Our state and county fairs offer their own unique blend of amusement and entertainment: parades, demolition derbies, contests, food, tractor shows and pulls, midway rides, vendors, livestock exhibits, and live music. They are agricultural-in-nature with a focus on locally-made products.
County Fairs in Rochester’s 9-County Region (2018)
- Yates County Fair (est. 1839) Penn Yan, July 10-14
- Genesee County Fair Batavia, July 16-21
- Seneca County Fair Waterloo, July 18-21
- Orleans County Fair Albion, July 23-28
- Ontario County Fair Canandaigua, July 24-28
- Monroe County Fair Rush, August 3-5
- Livingston County Fair Caledonia, August 11-12, October 2-6
- Wyoming County Fair Castile, August 11-18
- Wayne County Fair Palmyra, August 13-18
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Around Rochester
County Fairs in Rochester’s Surrounding Areas (2018)
- Steuben County Fair America’s longest running county fair (est. 1819) Bath, August 14-19
- Niagara County Fair Lockport, August 1-5
- Erie County Fair (est. 1820) Hamburg, August 8-19
The Great New York State Fair (2018)
August 22 – September 3, 2018
New York’s is the oldest state fair in the United States, established in 1841, settling in its current Syracuse location in 1890. Ours is also one of the largest, with roughly one million visitors annually, some days seeing over 100,000 people.
Helpful tidbits for planning your day trip to the State Fair:
- The fair runs annually for 13 days, beginning on the 3rd or 4th Wednesday in August and ending on Labor Day.
- Buy your tickets in advance. Admission to the fair is $10, children under 12 are free.
- Concerts at Chevy Court are free with admission, with 2 different performers/bands each day.
- There are over 100 rides on the Midway and Kiddie Midway.
- Review this helpful selection of fairground and parking maps.
Helpful transportation tips:
- Parking for buses and cars is $5, with a free shuttle provided from the Orange lot. Otherwise, plan for a long walk.
- Several gates allow pedestrian access, including the new Gate 11A from Bridge Street.
- Centro Express buses will regularly depart from State Fair Park-N-Ride locations across Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oswego Counties arriving at the Fair’s Main Gate. View locations and schedules
- Amtrak provides summer service directly to the New York State Fair (Station NYF).
- Select Empire Service trains will stop at Gate 11 adjacent to the Fairgrounds every day during the fair. To give you an idea, in 2016, an eastbound train from Rochester would arrive to the fairgrounds at 9:13 a.m., with departures westbound at 3:56 p.m. and 6:51 p.m. Book your ticket to find out the exact times for this year.
- PRO: No parking in the huge lots or dealing with traffic stress, many times Amtrak offers deals where kids ride free. CON: Less flexible than driving as you need to be on time at the station lest you miss your ride home.