The Great New York State Fair will once again kick off on Aug. 23 and run until Monday, Sept. 4. Last year, more than 1 million people attended the fair which features animal exhibits, concerts, horse shows, the famous butter sculpture, history, youth exhibits, rides, and agriculture contests.

Mixed with these traditional attractions are usually a few new exhibits. Something new to the fair this year is a Family Fishing Day which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 27. Anyone with a valid sporting license can get into the fair for free on this day. As part of this event, the Department of Environmental Conservation will allow anyone with a fishing license to fish at the New York Experience area pond at the fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, anglers from Bass Anglers Sportsman Society will compete in a fishing tournament on Onondaga Lake that begins at 7 a.m. Following the tournament, participants will bring their catch to the fairgrounds for the official weigh-in where contest winners will be determined.

On Monday, Aug. 28 any active or retired law enforcement or corrections personnel who show a badge or picture ID from their respective department will get into the fair for free on Law Enforcement Day. Ceremonies honoring law enforcement will take place at noon in front of the Horticulture Building. Similarly, on Tuesday, Aug. 29 active or retired members of a fire department or emergency services organization with a picture ID from their respective department can get into the fair for free. Ceremonies honoring fire and rescue personnel will be held at 11 a.m. in front of the Horticulture Building. On Thursday, Aug. 31, there is free admission to any active duty or veteran with military ID and a ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial.

Dairy Day is a popular tradition which will be held Aug. 31 this year. Those attending Dairy Day are invited to view and taste award-winning cheeses, milk and other dairy products. There will also be a local celebrity milkshake contest. Milk is still New York’s leading agriculture product. About 23% of the state’s land area, or 7 million acres, is used by 36,000 farms to produce a diverse array of products. Many of these products are showcased at the fair.

The fair provides our area youth a place to show their talents. The 4-H building, for example, showcases our area youth and a variety of activities they are interested in such as robotics, weaving, and gardening. Countless other buildings, tents and stages showcase the young talent of our region. Some will be dancing on stage at Chevy Court and others are involved in horse riding competitions. In most cases, kids work hard all year to compete at the fair and families dedicate several days to being at the fair.

This year the fair opens one day earlier and will run for 13 days rather than 12. On Aug. 23 and Sept. 4, people can get into the fair for $1. On Aug. 24 and Aug. 31, admission is $3. Aug. 28 and 29 are senior citizens’ days when admission is free for those 60 and older. Students 18 and under are admitted free on Sept. 1. Kids 12 and under always have free admission. Advance sale tickets are $6 and $10 at the gate.

The State Fair has a great website with information available for those who plan to come and an app is available for download. To view full schedules or to plan your fair visit, visit the New York State Fair Web site. Bus rides to the fair are provided by Centro. To find bus information, visit https://www.centro.org/statefair.aspx. You also may call (315) 487-7711. To learn more about other 2017 Special Fair Days, please visit the New York State Fair Web site.

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 200 North Second Street, Fulton, New York 13069, by e-mail at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or by calling (315) 598-5185. You also can find me, Assemblyman Barclay, on Facebook.