The Great New York State Fair saw record-breaking levels of total attendance for the fourth year in a row, New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) announced Monday. 

The attendance record was broken at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, with over 1.3 million people attending this year’s fair, Cuomo said in a Monday press release. In 2018, more than 1.2 million people visited the fair, surpassing attendance records previously set in both 2016 and 2017.

Cuomo said the fair generates $100 million in economic activity. 

“The numbers matter and the business matters, but let’s not lose track of the spirit — what it says when people come here to celebrate the beautiful State of New York,” Cuomo said.

People from 28 states and six countries in Europe traveled to attend the state fair this year, Cuomo said. The record level of attendance made the fair the third-most attended state fair in the country, he said. 

Cuomo said the fair’s success is due to investment in the Syracuse area. The fair has been rebuilt, with a new midway and main entrance added. Beyond the fair, the renovated Syracuse airport and the Lakeview Amphitheater, as well as the revitalization of Onondaga Lake and downtown Syracuse, all create an energy that allows the fair to work, Cuomo said. 

“We are not going to stop until we are number one. That I can promise you,” Cuomo said.

About 243 million tourists visited New York state this year, breaking the state-wide tourism record, Cuomo said. 

Published on September 2, 2019 at 11:09 pm

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu