Maple Experience Interactive Educational Exhibit with Demonstrations of Maple Production will be Located Between the Horticulture Building and the State Police Exhibit 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
$3 Maple Day Special on Maple Popcorn at the Maple Booth in the Horticulture Building
New This Year: Maple Cinnamon Buns
The Great New York State Fair is celebrating New York’s growing maple industry Monday, August 25 with the return of Maple Day at the Fair! Maple Day is sponsored by the New York State Maple Producers Association and will give fairgoers an opportunity to not only taste the delicious goodness of pure maple syrup but also to learn about it too. From educational opportunities to tasty, sweet maple snacks, Maple Day is a fairgoer favorite.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Richard A. Ball said, “Maple is New York’s first agricultural crop so its so fitting to have a day dedicated to maple at The New York State Fair. We are proud of our maple industry and its producers who continue to innovate and produce some of the very best and unique products. I look forward to checking out the Maple Experience mobile classroom and hearing from our FFA officers who will be providing demonstrations to fairgoers, educating them about the maple production process and giving them a chance to sample the sweet goodness of pure New York maple syrup.”
State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “Maple Day at the Fair is a fun way to introduce our visitors to delicious maple syrup and unique maple products and have them learn something about this sweet agricultural commodity along the way. We’re proud to join the New York State Maple Producers Association in bringing back Maple Day again this year and look forward to trying some of my maple favorites!”
Executive Director of the New York State Maple Producers Association Helen Thomas said, “I encourage everyone to come out and stop by the Mobile Maple Classroom on Maple Day to learn how maple syrup is made and get a first-hand look at all the wonderful things we’re teaching our school children in grades K-12 about New York’s maple industry. We will also be highlighting all our wonderful maple products, so fairgoers should look for them at the Mobile Classroom and check out a full range of products, including our newly debuted maple cinnamon buns and our $3 maple popcorn, in the Horticulture Building.”
The Maple Experience, or the Mobile Maple Classroom, is an interactive, educational exhibit in a 24-foot mobile trailer that travels around New York State and teaches visitors about the maple industry. The mobile educational exhibit allows visitors to learn about the early discovery of maple syrup and observe the production process, including how trees are tapped and sap is extracted, collected, boiled, evaporated and subject to reverse osmosis. Hands-on interactive displays include modern power drills and plastic tubing syrup lines, as well as traditional bits and wooden sap spouts. This year, FFA students from Morrisville Central School and winners of the State FFA maple competition will be conducting demonstrations of the various aspects of maple production. A visit to the Maple Experience wraps up with tastings of samples of real maple syrup. During the fair the exhibit will be parked next to the Horticulture Building by the State Police Exhibit for fairgoers to visit between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Maple mascot “Leafy” will make appearances as well.
In addition, fairgoers can also sample and buy maple products, such as fair favorite maple ice cream as well as maple cotton candy, maple donuts, maple popcorn, and more, in the Horticulture Building. New this year, the Maple Booth will also feature maple cinnamon buns.
Maple Day joins Agricultural Career Day, Beef Day, and Dairy Day in a lineup of special days created at the Fair to highlight and promote New York State agriculture.
New York State continues to rank second in the nation in maple production. New York maple producers experienced a record-breaking year in 2024, with production increasing to 846,000 gallons, up nearly 100,000 gallons of maple syrup from the 2023 season.
In addition to its ranking for maple production, New York is also home to the largest resource of tappable maple trees within the United States and more than 2,000 maple sugar makers. In 2024, New York’s maple industry used 2.8 million taps. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets supports the maple industry through the New York State Budget—which includes funding for promotion and educational programs—as well as through investments in research projects, such as Cornell University’s Maple Program’s Arnot Teaching Forest, and through its NYS Grown & Certified and Taste NY marketing programs.
The Fair is running now through Labor Day, Monday, September 1. All concerts are included in the price of admission. Tickets are on sale at The Fair’s website, nysfair.ny.gov. Packed with value, a single admission ticket costs $8 and includes access to all grounds entertainment and the Chevrolet Music Series. In addition, a Frequent Fairgoer ticket option is available for $25.
The Fair continues to be one of the most affordable fairs in the nation, with admission remaining free for those aged 65 and older along with children 12 years old and under.
Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment, and is a key piece of the state’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.
The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about The Great New York State Fair online, browse photos on Flickr, and follow the fun on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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