Plans for an indoor fair are underway at the New York State Fairgrounds near Syracuse for February. The Nave Law Winter Fair is the latest event that’s meant to bring the community out of the shadow of the pandemic.
State Fair Director Troy Waffner says the Winter Fair will take place in the State Fairgrounds Expo center, and it’ll have all the bells and whistles of the big fair, on a smaller scale.
"It’s kind of an element from everywhere. You have the midway on the south side, you have the Indian village north side, you have the food that’s all over the grounds,” said Waffner. “So it’s not one little plot of area. It’s not like you’re just going into the COP (Center of Progress building) to buy Sham-Wows. It combines all of that. It really feels like the fair. It’s not quite all of the New York State Fair, but it’s a nice taste of it in February."
This winter fair will take place indoors, in the three acres that make up the Expo Center on the Fairgrounds. Throughout the pandemic, crowded indoor events have been linked with a spread of COVID-19 cases. But Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon believes Onondaga County could be past that.
“We have very high vaccination rates in our community and it’s going to get higher now that we can get the little ones vaccinated, so when you look at the vaccine and you look at where we are with therapeutics, there are therapeutic drugs that will be hitting the market soon, that when people get sick will help them get better,” said McMahon.
McMahon adds if there are issues with higher levels of spread and COVID cases, event promoters could include a vaccine requirement or COVID test for entry. That’s a decision that will come closer to the event.
The Winter Fair is scheduled to run from February 4-6. Advance tickets can be purchased here. Advance admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and kids ages 10-18. Kids under 10 are admitted for free.
