2025 NYS Fair information to meals and enjoyable: 80+ meats, sweets, drinks and surprises definitely worth the cash

Geddes, N.Y. — Over two dozen syracuse.com reporters and editors swarmed the New York State Fair on Opening Day Wednesday, tasked with discovering the very best meals and drinks the occasion has to supply.

We went in quest of particular varieties of meals: Where can you discover the very best sandwiches? What if you happen to’re within the temper for a loopy cocktail? Which hidden gems are price your cash, and which video games are essentially the most enjoyable?

What if you need one thing you’ve by no means tried earlier than?

All advised, we ate and drank dozens of things within the first few hours of the truthful, and tried a bunch of video games on the Midway. And we now have ideas.

So right here it’s, our official information to consuming, ingesting and having enjoyable throughout the New York State Fair.

Sick of sausage? Try shrimp balls, squid and pho at NYS Fair’s Asian Village

The Asian Village is on the New York State Fair for simply 5 days, however it has a few of the greatest meals on the grounds. Don’t miss it.

Reporters Scott Trimble and Kevin Tampone swarmed the village and some different Asian stands to attempt the whole lot from crispy fried treats to delectable noodle dishes. They discovered a few of the truthful’s greatest dishes at terrific costs.

“The $10 grilled squid skewer was fantastic,” they wrote. “The meat was very tender, not chewy like you might expect squid at your typical fried calamari haunt. The skewer hosts a perfect balance of a robust, meaty taste with a good teriyaki sauce.

7 hearty sandwiches to fill you up at NYS Fair 2025

Hungry at the fair? Couldn’t be us. Reporters Johnathan Croyle and Yzzy Liwanag have you covered with the most filling, hearty sandwiches they could find on the fairgrounds.

A sandwich is almost the perfect New York State Fair food. They’re versatile, easy to share and portable. And the fair has almost unlimited sandwich choices, from the simple to the extravagant.

Try the Tiki Turtle’s picklewiches, in Italian, turkey and cheese flavors. The owner says they’ll go through more than 200 gallons of pickles through the fair’s run.

“We tried the Italian, which comes with ham, salami, provolone cheese, and mustard in between a crunchy dill pickle acting as the sandwich’s bread,” our crew wrote. “No boring PBJ or tuna fish here.”

7 meals bargains beneath $5 at NYS Fair that really style superb

We’re not in search of superb wines and prime rib right here on the state truthful, however we do need some good eats for our cash. Reporters Donna Ditota and Jon Moss discovered the very best methods to spend the final fiver in your pocket on the state truthful.

The big garlic knot at Twin Trees discovered two new followers at this time.

“This isn’t a knot as much as it is a hamburger bun-esque crunchy garlic delight, with emphasis on the garlic,” they wrote. “It’s like puffed-up pizza crust smothered in a garlicky/cheesy sauce.”

8 meatless munchies at the 2025 NYS Fair that won’t shorten your lifespan

Reporters Steve Featherstone and Kelly Corbett explored the ever-expanding vegan and vegetarian options on the truthful.

Are they good for you? Maybe! But we’re fairly assured that our veg-forward truthful weight loss program will fulfill your truthful cravings with out contributing to your premature demise.

One dish — the $12 chatpate from Asha-Laaya Farm within the Asian Village — reigned supreme.

“Utterly unique, Michelin star-level street food with more ingredients than we can list here: a base of diced cucumber, green peas and chickpeas (fresh and dried), chopped cabbage, cilantro, chilis, puffed rice and other crunchies, and at least five different spices all mixed with a wooden spoon in a lemonade pitcher,” they wrote.

NYS Fair 2025: 10 walkable snacks that includes kangaroo, gator and 23-karat gold bacon

Need a transportable snack as you discover the truthful? Kenny Lacy and Nate Mink strolled the fairgrounds with one hand filled with meals, and the opposite free for taking footage or waving good day.

Turns out, gator’s fairly good.

“If you told me this was a chicken kabob, I would have believed you,” they wrote. “These alligator bites sourced from Louisiana had a great taste and were tender and well-seasoned.”

7 must-try hidden gems at NYS Fair that even the regulars don’t learn about

Our reporters spend lots of time on the state truthful. But few spend as a lot time there as Charlie Miller. He and reporter Madison Kemeny went in quest of the hard-to-find, off-the-beaten-path gems. Thank us later for these hot tips.

One is the veggie dinner at Pickle Barrel.

“The beef tips are the best meat at the fair, but the real shocker here is the veggie plate,” wrote Charlie Miller. “Forget dainty sides. This is a full-on feast. For just $6, you’ll walk away with a mountain of smashed red potatoes (skins and all) weighted down by a heap of marinated whole mushrooms. It’s rich, filling and somehow manages to feel both indulgent and wholesome.”

9 drinks at NYS Fair that’ll make you tipsy by midday and get whipped cream in your nostril

The project was to search out essentially the most memorable cocktails on the 2025 truthful. Poor them.

Reporters Marnie Eisenstadt, Liz Doran and Marie Morelli opted to style and price drinks that have been new to the truthful, or simply plain bizarre sufficient to catch our consideration.

“Like with children, it’s hard to have a favorite, but the Orange Slam Dunk is iconic Syracuse and tastes like childhood,” they wrote.

From the Maple Midway Mule to The Berry-Go-Round, right here’s what they discovered.

8 methods to remain cool at NYS Fair on a scorching day, from AC to frozen treats

It’s August in New York, so it’d get scorching on the market. Reporters Geoff Herbert and Vince Gasparini discovered a set of ice-cold treats and different methods to chill off when the solar is thrashing down in Geddes, from ice cream to wine slushies to havens with AC.

The big Dr. Pickle drink had everybody speaking.

“For eight bucks, you’ll get a cup of ice-cold Dr. Pepper, with pickle juice and pickle chips poured inside and a dill pickle hanging off the edge of the cup, they wrote. ”The pickle taste will not be delicate, and its diabolical mixture with Dr. Pepper makes for each a savory and candy refreshment that’s positive that can assist you beat the warmth as you roam the truthful.”

Cones, rolls and tomato pie: The 9 least dangerous choices for pizza on the NY State Fair

Pizza connoisseurs Chris Baker, Joey Aliberti and Finn Lincoln searched excessive and low for the very best slices price your cash on the truthful.

They discovered pizza egg rolls, tomato pie and an exploding cheese cone they described as a “truly unique food experience.”

“The outer shell cone, which is a hefty pizza dough, is crunchy, warm and freshly served,” they wrote. “Watch out after a few bites because the structural integrity of this i-conic pizza begins to wane as cheese and sauce amass at the bottom. Bite it the wrong way and you’ll get a cheese-and-sauce bomb dropped on your sneakers…The pavement near Kono is probably still littered with the trail of cheese and sauce we left behind while trying to walk and eat this thing.”

7 gooey, oozy and simply plain bizarre new meals on the 2025 NYS Fair

From the baked potato to sausage sandwiches, most issues on the truthful by no means change. But for you longtime fairgoers in search of new choices, Don Cazentre and Anne Hayes have gotten you coated. They scoured the fairgrounds for meals by no means earlier than seen on the annual occasion.

The sausage s’mores have been particularly memorable.

“The sweet s’mores actually make the Gianelli sweet sausage taste hot, with a little kick,” they wrote. “A hot mess? Yes, but quite unexpectedly good.”

Feel like a child once more: 9 methods to thrill your interior youngster at NYS Fair 2025

You liked the truthful as a child, asking mother and pop for only one extra halfway sport, dragging them on rides and begging for yet another ice cream cone. Now, nobody can inform you “no.”

You’re a giant child now, get again in contact together with your interior youngster with our favourite kid- (and adult-) pleasant rides, video games and treats on the 2025 New York State Fair.

Ben Axelson, Darian Stevenson and Connor Pignatello spent a while on the Midway enjoying enjoyable video games, however in addition they discovered loads of treats that youngsters will love.

“The Krunchy Dog at the Fair Deli has a lightly spicy, tangy coating on a club-sized mozzarella stick with a melted cheese pull of goodness,” they wrote. “It’s mozzarella cheese coated in batter and panko breading, then rolled in Hot Cheeto dust and fried. It was gooey, warm, and crunchy with a kick of that fiery, cheesy chaos we all know and love.”

The prime 10 most iconic Fair meals of all time

Still not sufficient? Take a take a look at our roundup of the State Fair Hall of Fame Foods, and browse the tales behind the dishes and drinks which have come to outline the annual occasion.