The Great New York State Fair will open in Syracuse, a major city in central New York, from August 21 to September 2. This year, the fair will feature an Asian Village for the second year in a row, showcasing the culture, music, dance, cuisine, and traditions of the Asian region, offering a diverse and colorful program.
The history of the New York State Fair dates back to 1841, making it a long-standing tradition held towards the end of summer.
Last year, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, the fair introduced the “Asian Village” alongside the Native American Village, Pan-African Village, and Latino Village, creating a diverse cultural mix at the New York State Fair. The Asian Village aims to provide visitors with an immersive experience of Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, offering a range of experiences from music and dance to food and special activities. From traditional cuisines to various performances, multicultural fashion shows, and dedicated traditional activity areas like Korean wrestling, the Asian Village offers an enlightening cultural exploration for visitors.
The New York State Fair lasts for about two weeks, but the Asian Village will only be open for five days from August 21 to 25. During this time, visitors can enjoy performances such as Chinese classical dance, ethnic folk dances, Indian dances, dumpling-making classes (from 10:00 am to 10:45 am), traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, Indian tea ceremonies, and displays of traditional handicrafts.
Chinese classical dance and ethnic folk dance performances will be held on Friday, August 23, at noon from 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm and in the afternoon from 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm, as well as on Saturday, August 24, from 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm.
Tai Shaw, the Vietnamese-American in charge of the Asian Village, is the chairman of the Syracuse branch of the Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association and one of six members of the Governor’s Asian Pacific Advisory Committee appointed by Governor Hochul in May this year. He mentioned that the establishment of the “Asian Village” at the New York State Fair not only symbolizes diversity and inclusivity but also celebrates the vibrant contributions of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. Tai Shaw was honored by the Syracuse Common Council on August 13 for his contributions to the diversity and culture of the Syracuse community.
The New York State Fair dates are from August 21 to September 2, and the fairground address is 581 State Fair Blvd. Syracuse, NY, with the entrance to the Asian Village near Gate 4.