Free NYS Fair Admission For Canadians, New Yorkers Get Discount

Advance tickets to the NYS Fair go on sale July 9 with new discounts.

This summer the 2018 Fair is the most affordable ever with discounts include $1 admission every day for college students with a current college ID, as well as Canadian Friendship Days, August 24-26, featuring free admission for any Canadian citizen with legal identification.

Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner said,

"Our goal is to bring more and more people to one of the nation's greatest state fairs and these new discounts help accomplish that. So many college students come to Upstate New York from distant locations and a day at the Fair can help them begin to understand and enjoy their new home. We also want to reach across our northern border to make sure our Canadian friends know we continue to value our close friendship in these turbulent times."

Special shows free with admission in Syracuse include around the grounds include mainstays like Hilby, the comic juggler who draws huge crowds, a classic big top circus, educational animal acts and more. Other major highlights of the Fair include the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, featuring several live, expert-guided births per day; the Chevy Court concert stage, featuring more than two dozen national touring acts, including Blondie, Ludacris, Smokey Robinson, Hunter Hayes, Hanson, and Niall Horan; as well as the animal barns and horse shows.

Tickets for the following days can be purchased on the Fair's online site at www.etix.com starting July 9.

Admission tickets purchased during advance sales will cost only $6, a 40 percent discount on the $10 charge at the gate during the Fair.
Admission will be just $1 on opening day, August 22 and on Labor Day, September 3.
The Fair is offering Three Dollar Thursdays, in which admission is just $3 on August 23 and 30.

Presale $6 admission tickets will also be available at all Wegmans, Tops and Price Chopper stores across the state, as well as additional retail locations. Some outlets may also offer weekday ride-all-day MIdway vouchers. Children 12 and under are admitted free every day of the Fair. No refunds or exchanges are available for tickets used on lower-priced or free admission days. Unused admission tickets bought online or in stores for the 2017 Fair will be honored for the 2018 Fair. Special promotional tickets are not eligible.

Wade Shows Midway discounted tickets can be purchased on the Fair's online site at www.etix.com starting July 9

Vouchers for a day of unlimited rides on a weekday or weekend will be on sale for $20 and $25, respectively, a discount of $5 over the price at the Fair.
The Wade Shows Mega Pass, allowing unlimited rides every day of the Fair, may be purchased online at www.WadeShows.com for $70, a savings of $20 over the price offered during the first few days of the Fair.
Wade Shows offers two promotional discounts during the Fair: Midway Monday, August 27, featuring a wristband good for 10 rides for $10, and $1 rides all day on Dollar Day on Labor Day.
Rides on the Broadway Skyliner are sold separately and are not part of any wristband promotion.

The Fair offers many days of free admission for groups, including:

Family Fishing Days, on Thursday, August 23 and Sunday, August 26, presented in cooperation with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Admission is free for anyone presenting a valid New York State hunting or fishing license at the gate. The DEC will operate free fishing clinics in the pond in the New York Experience festival grounds on those days.
Senior Days, on Monday, August 27 and Tuesday, August 28. Admission is free for anyone age 60 or above.
Law Enforcement Day, on Monday, August 27. Admission is free for all New York State police and correction officers with valid ID.
Fire and Rescue Day, on Tuesday, August 28. Admission is free for all New York State fire and emergency services workers with valid ID.
Armed Forces Day, Thursday, August 30. Admission is free for all current or retired military members with valid ID or DD-214.
Six Nations Day, Friday, August 31. Admission is free for all members of Iroquois tribes.
SU Football Day, Friday, August 31. Admission is $1 when wearing Syracuse University apparel, in honor of the opening football game of the season.

Unused advance sale tickets from the 2017 Fair will be accepted this year. Free or promotional tickets are not included. Tickets for any 2018 concert at the St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview include one free admission to the Fair when presented at any Fair gate.

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 22 to September 3, 2018. The Fair's mission, reflected in its theme, "FIND YOUR GREAT," is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.