New York State Fair closes with more than 900,000 visitors

The Great New York State Fair’s annual celebration of all things Empire State has come to a close.

The 13-day event ran through Labor Day, drawing over 925,000 visitors to the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes. This year, the fair drew in over 57,000 more visitors than in 2024.

Fairgoers had plenty to choose from between viewing exhibits and traditions like the 800-pound butter sculpture to thrill-seeking on the midway rides and taking in any of more than 45 concerts at the Suburban Park or Chevy Court stages. The concerts ranged from Lil Jon to Lynyrd Skynyrd to All Time Low.

Considered one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the country, the agricultural and entertainment tradition dates back to 1841 when the first two-day State Fair was held in Syracuse.

Next year’s fair will run from Aug. 26 to Sept. 7, 2026

An uncannily similar performance to pop star Bruno Mars showcased groovy dance moves, precise vocals and smooth charisma on Monday afternoon at the New York State Fair. Dozens of rows of benches at Chevy Court were filled with eager fairgoers ready for the experience of an energetic concert. 
24K Magic Band, a tribute to Bruno Mars, dazzled the stage as it captured the singer’s sound and look. The lead singer, Evan Saucedo, performed as Mars with so much swag and playful energy that even from the front row, he could be mistaken for the GRAMMY-winning musician himself. 

Sporting a silky shirt, chains, a bandana and an afro similar to Mars’ signature curls, the band attracted a tremendous crowd as fairgoers stopped by the venue on their way through the fair for snippets of the high-energy performance. 

The tribute band began the show with “Finesse,” instantly capturing the audience with their precise emulation of Mars’ funky swagger. The cover singer and band members immediately swayed their hips as they performed the rhythmic hits.

“24K Magic” heightened their energy even more before transitioning into “Treasure,” featuring a smooth and polished dance break that showcased the cover artist’s backup singers.

“I got one question for you — do y’all like how my perm looks today?” the cover singer asked the crowd, when going into a soulful cover of “Perm,” before slowing it down with a slow and sensual cover of the love song “Versace on the Floor.”

Every song felt like a bigger treat than the last. The singer showed off Mars’ signature retro-inspired, fluid dance moves. When getting into the groove of the show, the fact that the show was a tribute seemed questionable. It felt real, not like a try-hard copy. 

“Let’s change it up!” the cover singer said. The trumpet player joined him upstage to cover songs from the musical duo Silk Sonic, composed of Mars and Anderson .Paak. The two played “Leave the Door Open” and “Stake,” both with buttery harmonies, stunning visuals on the screen and perfectly hit high notes indistinguishable from the original songs. 

The band threw the audience all the way back to Mars’ first hits, starting with 2010’s “Beautiful Girls.” The set continued down memory lane for the remainder of the show with “Billionaire,” which he dedicated to the front VIP row, “Marry You” and “Locked out of Heaven,” performed with synchronized dance moves of hip sways, thrusts and getting down low. 

The show ended with a soulful cover of “Just the Way You Are,” during which many audience members turned to belt out the lyrics to their friends and families. Mars’ most famous hit, “Uptown Funk,” is what got every single person out of their seat, dancing the signature Mars slide as they pushed their way toward the stage to be as close to the action as possible.

24K Magic delivered a spot-on performance, musically and energetically. The band each brought a precise, indistinguishable emulation of Mars and The Hooligans to the stage, taking over with an infectious energy. The sound, look and feel of Bruno Mars’ iconic concerts were brought in full force, leaving fairgoers feeling like they just left a show at a sold-out stadium, rather than grooving along to the singer’s biggest hits in broad daylight.

– Kathryn Miller

A miniature Jamaican flag swayed from Shaggy’s back pocket as the GRAMMY-winning singer bopped around the stage. The packed crowd of fairgoers followed Shaggy’s lead, waving their arms left and right to his reggae melodies. 

Heavy drums and colorful lights welcomed Shaggy to a packed Suburban Park Stage Sunday night, drawing the third largest crowd in New York State Fair history. “Shaggy,” written in bold capital letters, popped up on the large screen. Mr. Lover Lover took the stage and surveyed the crowd, nodding in approval with a smile. Loud cheers ensued. 

Shaggy turned the New York State Fair into a proper reggae party for nearly 90 minutes. Hips were moving. Pockets of smoke rose in the air. A sea of phone flashlights bounced up and down. 

Shaggy started the show with “Boombastic.” Immediate cheers echoed across the park. He paused, threw his sunglasses off and returned to thrusting his body to the beat. 

Fans became part of the performance. Shaggy often conducted the crowds’ movements, encouraging everyone to “Throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care.” 

Even the ASL interpreter was letting loose as they danced along to “Angel” while signing the lyrics.

Shaggy didn’t only deliver his own hit songs, he covered other popular reggae tunes like UB40’s “Red Red Wine” and Maxi Priest’s “That Girl.” 

When the crowd wasn’t belting out song lyrics, they were cackling at Shaggy’s jokes and theatrics. Shaggy motioned for the audience to get low while singing “Go Down Deh.” The crowd attempted to slither down to the ground. 

“Some of y’all are weak in the knees,” Shaggy said. “Do not skip leg day.” 

It took a few tries for the crowd to crouch to Shaggy’s liking. 

Shortly after, Shaggy paused his performance to demonstrate how to whine, and he wasn’t referring to the drink. He hiked up his pants slightly, revealing his beltline, and began to swivel his hips in a steady circle. 

“The only whine I know is bad boy Jamaican man gets you pregnant, whine.” The crowd burst into laughter. Some crowd goers matched Shaggy’s energy by practicing their own whine. 

Shaggy asked the crowd, “Syracuse, can you feel the reggae heat?” transitioning into his upbeat vacation anthem, “In the Summertime.”  

Shaggy grabbed back onto his shiny gold microphone and began performing “Hey Sexy Lady.” 

Shaggy concluded his set with his top hit, “It Wasn’t Me.” The crowd dissipated from the stage while singing along loudly. Couples turned towards each other, sharing kisses. 

“Men always get caught. You know why?” Shaggy asked. “Men are stupid. A woman is better than a man at anything.” The crowd screamed in approval.

– Remi Turner

Cowgirl hats, boots and plaid flannel shirts filled the New York State Fair on Friday night, a look far from the usual fair fashion. The fairgrounds transformed into a honky-tonk landscape as country star Dustin Lynch took over Suburban Park. 

Known for his smooth vocals and energetic performances, Lynch walked out on stage with a red guitar in hand as blue lights and smoke set the scene. Within minutes, the crowd was on its feet for “Seein Red,” as the stage glowed in vibrant red lights. 

From there, he brought the spirit of country music to Syracuse with a mix of his traditional roots, contemporary flair and cowboy swagger. “Honky Tonk Heartbreaker” had fans dancing in the audience, while “Tequila on a Boat” featured a lake-party video on the big screen as Lynch encouraged the crowd to “take a big ‘ol sip of what you’re drinking.” 

Lynch wasn’t afraid to dig deep into his list of songs, giving longtime supporters a thrill with early songs like “Rock You Sweet” and reminiscing about his 2012 start in the industry. 

Photo by Molly Mellinger

A guitarist rock on stage to Dustin Lynch’s performance on the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair.

Photo by Molly Mellinger

Dustin Lynch points at Friday night’s audience at the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair.

While he transitioned to one of his new, slower love songs, “Easy to Love,” about settling down and getting married one day, a couple in the crowd got engaged. 

Lynch thanked the crowd for “changing my life with this song a few years back” and began singing “Thinkin’ Bout You”. Typically a duet with Canadian country singer MacKenzie Porter, Lynch asked the country ladies in the audience to help him with her verse. 

Country music fans showed up to the concert at Suburban Park, as the show drew one of the fair’s biggest audiences of the summer, with an estimated 29,000 packed in. 

The energy of the audience was obvious as it peaked during hits like “Good Girl” and “Where It’s At,” but the show’s most emotional moment came with “Cowboys and Angels.” A photo of his grandparents appeared on the screen before Lynch told the crowd: “I always get asked in interviews what’s my favorite song to play, and this one right here is my most favorite and most special song of the night for me because I wrote this song for my grandad and grandmom,” Lynch said. “They taught me so much about how to love and how to do life the right way.” 

Midway through the song, Lynch paused and challenged his fans to think about someone they missed who is looking down on them. Voices erupted as they joined him in singing the final verse. 

Though the vocals were impressive, Lynch thrived with his commanding stage presence. The Nashville singer interacted with members of the crowd, offering them free tequila shots and signing autographs on cowgirl hats. He even grabbed audience members’ phones and took selfies and videos of himself as he sang.  

Lynch closed the night with his signature anthem “Small Town Boy,” a song that turned Suburban Park into one big country singalong. “Thank you for showing up, thank you for singing so pretty for us and thank you for celebrating country music this evening.”

–Lauren Jones

The Lady Gaga Tribute dazzles the Fair 

With powerful, stunning vocals, an array of glamorous costume changes and entertaining choreography, The Lady Gaga Tribute paid a spectacular tribute to the famed singer Friday night at the New York State Fair. 

Fair-goers gathered for the exciting show and mingled between beers, fried food and sweets. The crowd proved to be diverse, ranging between families with children, groups of teenagers and older adults clad in cowboy hats and glitter. 

Lead singer Erika Moul kicked off the last show of the night, opening with the hit song “Just Dance.” Moul’s dedication to Lady Gaga for over a decade shone through her on-stage presence, highlighting the pop star’s intense vocals and precise mannerisms. 

Moul impressed the crowd with her colored wigs and jaw-dropping, sparkly costumes that encapsulated Gaga’s unique fashion taste and knack for loud colors. She continued to electrify the stage with popular songs such as “Paparazzi,” “Telephone” and “Shallow.” Fair-goers danced and sang along with similar boisterous energy. 

Between songs, Moul showed off her regular speaking voice that matched Gaga’s tone and cadence. She gave inspirational advice before carrying on with more music, encouraging the crowd to be themselves and have fun.

The extensive setlist covered a wide variety of Gaga’s eras, from The Fame era that sparked her career to her current era with music from her Oscar-winning movie A Star is Born. Moul handled each era with love and care, bringing out the best of Gaga’s music style and evolution of vocals and fashion. 

Moul brought the crowd to a roar with “Bad Romance,” sounding almost identical to Gaga. The stage show gave the feel of being at a real Gaga concert, with blaring neon lights and smoke covering the floor.

Long-time fans of Gaga, or a regular fair-goer, could appreciate the wondrous work done by Moul. Her passion and dedication to the pop-icon are apparent and curated through hard work and a pleasant admiration. After the show, the audience erupted into loud cheers and hollers, celebrating Moul’s terrific performance.

– Madelyn Taylor

Neon Trees still light up the stage

With the late summer temperatures and sun still out, the New York State Fair can be a challenging venue for artists to perform at, especially for those who come wearing black skinny jeans and are more accustomed to performing at night in indoor venues.

“We’re not really a daytime sun-in-your-face kind of band,” said lead singer Tyler Glenn. 

But that didn’t stop Neon Trees from delivering an energetic performance.

The band brought in a large audience of all ages on Friday evening and, even when the stands ran out of seats, overflowing fans were still eager to pile on the grass to catch the set.

Glenn has a great way of keeping audiences entertained with his comedic jokes, captivating stories and, needless to say, his powerhouse of a voice.

The band played a few songs off their new album Sink Your Teeth as well as their biggest hits and covers. This setlist was a well-made mixture for any kind of fan, from newcomers to diehards.

It was not hard to tell that the pit was having a great time, dancing and singing along to every song. Even many fans in the stands opted to stand to show their enthusiasm.

While most of the instrumentalists also took on backing vocals, drummer Elaine Bradley’s voice really shone through. Paired with Glenn’s vocals, the two complement each other well. This was really evident during the band’s cover of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.”

The pair dueted the song, with Glenn singing the male vocal parts and Bradley singing the female vocal part. It’s impressive that Bradley has such a great command of her drum kit that she can sing solos without missing a beat, especially when the song relies heavily on the drums during the verses.

The band ended the show with one of their biggest hits, “Everybody Talks,” which received the biggest cheer of the night. During this song, almost the entire crowd sang, and when Glenn decided to stop singing the chorus to hear the audience, the crowd sang it back in its entirety.

The band begins their “Sink Your Teeth” tour for their fifth studio album Sep. 20, and the New York State Fair was a solid preview of what they have to offer. Even if you haven’t listened to the band’s biggest hits since their releases in the 2010s, a Neon Trees show is still definitely worth seeing. The band’s fun energy reflects into the crowd, and their talent is what is most incredible to watch.

– Cristina Reid

AJR’s boundless energy

AJR brought their unmistakable brand of theatrical, genre-bending pop to the Fair’s Suburban Park Stage.

At 8 p.m., frontman Jack Met bounded onto the stage and launched into “Bummerland” from the band’s 2020 album OK Orchestra, setting the tone for a high-energy set packed with sing-alongs and dancing.

Built around brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, AJR exploded onto the national stage with hits like “Bang!” and “World’s Smallest Violin.”

But Thursday’s show featured only two of the three as Adam recently stepped back from some live performances to focus on climate activism and promoting a book. Even so, the two-man version of AJR filled the stage with boundless charisma and tight production.

Fans at the rail and beyond danced nonstop, with the estimated crowd of 25,000 feeding off AJR’s trademark mix of theatrical visuals and playful hooks. Between the booming brass samples, clever interludes, and infectious choruses, the set was a reminder of why AJR remains one of the most engaging live acts in modern pop.

AJR closed the night with “Weak,” a thunderous finale that had the entire crowd on its feet, dancing and shouting the chorus as fireworks of light and sound capped off what’s sure to be one of the Fair’s more memorable acts.

– Matt Hofmann

Cheap Trick wants you to want them

Back to the club with Taylor Dayne

Photo by Zora (Ruoyu) Ma

Taylor Dayne performs “Tell It To My Heart” during her Chevy Court show Thursday at the New York State Fair.

Once the rain gave way to sunny skies Thursday afternoon, it wasn’t just the weather that was turning up the heat at the Chevy Court stage.

“New York, are you ready?” pop diva Taylor Dayne called out from backstage as a countdown clock ticked down on display screens.  

Fans responded with screams and cheers as Dayne launched into “Prove Your Love” and everyone’s nostalgic return to ‘80s nightclubbing began – even if they were sporting a bit of gray this time around. 

Having performed for more than three decades, Dayne confidently commanded the stage with ease, belting out familiar hits with her signature powerful vocals. 

Dayne found ways to connect with the audience, whether it was a back-and-forth response during “With Every Beat Of My Heart” or slipping into the crowd for “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” and shaking hands and taking selfies with her fans. Before returning to the stage, she cheerfully danced with Amber Galloway, one of the concert’s sign language interpreters.

Before her Grammy-nominated “I’ll Always Love You,” Dayne found one more chance to share her appreciation with the crowd.

“When I sing a song like this, I realize it’s not just about getting married anymore or making babies that night like it used to be,” Dayne said. “But this is my song of celebration for all of you and thank you for 37 years.” 

Dayne closed her hour-long concert with 1987 breakout single, “Tell It To My Heart,” elevating the crowd’s energy to one last fever pitch. 

And not unlike the best of those nights out in the ‘80s, Dayne’s fans lingered around after as if they wanted the club to stay open a little longer.

– Zora (Ruoyu) Ma

George Clinton brings the funk