Visitor numbers at state parks and privately-held events at the New York State Fairgrounds broke attendance records in 2018, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) office announced Monday.

Attendance at non-fair events at the state fairgrounds broke the 1 million mark for the first time last year, while 74 million people visited state parks, historic sites, campgrounds and trails. These record-breaking numbers come after more than $820 million was invested in the state fair and parks since Cuomo took office in 2011.

A total of 1,074,909 people attended privately-run events on the fairgrounds last year, according to a press release from Cuomo’s office. Attendance was about 29 percent higher than that of 2017, and two times more than 2016 attendance, per the release.

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Fair attendance also reached an all-time high last year, with 1.27 million people showing up for performances, rides, food and other attractions, according to the release.

“As we continue to shatter records and book events for the year-round space, we are bolstering the entire region’s economy and helping to keep Central New York rising for generations to come,” Cuomo said in the release.

Blondie, A Boogie, Ravyn Lenae and Ludacris are some of the artists that performed at the fairgrounds in 2018. Other events held last year at the fairgrounds included the Central New York Fall Boat Show, Syracuse Gun Show and Relay For Life.

New York state has invested more than $120 million since 2015 to improve the fairgrounds, according to the release.

“The investment in the NYS Fairgrounds has been a major boost for the Central New York economy,” Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said in the release. “This investment is just another example of great things that can happen when we all work together.”

A 110,000-square-foot Exposition Center opened at the fairgrounds in August 2018. It hosted a temporary ice rink and the largest I Love New York tourism exhibit in the fair’s history, per the release. The Expo Center was also the location of a Winter Fair in February, the Indoor Auto Racing Series and the ISHA National Horse show in March and September, respectively.

In recent years the $120 million investment has been used to replace an old grandstand and race track with a full-service RV park, a space for the fair’s Midway and more attractive fairgrounds, according to the release. Cuomo’s 2020 fiscal year proposal advocates spending $2.5 million on additional projects.

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Visitors increased four percent throughout the state’s park system in 2018, totaling 74.1 million visitors, according to a separate release from the governor’s office. Traffic at parks has increased overall by 28 percent — 16.2 million visitors — since Cuomo took office in 2011, per the release.

A new environmental education center was opened at Green Lakes State Park in Manlius, just east of Syracuse, as part of Cuomo’s NY Parks 2020 initiative, according to a press release. Green Lakes saw a 33 percent increase in visitors, per the release.

Cuomo committed a total of $90 million to the Parks 2020 initiative in the 2018-19 fiscal year budget. The initiative, announced in 2015, aims to revitalize 50 parks across the state.

A total of $700 million has been invested since 2011 to install playgrounds, repair 200 miles of trails and begin construction on or the improvement of cabins, cottages and 30 nature and cultural centers, per the release. More than half of that funding has been used to improve basic infrastructure.

Published on March 5, 2019 at 10:52 pm

Contact Casey: casey@dailyorange.com | @caseydarnell_