New York State Fair—Everyone Who Goes Says It’s Amazing!!

I made it to the mysterious New York State Fair on the second-to-last day before it ended, and let me tell you—the absolutely spectacular circus show alone was worth the ticket price! 🎪🤡 The fairgrounds are packed with cultural exhibits, agricultural displays, live entertainment, amusement rides, and delicious food from all over. Even after walking around all day, I still didn’t want to leave! Here are some of my personal thoughts: I highly recommend checking out the various shows. Showtimes are listed on the map. It gets super crowded, so try to arrive 15 minutes early to grab a seat. This time, I caught the Circus Hollywood show and the Canine Stunt Dogs performance—both were absolutely incredible! I thought they were just trailers, but turns out they were full one-hour shows! The circus production was huge and so professional. Can you believe all this is included with the $8 fair admission? You guys have gotta go! 🎟️🔥 There are little trinkets and souvenirs from all over the world. Most are decently priced but average in quality—kinda gives off Yiwu market vibes 😅. I did see some sweet handmade bracelets and little woven baskets sold by lovely elderly crafters, but nothing really caught my eye tbh. The animal exhibits are super diverse! Many are look-but-don’t-touch, but there’s one interactive area where you can buy feed and get up close with moo-cows 🐮, fluffy sheep 🐑, friendly llamas 🦙, and more! 🐾 I tried food from two stalls: one was a pretty underwhelming lobster roll 🦞 (sorry not sorry), and the other was a bland garlic shrimp skewer 🍢. That same stall also offered exotic meats like alligator, deer, kangaroo, shark, and wild boar—definitely for the adventurous eaters! Portions were fair, but flavor-wise… meh. 😬 The amusement park under the sunset was gorgeous! 🎡 It might be compact, but it’s fully equipped—roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, sky rides—you name it! Pretty impressive for a fairground setup. 🎢✨ I’m such a scaredy-cat but still couldn’t resist the butterfly exhibit 🦋. The walls and ceiling were covered in live fluttering moths—I nearly jumped out of my skin! For $3 you get 10 minutes inside and a cotton swab dipped in nectar to feed the butterflies. Cute but kinda creepy lol! 🚗 I went on a Sunday afternoon. Just followed the traffic and parked in the Orange Lot—$12 for the day. There’s a free shuttle to the fair entrance, or you can totally walk if you’re up for it! Happens every August in Syracuse—you’ve gotta check it out, folks! Everyone who’s been says it’s awesome! #newyork #newyorkstatefair #fair #nyc #newyorklife #syracuse #travelny #amusementpark #foodfestival #circus #familyfun #summerfair