York State Fair — Local services in West Manchester Township

I attended the Lainey Wilson concert at the York State Fair with high hopes for an enjoyable experience, especially as someone who relies on ASL interpreter services. However, my experience raised significant concerns about the adequacy and professionalism of the "accommodation" services provided.

Before the concert, I made multiple attempts to confirm my need for accommodations, specifically requesting an ASL interpreter and relocation to accessible seating since I held two tickets in the Grandstand. My interactions with the venue were frustrating. In their email, they stated, "We have an ASL interpreter for all concerts," which initially seemed reassuring.

However, they soon implied that due to the sold-out nature of the show, “seat relocation may be an issue,” essentially suggesting that it was my responsibility to resolve this or accept whatever arrangement was made for me. On the day of the concert, the lack of communication and support became even more apparent.

Upon arrival, the staff informed me that relocating would be difficult due to the packed audience, leaving me to navigate the situation on my own. This is particularly concerning given my previous positive experiences at other venues where accommodating my needs was never an issue.

Additionally, I discovered that the same interpreter was used for all concerts at the venue. This raises questions about her qualifications and whether she may be a relative of someone working there or provides her services for free. Either scenario suggests a troubling lack of professionalism and commitment to meeting the needs of patrons who require ASL interpretation.

When I was finally escorted approximately 100 yards from the stage, behind the pit, the organizer pointed to the interpreter and suggested that I squeeze through the dense crowd; I declined. It felt unreasonable to expect me to navigate through crowds of people to access my right to accommodations.

Unfortunately, no interpreter was present to facilitate communication between me and the venue’s staff, which meant my friend had to step in to speak on my behalf. Once I settled in a location in the back of the pit, where I could partially see the interpreter, my disappointment deepened. The interpreter failed to communicate critical pre-show announcements and neglected to interpret the warmup instrumental segment entirely.

Furthermore, she remained seated throughout the performance and showed little energy or expressiveness, failing to convey emotion and excitement. The expectation for an ASL interpreter is to sign the words accurately and embody the energy of the performance, which was noticeably absent. Compounding these issues, the interpreter appeared to be using Signing Exact English (SEE) instead of ASL, which concerns her qualifications and ability to provide accurate interpretation.

At other events, I have always had the opportunity to communicate directly with interpreters to express my preferences and needs, ensuring they met my requirements. Yet, in this case, I could not convey to her the necessity for ASL, which further highlighted a lack of professionalism on her part. Despite the inadequate interpretation services, I found some humor in the interpreter's repeated signing of "lesbian" during the concert, despite it not being in the lyrics. This indicated substantial inaccuracies in her interpretation and an apparent lack of preparation or professionalism.

While the York State Fair may believe they are fulfilling their obligations by providing an interpreter for concerts, it’s essential to recognize that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires more than just ticking a box. It necessitates a genuine commitment to accessibility and quality service for all attendees. This oversight undermines the experience of patrons like myself and reflects poorly on the venue's commitment to inclusivity.

In light of these concerns, I urge the York State Fair to reevaluate its approach to accessibility and ensure that qualified, experienced interpreters...

York county doesn't have much going for it anymore. Major businesses keep leaving. Crime is way up. The city keeps trying to "re-invent" downtown but it just gets worse. Sad but true...but this place is a dump. But at least we had the York Fair, right?

Well, yes and no. It still happens every year...but that's about the extent of it's resemblance to anything it once was.

"The country's oldest fair" has steadily gone down hill ever since a fatal accident involving local business magnate Ken Potter (Martins Chips) and his grandchild. The ride company split after that, and the replacement just couldn't ever match pace. Steadfast vendors like Kohrs disappeared over the years. Attendance began to decline, and the Fair panicked!

Shortly after they added an area to drink beer at the fair. A pathetic little corral where the folks of York went because they couldn't even curb their alcoholism and depression for a few hours to take the kiddos on some rides.

Then they pretty much cleared out the vendor area in memorial hall. No more milk and animal crackers for Rutters.

Now the York Fair hasn't been a true farmers fair for years, which is truly sad, but it maintained a semblance of its roots for a long time. Sadly, now it's just about getting that dollar.

The Fair now takes place mid July, not mid-September...ya know, harvest time?

Worse yet, and though I can't say it's a hard and fast truth, word around town is that the Fair required a percentage of the vendors profits for the 2023 season, on top of the fees they pay to be there!

Despicable.

I guess it was silly to think the York Fair could clear the claws of the general York county mentality, and ultimately It didn't. The Fair is just a trashy, overpriced money grab that will empty your pockets more than it will fill your memories. Just like the rest of this county, it's forgettable, and best...

I was at the fair as an independent small business food vendor. I had to pay about 2,000 dollars for my vendor space, almost 300 for my electric, and then another 600 for my propane. Nearly 3,000 dollars just to open and start there. We were told Shipley energy would be the exclusive / sole provider of propane at the fair and we would have to use them if we wanted propane. Shipley charged us nearly double of the propane cost that was listed on their website just because we were vendors at the fair, about 5 dollars a gallon. When the fair was over they also wouldn't give us credit for any unused propane in their tanks which they picked up and took back. So they charged me 5 dollars a gallon took the propane with them and then will be reselling it again for a second time. We were made to believe that Shipley was the only provider of propane, but other vendors were allowed to bring their own. We were given the fair start/close times of each day and were expected to open at said times, which were Monday - Thursday 1-10 and Friday to Sunday 11-10. Other vendors, games, and rides didn't adhere to any of these times and were not enforced. Other vendors would show up at like 2-5 just in time for the crowds, while we were told we had to open earlier. The crowds were nothing like we were told and were expecting. After an 8 hour day on Thursday we had made about 200 dollars. Nobody really came to the fair, but for the concerts, and the concert goers were funneled into other entrances and never came to the actual fair. After spending 3,000 dollars on setup fees we barely broke even. If we had employees with us we would of been in the red. Other vendors were reporting 40 dollar sales a day. Any other small businesses looking to go to the fair, don't,...