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A trumpet fanfare pierced the air around a steadily growing crowd. Necks craned and heads turned towards the empty miniature race track in front of them. Then, out of nowhere, trotted two tiny brown pigs.

The competitors, Baconator and Dale Earnhog Jr., swiftly waddled around the track, maneuvering between obstacles to reach the finish line. Spectators jumped to their feet and let out deafening cheers, either for a single pig or for the mere spectacle of the event. A child in the front row snorted loudly to support his favorite pig.

Despite Baconator’s best efforts, over the course of about thirty seconds, Dale Earnhog Jr. left its opponent in the dust.

• • •

This year, Syracuse’s beloved summer tradition — the Great New York State Fair — returned for the 181st time. Running from Aug. 23 to Sept. 4, the fair continues to boast an array of classic elements alongside brand-new attractions, like the Asian Village and New York Voice of the Farmer Garden.

The undeniable scent of fried food and sugary desserts wafted through the fairgrounds. The iconic lemon-shaped lemonade stands could be found at every corner, often clustered by carnival games that were nearly concealed by their colorful prizes. Two Ferris wheels dominated the skyline, just above the rollercoaster filled with shrieking passengers.

Not more than a few hundred feet into the fairgrounds, a performer proudly belted a song while hitting notes on a strolling piano. As the moving instrument crept its way up the street, more and more onlookers began to trail the singer. A woman pulled out her phone to take a video.

“Make sure to get my good side, honey,” the singer said, taking a brief pause from his tune.

In another corner of the fair, Bob Johnson watched from the sidelines as his two children zipped around on the go-karts. He held a nearly 4-foot-tall stuffed Tyrannosaurus rex, which he won from a water gun game.

But there was only one dinosaur, and he had two children.

“I won it, for one of them,” Johnson said. “The other one’s not happy.”

• • •

Just up the street, minutes away from Johnson, the T. rexes weren’t as small.

Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

One of the fair’s newest exhibits, Dinosaur Expedition, features lifesize moving dinosaurs. It thrills viewers of all ages with its technology and realism.
Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

Scattered around one of the fair’s newest exhibits, the Dinosaur Expedition, were warning signs. “Beware!! Swinging Tails,” read one sign. “Please do not feed the dinosaurs,” read another.

Gigantic robotic dinosaurs stretched towards the ceiling of the Exposition Center, belting out booming roars as their heads and arms bobbed up and down. Children squealed as the massive creatures bent down to eat fake grass or let out a low growl.

Based in Detroit, Dinosaur Expedition brings its fascinating experience to zoos and fairs nationally, said manager Nick Cluckey. But the attraction is meant to be educational, too — kids can browse through the different historical periods or dust for fossils at a play archeological site.

Cluckey pointed to the Quetzalcoatlus — “the bird dinosaur” — towering above him. Five motors, alongside a system of a chain, pulleys and two more motors, he said, is what brings the animal to life.

While some dinosaurs are smaller and some are exaggerated, Cluckey said most of the models are close to life-sized. That’s what makes Dinosaur Expedition special, Cluckey said, because the dinosaurs can captivate a 1-year-old and a 90-year-old equally.

“You and I can tell they’re robots, but anyone… can get lost in it, and it’s like, ‘oh my God, they’re alive,” Cluckey said.

• • •

Although the fair welcomed a few prehistoric creatures this year, it’s always more common to see real animals.

Robin Smithling was absorbed in grooming the cow in front of her. She glided a clipper across its back, brushing any hair away while ensuring the tail remained fluffy. The animals need to be brushed every day and washed frequently to promote healthy hair growth.

“The grooming process starts a couple months before the show season even starts,” said Robin’s sister, Amy.

The cows they brought to the fair are anywhere from six months to five years old, Amy said, and they all have different personalities and grooming routines. Regardless, each cow is judged the same way: which is the best looking, has the best legs, and has the most spring in its step.

Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

Another of the fair’s yearly traditions is its cow show. It is a long process for the cows and their owners, as preparation for the show begins several months before the season begins.
Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

The Smithling sisters grew up with around 20 Brown Swiss cows, and Amy started doing shows with cows at age 6. Their oldest sister, Morgan, went to school in California and worked with cattle “day in and day out,” so when Morgan returned home, the sisters started a small farm.

“We were raised with that, and we have a huge passion for it now,” Amy said.

• • •

Amidst the bustling walkways and lively carnival games around the Midway, Dan Peachey funneled his strength into kneading a large ball of dough. A long line had formed outside the window of his food truck, “Peachey’s Baking Company,” and the sweet aroma of the vanilla glazed doughnuts drew more and more people in.

“There’s a lot of passionate foodies here in the Syracuse area,” Peachey said.

Those popular doughnuts are made from scratch each day, Peachey said, and it takes about an hour to make one batch. It’s a long process of repeatedly letting the dough rise and shaking it out, three times in total, but that’s what makes the dough so fluffy, Peachey said.

Peachey grew up in a large Amish family, and he and his brother used to help their mother bake to support their kin. They moved around a lot, from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Kentucky, but what remained constant was the role baking played in their family.

“Everywhere we went, my mom would have a little bakery,” Peachey said. “My mom would get up at four o’clock in the morning to make bread and cinnamon rolls.”

Inspired by his passion and armed with the skills he learned as a child, Peachey’s brother started his own bakery in Sarasota, Florida in 2007. Peachey worked alongside him until becoming an owner six years ago.

The brothers returned to the fair for the fourth time this year, overjoyed to bring their doughnuts and pretzels to an eager population. In years prior, they were stationed near the edge of the fair, so Peachey is grateful to be in the middle this time around.

“People are really friendly here, really welcoming,” he said. “We always look forward to coming to Syracuse.”

Published on August 31, 2023 at 12:39 am