Hundreds of union workers marched alongside the Expo Center on the last day of this year’s New York State Fair. The Labor Day rally and parade wrapped up the 13-day event.
Fair director Julie LaFave is reflecting on her first year in the position.
"It's been a rollercoaster,” LaFave said. “But what it's really proven to me is that we have a really great team here, who puts the satisfaction, safety, fun, everything front and center for our fairgoers, for our vendors, and for our sponsors."
Safety concerns did play a role at this year’s fair. After reports of shots being fired, the State Fair shut down early Sunday out of an abundance of caution.
State police did not find evidence of any gunshots or injuries, but LaFave said fair staff continue to work closely with police, adding safety is at the forefront of what they do.
"At all points in time, we have cameras everywhere, but we also have a joint operations center, and in that joint operations center, we have a dozen agencies, who are monitoring everything from people coming in the gates, to social media threats, to our artists coming in,” said LaFave.
And LaFave said this year’s run had plenty of high points, too, including a renewed emphasis on agriculture.
"We had more than 100 sheep on top of last year's number enter our competitions, same thing with dairy cattle, and that's a huge thing for people, especially for our exhibitors who are in those competitions,” she said. “It means we're really coming back, and we're really bouncing back."
She also said she received positive feedback from families enjoying the fair’s sensory-friendly room. But she said after spending months planning the event, she mostly enjoys just seeing the fair-goers.
"We get to watch people walk by with a smile, or we heard a little girl jump up to her dad and scream that this was the greatest day of her life, so that's the greatest reward and thank you we can receive."
Even though the gates are closed, the work continues. Over the next few weeks and months, State Fair staff members will be sending out surveys to vendors and fair-goers, analyzing this year’s event, and deciding how to start preparing for next year.
