Entertainment

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

New York State Fair closes with 900,000+ visitors

The fair catered specialty food, rides, prizes and live entertainment to its hundreds of thousands of attendees over 13 days.

Attendees ride the carousel at sunset inside the New York State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Photo by Troy Conner) Alternative Text Alternative Text Fair goers sit on a ride overlooking the fair grounds Fairgoers ride the swing carousel at the New York State fair on Aug, 20, 2025. (Photo by Troy Conner) Fairgoers explore day two of the New York State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Syracuse, N.Y., before AJR’s headlining performance at Suburban Park Stage. From the back of Suburban Park, the stage glowed across a pond as thousands sang along well past sunset at the New York State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025 The music express roller coaster, lights outlining shapes of guitars and saxophones in the dark, at the 2025 New York State Fair on Sunday, August 31, 2025.

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

Shaggy shines on Suburban Park stage

Shaggy performs at the Suburban Park stage at the 2025 New York State Fair on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
Adeline Taylor
Shaggy performs at the Suburban Park stage Sunday at the 2025 New York State Fair.

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 poses in the stage lights at the beginning
Adeline Taylor
Shaggy poses in the stage lights at the beginning of “Boombastic” Sunday at the Suburban Park stage at the 2025 New York State Fair.
Shaggy encourages the crowd to clap along at the Suburban Park stage at the 2025 New York Stage Fair on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Adeline Taylor
Shaggy encourages the crowd to clap along at the Suburban Park stage Sunday at the 2025 New York Stage Fair.

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

Rose Royce is radiant on Chevy Court

John Haynes of Rose Royce performs
Ethan Hernandez
John Haynes of Rose Royce performs “I wanna get next to you” on the Chevy Court stage at the 2025 New York Stage Fair on Saturday.
Rose Royce performs
Ethan Hernandez
Rose Royce performs “I wanna get next to you” on the Chevy Court stage at the 2025 New York Stage Fair on Saturday.

Riveting Recital by Yacht Rock Revue

Yacht Rock Revue star Peter Olson in blue-gray blazer and shite shirt sings into microphone.
Matthew Crisafulli
Yacht Rock Revue star Peter Olson energized Chevy Court on Friday, performing music by Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, and other yacht rock legends.
Yacht Rock Revue guitarist mark Dannells in blue shirt plays electric guitar.
Matthew Crisafulli
Yacht Rock Revue guitarist Mark Dannells performed Looking Glasses hit song “Brandy” on Friday at Chevy Court.
Yacht Rock Revue vocalist Kourtney Jackson in orange dress sings into micophone.
Matthew Crisafulli
Yacht Rock Revue vocalist Kourtney Jackson shines on the Chevy Court Stage.

Pauly D pumps up the stage

DJ Pauly D in a white shirt and jeans points out to the crowd near the end of his set on the Chevy Court stage at the New York State Fair.
Maddi Jane Brown
Near the end of his set, DJ Pauly D shifted the music to heavily EDM focused songs and played hits like “Pump It Up” by Endor while encouraging the crowd to fist pump with him. Throughout his set, the DJ encouraged his audience to sing along and often cut the music so the crowd could be heard more clearly.

Lynch turns Fair into a Friday night honky-tonk

Dustin Lynch raises his hand to the audience on the Surburban Park stage at the 2025 New York State Fair friday.
Molly Mellinger
Dustin Lynch raises his hand to the audience on the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair.

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. 

A guitarists rock on stage to Dustin Lynch's performance on the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair.
Molly Mellinger
A guitarist rock on stage to Dustin Lynch’s performance on the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair.
Dustin Lynch points at the audience on the Surburban Park stage at the New York State Fair on Friday.
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

Lynyrd Skynyrd is free as a bird

Lynyrd Skynyrd performs in front of a large crowd with a blue background and white lights
Cole Meredith
Lynyrd Skynyrd performs at the Suburban Park stage on Thursday at the New York State fair.
A member of Lynyrd Skynyrd sticks out his tongue at the crowd while holding an orange guitar
Cole Meredith
Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke sticks his tongue out at the Suburban Park stage crowd on Thursday at the New York State Fair.

A pinker shade of Pearce

Carly Pearce sings under pink lighting at Suburban Park on Wednesday.
Ike Wood
Country star Carly Pearce performs under pink lighting at Suburban Park on Wednesday at the New York State Fair.

Pipin’ hot

The Red Hot Chili Pipers brought their unique brand of “bagrock” to Chevy Court at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. Formed in Scotland in 2002, the band has gained international attention for blending traditional Great Highland bagpipes with rock and pop classics, covering artists from AC/DC to Coldplay.
Matt Hofmann
The Red Hot Chili Pipers brought their original brand of “bagrock” to Chevy Court at the New York State Fair on Wednesday. Formed in Scotland in 2002, the band has gained international attention for blending traditional Great Highland bagpipes with rock and pop classics, covering artists from AC/DC to Coldplay.
The Red Hot Chili Pipers brought their unique brand of “bagrock” to Chevy Court at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y., on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. Formed in Scotland in 2002, the band has gained international attention for blending traditional Great Highland bagpipes with rock and pop classics, covering artists from AC/DC to Coldplay.
Matt Hofmann
A member of the Red Hot Chili Pipers performs on the Chevy Court stage on Wednesday.
Audience members applaud to the Red Hot Chili Pipers' performance at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
Matt Hofmann
Audience members applaud during the Red Hot Chili Pipers’ performance at the Chevy Court stage.

Lil Jon turns down for what

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Alicia Hoppes
Lil Jon fires up the crowd as he performs his hit song “Shots” at the New York State Fair’s Suburban Park Stage on Tuesday.

Busta Rhymes makes the audience clap

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Troy Connor
Busta Rhymes performs on the Suburban Park stage on Sunday at the New York State Fair.
Alternative Text
Fans cheer as Busta Rhymes performs at the Suburban Park stage on Sunday at the New York State Fair.
Alternative Text
Troy Connor
A Busta Rhymes fan shows off his custom-made artwork at the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair on Sunday.

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

Jack Met of AJR performs under purple stage lights Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, at Suburban Park Stage during the New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y.
Matt Hofmann
AJR’s Jack Met bounces around the Suburban Park Stage on Thursday at the New York State Fair.

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

Fans pressed to the barricade hold a handmade “Kazoo Jam?” sign, a playful nod to AJR’s love of oddball instruments at the New York State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025
Matt Hofmann
Fans pressed to the barricade hold a handmade “Kazoo Jam?” sign, a playful nod to AJR’s love of oddball instruments.
Ryan Met of AJR performs on the ukulele Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, during the band’s Suburban Park Stage show at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y.
Matt Hofmann
Ryan Met of AJR performs on the ukulele during the band’s Suburban Park Stage show.

Cheap Trick wants you to want them

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Troy Conner
Cheap Trick lead guitarist Rick Nielsen performs Thursday at the Chevy Court stage.
Robin Zander, the lead vocalist for Cheap Trick, waves to the crowd at Chevy Court at the New York State Fair on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo by Troy Conner)
Troy Conner
Cheap Trick lead singer Robin Zander waves to fans Thursday at the New York State Fair.
Rick Nielsen and Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick jam together on the Chevy Court stage at the New York State Fair on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo by Troy Conner)
Troy Conner
Rick Nielsen and Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick jam together on the Chevy Court stage .

Back to the club with Taylor Dayne

Taylor Dayne performs “Tell It To My Heart” during her Chevy Court concert at the New York State Fair on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
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

George Clinton walks onto the Chevy Court stage on the opening day of the New York State Fair on Aug, 20, 2025. (Photo by Troy Conner)
Funk pioneer George Clinton walks onto the Chevy Court stage during Wednesday’s opening day of the New York State Fair.
A backup vocalist for George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic at the New York State Fair sings at the Chevy Court Stage on Aug, 20, 2025. (This image was created using a Prism FX lens filter.) (Photo by Troy Conner)
A backup vocalist for George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic performs Wednesday at the Fair’s Chevy Court Stage.