The weather outside might be frightful in February, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the late summer highlights you associate with the New York State Fair.
The Syracuse Winter Fair returns to the Expo Center at the fairgrounds Friday Feb. 3; Saturday, Feb. 4, and Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. It’s the fourth year for the event — it was held in 2019 and 2020 but cancelled for 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. It returned in February 2022.
It is exactly what it sounds like: An indoor version of the State Fair, complete with rides like the Scrambler and the Roc-O-Planes, plus foods like pizze fritte, blooming onions, sausage sandwiches and wine slushies. There’s also plenty of live music and other entertainment.
The tagline is “All the Fun of the Fair.” The Winter Fair is produced by Steve Becker of Premier Promotions, assisted by Allen LaVenture of Synergy Holdings. It is not associated with the State Fair itself, but rents space in Expo Center. Becker said he expects as many as 20,000 people to attend.
This year, the event has a major new sponsor, Amazon, which will also give its name to the entertainment stage. The announcement of the upcoming Winter Fair came at big the new Amazon warehouse in Clay.
“We are excited to continue the tradition,” Becker said in a news release. “Everyone loves the New York State Fair! We want to give families a chance to experience elements of the Fair during the winter. It’s great to have an event to bring your friends and family to.”
Advance tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for teens/pre-teens and seniors. Children 10 and under will be admitted free of charge. At the door, admission is $7 for adults and $5 for teens/pre-teens and seniors. Parking is free for all advanced ticket holders. Attendees who come after 7 p.m. will have free admission to the Expo Center with a parking fee of $10.
Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
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