Syracuse Parent and CNY Family

Brittney Fiorini Jerred is an award-winning columnist and the editor of "Syracuse Parent." You can leave comments below. She may also be reached at editor@syracuseparent.net

A Fair finish
Posted on Wed, August 12th, 2009
Written by: Jennifer Wing, Editor
email: editor@syracuseparent.net

As the summer enters its last month, thoughts naturally turn to back to school shopping, taking family trips to enjoy the waning summer days and the New York State Fair.
In my family, the Fair is a tradition. In the 40 years of my life, I have missed the Fair but once, when I was on bed rest while pregnant with my daughter. We make sure to go at least three or four times during its run, with my folks, with friends, with my husband’s family and, finally, a trip with just the four of us.
Fair trip tips
As a seasoned veteran, I have many tips to offer:
Save money when you can. This includes buying $6 advance sale tickets (tickets are $10 after Aug. 24). Kids 12 and under are free each day. Visit nysfair.org/advance to find ticket outlets near you. You can also save money be buying a book of ride tickets worth $24 for $14 before Aug. 24, or save money on rides by purchasing Ride-All-Day wristbands for $25 on certain days during the fair. There are also free admission days for veterans and seniors, as well as students 16 and under and Native Americans.
Be comfortable. There is a lot of walking involved, so spiked heels might not be the best choice for footwear, and if you plan to walk the midway and in the animal barns, you may not want to wear flip flops, as your feet will become coated with dust and other, unpleasant substances. Similarly, you should dress for the weather. If it’s going to be hot during the day, wear light, loose clothing and bring a jacket along in case the evening grows chilly. Make sure to use sunblock, even on a cloudy day. There’s nothing like an end-of-summer burn to make for an uncomfortable time.
If you have kids under the age of 6, bring a stroller. Not only can you use it to cart tired children around, but also any purchases or personal items you need to bring along for the ride. And don’t forget the Lost Kid Tags!
If you are going with older kids that you plan to let explore on their own (teenagers and older) set aside meeting times and places throughout the day in order to check in with them. Meeting for lunch and dinner can assure you that they are having a good, safe time while allowing you some family time as well.
Plan the day ahead of time. There is a lot to do, so make a list of “must-dos” so you don’t miss out. One way to try to fit as much as possible into your visit is to avoid food service areas at mealtimes, as these areas can become crowded and lines can get very long. The fairgrounds tend to get more crowded as the day wears on, so the earlier you get there, the easier it will be to get around.
If you can, divide and conquer. If you can get to the Fair more than once, maybe you could spend one day going on rides and seeing a concert at Chevy Court and another day visiting the animal barns and buildings.
Avoid the hassle of parking by either leaving your car at one of the special Centro bus lots for the Fair or take the Amtrak from your community and skip driving altogether. Visit nysfair.org for Centro details or amtrak.com for train information.
My list of musts
Our visit to the Fair would not be complete without the following included in our itinerary:
1. Feeding the giraffes – There are two petting zoos at the Fair – one typically near the grandstand which features giraffes that can be fed carrots, as well as other animals such as a zebra, a camel and a pig. The other petting zoo is at the kiddie midway near the Youth Building, which brings us to our next must:
2. Holding the baby chicks. The 4H at the youth building has a display with eggs hatching and affords the opportunity to hold one of the little yellow fuzzballs – a favorite for the kids!
3. Sampling the milk at the milk barn – at 25 cents a pop, still a great value! And while you’re there, take a look at the butter sculpture and grab an ice cream cone.
4. Visiting the animal exhibits – my kids love the poultry building and seeing the piglets at the swine building, but I love the horses - they range in size from small miniatures to huge Percherons – my favorite!
5. Walking the midway – it’s great to just absorb the sights, sounds and smells – from the bright lights of the rides to the shouts of the carnies trying to entice you to play a game to the aroma of everything from Greek food to Italian sausage to barbecued chicken, there’s something for everyone’s taste.
6. Taking the kids on rides – we always wait until the ride-all-day promotions, then let them go as many times as they want on a variety of rides. They love it and it’s great to see them having so much fun!
7. Eating, eating, eating – with so many places to go and different foods to sample, there’s no shortage of culinary delights at the fair. There’s the lure of the curly fries, the sweetness of the salt water taffy and the global flavor of the Pepsi International Building, where you can sample everything from baklava to tempura.
8. Chevy Court concerts – I’m hoping to catch Rick Springfield (a.k.a. Dr. Noah Drake to you General Hospital fans) this year. His “Jessie’s Girl” was in the top 10 during my adolescence.
9. Shop, shop, shop – We always take a look at what’s new at the Center of Progress building, whether it’s a Wonder Mop or knives that can slice through tin cans. We also visit many of the midway vendors to see what bargains can be gotten.

Jennifer Wing, editor of "Syracuse Parent" and "Mother Knows Best," lives in Manlius with her husband, Eric, and children, Cassidy, 7, and Jacob, 5. She has worked at Eagle Newspapers since 2005.