Recap: Another Great Year at the NYS Fair

We had another successful year at The Great New York State Fair!

As my 13-day 'fair-cation' comes to an end, I am pleased to report that we distributed thousands of guides and we had countless meaningful conversations with fairgoers. Fairgoers appreciated our presence at the fair and the opportunity to talk with us about all the destinations they were considering visiting. It was rewarding to help them discover new destinations, plan future trips, and start their New York State travel stories. I rotated brochure rack locations for our tourism champions daily to ensure equal visibility for everyone's literature throughout the Fair.

If I had one takeaway to share from this year's fair, it would be that we are becoming a tradition for fairgoers! Fairgoers, including couples and families, their pets and service animals, are making a visit to our booth to have their photo taken a tradition. They would discuss the destination photo background they selected and why. 

Our volunteers were at the heart of this effort. Not only did they share their destinations with fairgoers, but they also connected with one another and deepened their knowledge of New York State tourism. As Kaytlynn Lynch, Executive Director of Madison County Tourism, shared:

“The most rewarding parts of volunteering at the fair are building connections with fellow tourism professionals, sharing knowledge and deepening our understanding of New York State, and engaging with visitors.”

A huge thank you goes out to all of our volunteers who worked with us over these 13 days. We couldn’t have done it without you:

• Katie Sheehy, Lake George Regional Chamber
• Brian Mulligan, Lake George Regional Chamber
• Patrick Keyes, Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours
• Lindsey Babbles, Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce
• Nancy Ragus, Fairport Perinton Partnership
• Sam Hayes, Cattaraugus County Tourism
• Kellie Christopher, Corning Museum of Glass
• Kaytlynn Lynch, Madison County Tourism
• Kelly Jordal, Oswego County Tourism
• Savannah Wyckoff, Oswego County Tourism
• Jen Longley, Oswego County Tourism
• David Owens, Oswego County Tourism

Special thanks as well to the New York State Canal Corporation for generously providing bags for visitors.

We’re already looking forward to next year and the opportunity to keep building traditions at the Fair! Don't wait: Sign-up now to be a 2026 Tourism Champion and have your destination included in our NYS Fair booth next year! Invoicing will occur in January 2026, unless otherwise requested.