Published on : Thursday, September 5, 2019
2018’s record-breaking attendance of 1,279,010 was broken Monday at 11:30 a.m.
Also, the governor proclaimed the 2018 New York State tourism figures, which created new records regarding the total number of visitors, economic impact and direct spending.
“The fair is a celebration of the state — especially upstate New York — and it represents our spirit and what we have to offer,” Governor Cuomo said. “I’m proud to announce this year marks four years in a row of record-breaking attendance levels. The fair is doing well because it’s a new and different fair, which happened because we came up with a plan and we invested to rebuild it. We have invested more in upstate New York than any other administration, and the fair is part of that investment – and we’re seeing the dividends with incredible economic activity and record tourism numbers for the region and the state.”
The fair set three single-day attendance records on the way to the total attendance record, while four other days finished second. Besides, the fairgrounds are all prepared to create a record for attendance at almost 300 non-fair events organized in fairgrounds facilities throughout the year.
The Exposition Center is a centerpiece for the fair growth which was completed in time for the 2018 Fair. It is the largest clear-span exhibition space north of New York City between Boston and Cleveland. It was utilized during the fair as a pride and joy for the tourism of New York State and a sports activity center and is more than 70 percent booked for 2020 with privately-run non-fair events.
The Fair’s 2019 edition increased its free entertainment, not only on its free music stages but across the grounds, with a new show focusing on bears and another featuring a tall robot. The diversity of the fair also increased, as Latino Village Weekend expanded into a new home and grew to a four-day event and as the Chevy Court stage presented the first foreign-language artist in its long history, the Puerto Rican hip hop artist Farruko.