It’s a question that was asked after the 2016 and 2017 New York state fairs: How does the fair follow up a record-breaking performance?
We’ll find out in 2019.
The fair closed out the 2018 installment of the annual summer festival with a new all-time attendance record. But it was a record-setting fair in other ways. There’s a new single-day attendance record. There are several new daily attendance marks. And Chevy Court drew big crowds for evening concerts.
.@NYGovCuomo & @OnondagaCounty Exec Mahoney literally break the record for @NYSFair attendance. This yr surpassed 1.2 million. @CapitalTonight @SPECNewsCNY pic.twitter.com/IvIDjFJsnF
— Josh Cradduck (@JoshNBCTV) September 3, 2018
Here is a look at the 2018 New York State Fair, by the numbers:
8. The number of days (out of 13) that the fair set daily attendance records. Half of these record-setting days came during the first four days of the fair.
2. The number of times the fair broke its single-day attendance record. The fair drew 127,394 visitors on Saturday, Aug. 25 to break the previous single-day record of 124,819 set on Labor Day 2017. On Saturday, Sept. 1, the fair shattered the single-day record with 134,115 visitors.
Holy (New York dairy) cow! The Fair set an all-time record today for attendance. 127,394 people enjoyed the Fair this Sunday, the most on one day in our long, long, looooong history. Congrats! pic.twitter.com/TUWj5sQhQl
— New York State Fair (@NYSFair) August 26, 2018
6. The number of days the fair reported six-figure attendance totals. That’s a new record, according to the fair. To put this in perspective: When the fair broke its record last year, there were three 100,000-plus attendance days.
125,748. The number of people who attended the fair’s final day Monday. It’s a record for a Labor Day crowd. The previous high was 124,819 at last year’s fair. The new Labor Day record is the third-highest single-day attendance in the fair’s history.
134,115. The aforementioned single-day attendance record was set on Saturday, Sept. 1.
A big first day at the Fair! More than 73,000 people came to help mark the opening of the new Expo Center and to just have fun on a beautiful day. Here's a video recapping what we saw today: pic.twitter.com/9skL2aq0VT
— New York State Fair (@NYSFair) August 23, 2018
127,394. The number of people who attended the fair on Saturday, Aug. 25. At the time, it was the single-day record for fair attendance. The record fell one week later. – Read more from the Auburn Citizen
@NYGovCuomo is here to kick off the brand new Exposition Center. The largest open air expo center between Boston and Cleveland! #nysfair #nysfaironice pic.twitter.com/ElZAiW4ONS
— New York State Fair (@NYSFair) August 22, 2018
Coverage from throughout the record-breaking fair:
– State Police: Teen stabbed, several fights break out at the NYS Fair Sunday (CNY Central)
– How many people attended the 2018 NYS Fair? (CNY Central)
– 2 sent to hospital, 3 charged after fights, stabbing Sunday at NYS Fair (Syracuse.com)
– New all-time NYS Fair attendance record: 1.2 million and counting (Syracuse.com)
– A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie sets record for Chevy Court attendance (NYS Fair review) (Syracuse.com)
– NYS Fair traffic backs up, fights break out as large crowds leave Sunday (Syracuse.com)
– Update: Pedestrian struck near NYS Fair taken to Syracuse hospital (Syracuse.com)
– Car-pedestrian crash near NYS Fair in Geddes (Syracuse.com)
– Troopers save woman choking at New York State Fair, police say (Syracuse.com)
– New York State Fair sets single-day record for attendance (Syracuse.com)
– Cynthia Nixon at the NYS Fair: Milk, sausage, politics and selfies (Syracuse.com)
– NYS Fair 2018, by the numbers: A closer look at the record-breaking event (The Citizen)
– Cuomo: NYS Fair sets new attendance record for third year in a row (The Citizen)
– NYS Fair 2018 Food Truck Competition Day 2 entries, ranked: Meatballs, tacos and more (The Citizen)
– ‘It’s incomparable’: NYS Fair brings families, businesses together (The Citizen)
– NYS Fair 2018 Food Truck Competition Day 1 entries, ranked: Grilled cheese, ice cream and more (The Citizen)