer trio Returns
Sharon Burton from Baldwinsville has been to the fair every year for nearly 50 years. Today, she’s digging Chapel Hart, who took the country sounds of Mississippi to the Chevy Court stage for the second year in a row.
The trio exploded onto the music scene after becoming the second group in America’s Got Talent history to receive a Golden Buzzer.
Burton, from Baldwinsville, said her favorite song from the show was “You Can Have Him Jolene.”
“I thought it was wonderful,” said Burton, 71. “I could not wait to see them. I saw them on AGT a few years back and they’re wonderful.”
— Justin Darden
Making magic with balloons
A balloon artist captivated children with his hands, twisting colorful balloons into delightful shapes that brought smiles to the young faces.
The artist, an older man in a red vest, stood at his makeshift station, his expression calm and focused. His fingers moved deftly, transforming balloons into dogs, swords, and other playful figures. A young boy grinned as he received a balloon dog, darting away to show it off to his friends. Around them, families strolled along the bustling paths, teenagers snapped selfies, and food vendors called out to passersby, their voices mingling with the clatter of the fair.
The Ferris wheel turned slowly in the distance, its lights beginning to twinkle as dusk settled over the fairgrounds. The smell of fried dough, sweet cotton candy, and fresh popcorn filled the air. In the midst of all the noise and motion, the balloon artist remained a steady presence, his hands moving in a rhythmic dance as he created one balloon after another.
He glanced up occasionally, acknowledging the joyful energy surrounding him, his face breaking into a gentle smile.
— Arafat Jolaoso-Perry
Where Oreos are fried and pianos can stroll
The strolling piano man draws in the crowd with his sequin suit jacket and rendition of Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers,” sounding a bit like Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump.
“I can take myself dancing,” everyone seemed to shout in unison, with many doing a little boogie on the spot to prove the point.
Blake Guyre, the strolling piano man, hails from the Syracuse-area and performs at fairs and festivals across the country. Next week he’ll be in New Mexico.
But for the last two weeks, the Great New York State Fair has been his canvas, as he “strolls” through the sprawling grounds on a motorized white piano that sits on a black base with the wheels tucked underneath.
Today, he’s sporting black-and-white patent leather shoes, black pants, and the gold-and-black jacket that glitters in the sun. As some sing along others capture it on their phones. Then he revs up his piano, and he’s off to enchant another crowd with another song.
— Madey Lynch
A cattleman’s diet
At 10 minutes before 6 p.m., Dylan Walley began eating his dinner in full view of several cows.
Walley’s meal of choice: Chicken tenders. He picked the tenders because of his love of a state fair staple rather than out of courtesy for the four-legged creatures watching him chow down.
“You can’t go to the State Fair without getting Tully’s,” said Walley, a cattleman with Gold-N-Ayr Farms in Walton, about 100 miles southeast of Syracuse. “This happened to be the first meal I had at the fair, so I went and got Tully’s.”
A central New York institution, Tully’s Good Times maintains a ubiquitous presence at The Great New York State Fair even as other staples like Dinosaur Bar-B-Que have left the fair behind. While Tully’s offers beef items on its menu, it reserves “The Best Chicken Tenders on Earth” for its registered trademark.
Despite Walley’s affection for cattle, demonstrated in his quick and attentive unshackling of “Moo” after the young cattle spun her chain around one of her hooves, his occupation doesn’t deter him from eating beef.
“Yeah,” Walley said, “that’s a staple of my diet.”
— Alec Rider
Fair spirit in the rain
The sky darkens and the scent of rain mixes with the smell of powdered sugar, pickles and turkey legs.
Kids on a sugar rush run to exit, their parents pushing empty strollers and wearing tired expressions as a drizzle begins to fall.
The speakers rattle, and screams can be heard from the mega drop ride. Ponchos and umbrellas come out, but The Great New York State Fair goes on. Lovers huddle under the small awning of a food truck, fighting over pieces of a bloomin’ onion.
The smell of hay and manure becomes a welcome compromise for staying dry, as fairgoers enter the poultry, horse, and cattle barns, their laughs bouncing off the walls of the large buildings. As the storm rages on, there’s a feeling of rebellious joy — a sense of defiance against the night’s end and summer’s final act.
— Olivia Meier
Rochester Latin band moves fans
The crowd for the Latin band Trio Los Claveles sat at six large picnic tables, with many singing along to the band’s rendition of “Dime Si Eres Feliz” by Tito Rojas. The lead singer, Samuel Borges, spoke “Spanglish,” a blend of English and Spanish commonly used in Latino communities.
His words and the sounds of trumpets, drums, and piano played loudly through two black speakers.
“Dale vamos (let’s go!),” said Borges, waving enthusiastically at the crowd to get up and dance.
The other members of the Rochester-based band shared looks at each other and the pianist helped them get back on key.
A daughter assisted her mother out of her wheelchair. She held her tightly as they swayed to the music. Another woman, overcome by emotions, insisted on hugging the duo.
Soon after, more people joined the dance circle from children to couples to elderly people.
Borges ended the performance by thanking the Pan-African Village on the fairgrounds and sharing that they hope to perform a third time next year.
— Sofia Rodriguez
Postcard from the fair
As state fairgoers file out of Centro buses, one young man exclaims: “Dude, I forgot to purchase my ticket” as he approaches the gate.
Inside, people dance and laugh to the country music on stage at Chevy Court, while others sit on foldable lawn chairs brought from home.
Long lines form at popular food trucks. Grill smoke fills the air. A couple sits intertwined on a park bench, eating vanilla ice cream cones. A young child sits on a red bench wearing an “I Love Hot Moms” T-shirt.
— Jade Pennyman
From Piglets to prizewinners
The farmer’s yell of “Soooooie!” echoed throughout the barn as he dragged a metal cup across the cages. The pigs oinked noisily when they heard the usual food call, signaling it was time for dinner.
Among the pink and black litter of piglets, two active stragglers were wrestling around, their playful antics personifying the enthusiasm of siblings.
One stall that had ribbons strung from the railing. Next to the assortment of vibrant ribbons was a massive sign that read, “RESERVE CHAMPION.”
An all-black pig, utterly oblivious to its achievements, was hidden behind the awards.
— Emily Rutkowski
Dinner for sheep
In a tent at the back corner of the fair, the only sounds were the bleating of sheep and the scrape of a brush against wool. A few visitors walked by, stopping to pet the sheep.
Beth Allison, who owns Green Acres in Hancock — a small town that hugs the Delaware River about 100 miles south of Syracuse — covered one of her sheep in a blanket after grooming her.
The sheep’s eyes, ears and nose peeked out; the blanket covered the rest of her head and her body. Allison led the sheep back into a small pen with three others. The sheep moseyed through the gate, feet crunching through the hay. Allison softly shut the metal gate with a barely audible clink.
Allison talked to some visitors as she scraped two brushes against each other to clean the wool. She said the people who come all the way back to her tent tend to be the people most interested in learning about the animals.
Allison, hair blowing in the wind, finished her conversation. After a long day of showing, it was feeding time. They would get up early and do it all again the next morning, but after dinner, Allison and her sheep would finally get some rest.
— Julianna Schwindt
Growing in color
A vibrant caricature shop stands out with its explosive color at the New York State Fair. Many of the families waiting for portraits hit the shop each year to mark various milestones.
The air is rich with the aroma of buttery popcorn and sizzling sausages, a booth in the corner stands out with its own distinctive allure. A handwritten sign reads “Airbrush Caricatures, A Great Memory.” A selection of past pieces from the booth’s 25 years at the fair are showcased left and right, along with caricatures of famous cartoon characters.
Inside the caricature tent, the air is thick with the scent of acrylic paint. Four artists — Stan Stanton, Chinchin Barrett, Anthony Sanders and Mila Iudina — make their living in the tent during the fair. Their clothes splattered with every imaginable color, reflecting their hard work and artistry. Paint gently splatters like abstract rain on their clothes and the borders of the tent, creating a patchwork of hues that mirrors the energy of the booth.
Iudina , one of the artists, is an explosion of color herself. Her outfit is a canvas of her own making, splashed with streaks of black, purple, and yellow. Wearing the same blue jeans every day to the fair, she collects memories in the form of paint on her clothes. She works with fluid, practiced motions, her hands deftly navigating the paper as she crafts lively, exaggerated portraits that capture the spirit of her subjects.
As Stanton engages with a group of excited fairgoers, his laughter blends seamlessly with the ambient sounds of the fair – bells dinging from carnival games, and the sound of excited voices.
“We see the same families year after year,” he says.“Our business grows every year because our annual visitors grow their families. They come back to get a new caricature that reflects their growing families and happiness.”
— Eda Uysen
Savoring the fair
Sweet, salty and a little bit tangy — a perfect mix of lobster meat, toasted bread with butter and a squeeze of lemon. Sweaty bodies form a long queue, all waiting to bite into the New York famous lobster roll from the “Oyster Party” at the Eatery.
After 15 minutes of anticipation, Jared Henderson took his first bite. The sweetness of the tender lobster meat was balanced by the warm bread toasted in butter.
The splash cayenne pepper on top of the roll added a little depth to the textured lobster roll.
— Kamilla Shahzad
Contributing reporters: Nick Yang, Manaswini Pillai, Beth Dawkins, Tiki Huang, Angus Kearney, Ryann Phillips, María Victoria Arenas-Quintero, Ankit Bandyopadhyay, Jack Belanger, Naomi Campbell, Justin Darden, Arafat Jolaoso-Perry, Madey Lynch, Alec Rider, Olivia Meier, Julianna Schwindt, Sofia Rodriguez, Jade Pennyman, Eda Uysen, Emily Rutkowski, and Kamilla Shahzad are Magazine, News & Digital Journalism master’s students, class of 2025.
is a photographer for The NewsHouse.