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A sign near the entrance of the Pan-African Village at the Great New York State Fair reads, “World’s Best Rum Cakes.” James Cole, the owner, asked each person in the line of customers whether they wanted coconut, banana, black raspberry, Malibu or chocolate.

After trying a Malibu rum cake, one customer exclaimed, “Oh, my God” at the cinnamon, pineapple and coconut flavors.

“You hear people say, ‘Oh my God’ over and over,” Cole said. He tells another customer they “can’t go on a rollercoaster after this.”

Cole and Goodway Gourmet Bakery were among the many vendors at the Fair’s Pan-African Village. In addition, the Fair hosts the Iroquois Indian Village, Asian Village and Latino Village. The Iroquois Indian Village, which displays Indigenous — especially Haudenosaunee — culture, has been around for nearly 20 years, while the Asian Village is returning for its second year.

Goodway Gourmet Bakery raises money for Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York, for families who cannot afford the school’s tuition. As tunes of blues by Joe Louis Walker and Professor Louie & The Crowmatix play throughout the Pan-African Village, Cole interacts with his customers in a lively way.

Cole’s family has been baking since 1979, selling challah out the back of their pickup truck. Since he focuses on his school, he said he’s happy selling for the RCA families. He does not mind being in the Pan-African Village because he simply likes the Fair – its food, its people, and since everybody likes rum cakes, it’s typically successful. It’s his first year in the Pan-African Village and his second year at the Fair.

Shane Hill spoke to visitors in the Iroquois Indian Village sporting a hat with pins that represent his different identities and interests as part of the Oneida Nation Wolf Clan. The pins include a “Be Yourself” Pride pin, along with Snoopy and Star Wars pins. Hill has been coming to the Fair his whole life because his brother danced at the Iroquois Indian Village, but this was his first year as a member.

Lars Jendruschewitz | Photo Editor

Shane Hill smiles outside the Iroquois Indian Village. The Village has been at the Fair for the past 20 years.

Hill can be seen quizzing visitors on how to reuse items, like using dryer sheets as coffee filters. He wants to share the traditions of his people because he believes others can learn from them. Whether that be gardening or passing the Seneca language down multiple generations, Hill shares with anyone who listens.

He’s noticed improvements at the Fair this year, especially as agriculture director at the Iroquois Indian Village. Hill prepared for the Fair by planting violets and geraniums to mimic the colors of the Haudenosaunee flag. He said it’s in the same spot every year, so they might as well make it look nice. He also saw changes to one of the Iroquois Indian Village’s buildings that needs upkeep throughout the year. The changes let people learn more about others who are different from them.

“It’s a good symbol because we’ve been here forever, hopefully, we’ll always be here,” Hill said. “The fact that it’s something different and gives it a new twist on things, lets us know that it’s okay for everybody to change a little bit and learn new things about each other that we don’t know about each other.”

Unlike the Iroquois Indian Village, which has been around for 20 years, the Asian Village is just two years old. Winh Shaw, the son of the Village’s superintendent, Tai Shaw, said it was surprisingly difficult to keep it going this year. Many vendors don’t have a storefront and aren’t necessarily business owners. They worked closely with the New York State Department of Health to prepare for this year’s Fair.

The Asian Village has a bigger area this year, which has been better for growing their visitors, Shaw said. Even when it poured rain on the Fair’s opening day, people still came out to support them. Shaw is proud of their accomplishments this year, and believes it’s all because of his father – “a not-so-subtle brag.”

“It’s really nice, this year is more better and open,” said Susie Dang, who helped her son, who owns Ma Pow, sell his coconuts. “We have more people who can get to know us.”

Flynn Ledoux | Illustration Editor

Shaw sells Asian Village merch, like lanterns and hats with a logo that represents the diversity of Asian culture. Shaw said they chose to use bamboo as the letter “i” in Asian and Village and so far, people have loved the hats.

Like other villages, the Asian Village is not complete without its performances. Shaw’s father can be seen capturing videos of dancers, singers and more. Because the Asian diaspora is so vast, Shaw appreciates learning about other cultures.

“We are paving the way for more advocacy for Asian rights,” Shaw said. “I feel like they haven’t really been as talked about as maybe one or more races, so I just think it’s amazing that we are able to be here and that the New York State Fair has allowed us to be here.”

Md Zobayer Hossain Joati | Contributing Photographer

A group of Fashion Show performers poses for a photo in front of the Asian Village at the Great New York State Fair. There were four villages situated in the Fair to represent their cultures and histories.

For Hill, as a gay man who was in the Iroquois Indian Village on Pride Day at the Fair, he was proud to see the Fair’s diversity growing in many different ways.

“That feels good because it’s more diversity,” Hill said. “There are gay people here. I’ve never seen that many people wearing Pride like I have it (pointing to his Pride pin).”

While diversity may be growing, others believe that not everything should just be separated. Instead, some suggest unity between other communities and the villages themselves, Cole said.

“The whole world should be one big village,” Cole said. “It’s all separated and jacked up, but mankind wasn’t put on this earth like that. We are all the same, so they might separate everything, but guess what? I’m just one of them.”

Published on August 29, 2024 at 2:09 am

Contact Rosina: rlboehm@syr.edu