The New York State Fair fell short of pre-pandemic levels, but after a rainy Labor Day, the fair ended with around 900,000 people making their way through the gates.
In 2019 more than 1 million people attended the fair. Despite not reaching those levels, vendors said it was a successful year. Attendance was higher than in 2021.
On Sunday, 104,000 people attended the fair. That was 56,000 more than in 2021.
Most people agreed – whether they were attendees or vendors – that the 13-day experience was better than the experimental 18-day fair that ran in 2021.
“Too much, that’s overdoing it,” fairgoer Jason Pobutkiewicz told CNYCentral. “The 13-day, that’s good, the 18-days, whoof.”
The fairgrounds closed at 9 p.m. on Monday, September 5 after a dreary, rainy Labor Day.
Here’s a breakdown from state officials on each day of the fair:
| Day | Fair Date | 2021 | 2022 | +/- | Record |
| Day 1 | Wednesday, August 24 | 37,591 | 49,112 | +11,521 | 74,027 (2019) |
| Day 2 | Thursday, August 25 | 31,910 | 48,591 | +16,681 | 86,353 (2018) |
| Day 3 | Friday, August 26 | 43,907 | 58,450 | +14,543 | 98,238 (2019) |
| Day 4 | Saturday, August 27 | 56,820 | 89,797 | +32,977 | 127,394 (2018) |
| Day 5 | Sunday, August 28 | 45,304 | 79,324 | +34,020 | 123,206 (2017) |
| Day 6 | Monday, August 29 | 32,892 | 47,912 | +15,020 | 103,842 (2019) |
| Day 7 | Tuesday, August 30 | 40,817 | 34,481 | -6,336 | 102,098 (1972) |
| Day 8 | Wednesday, August 31 | 44,899 | 78,010 | +33,111 | 112,774 (1972) |
| Day 9 | Thursday, September 1 | 35,984 | 74,120 | +38,136 | 112,409 (2018) |
| Day 10 | Friday, September 2 | 55,584 | 82,615 | +27,031 | 124,172 (2019) |
| Day 11 | Saturday, September 3 | 64,867 | 93,512 | +28,645 | 147,749 (2019)+ |
| Day 12 | Sunday, September 4 | 57,875 | 103,924 | +56,049 | 119,726 (1985) |
| Day 13 | Monday, September 5 | 58,659 | 48,262 | -10,397 | 125,748 (2018) |
| 13-Day Total | 607,109 | 888,110 | +281,001 | ||
| Yearly Total | 798,095 | 888,110 | +90,015 | 1,329,275 (2019) |
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].