Taste NY Program at The Great New York State Fair Showcases Agriculture, Local Food and Beverages

New York State Tasting Yard, Featuring New York's Craft Beverages, Offers Expanded Selection of In-Person, Informational Seminars About Agricultural Industry

Horticulture Building Offers One-Stop-Shop for Taste NY Offerings

The Taste NY program is gearing up for another exciting year showcasing the best of New York State agriculture with local food and beverages being featured in the Horticulture Building at The Great New York State Fair, offering locally made products to fairgoers. The New York State Tasting Yard and the Taste NY Pop-Up Market and Marketplace are located in the Horticulture Building, creating a one-stop shop for fairgoers to discover their favorite New York product. Additionally, new this year: the New York State Tasting Yard will offer an expanded selection of informational classes in the Seminar Room, hosted by New York craft beverage producers.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said, "New York State is home to some of the best farmers and producers in the world, and the Great New York State Fair is the perfect place to showcase that. This year, I'm excited to see the Taste NY program continue to expand its presence for fairgoers, providing a unique platform for our New York farmers and food and beverage producers to introduce their homegrown products to thousands of new consumers. I encourage visitors to stop into one of the many seminars being held this year to learn more about our powerhouse craft beverage industry and make sure to take home some delicious local products while you're at it!"

Fair Director Julie LaFave said, "Spotlighting New York's world class food and beverage industry has always been a top priority here at the Fair. The Taste NY Pop-Up Market, Marketplace, and Tasting Yard, all located in the Horticulture Building, provide a one-stop-shop for fairgoers to get a taste of locally made products from all over the state, and this year we're excited to offer an expanded schedule of seminars for visitors to learn about the craft beverage industry."

New York State Tasting Yard

The New York State Tasting Yard is returning to the Horticulture Building, ensuring that fairgoers interested in discovering local New York products can find their favorites all in one spot. The Tasting Yard is located around the corner from the Maple Booth. The rustic taproom-inspired bar again features a selection of New York State craft beverages, with seven local businesses showcasing New York beer, cider, wine, mead, and spirits on a rotating schedule. Craft beverage producers that will be joining the Tasting Yard include:

• Awestruck Ciders - Sidney, Delaware County
• Argyle Brewing - Greenwich, Washington County
• Brooklyn Cider House - New Paltz, Ulster County
• Heritage Hill Brewery - Pompey, Onondaga County
• Main Street Distillery - Greenwich, Washington County
• Second Act Spirits - Amsterdam, Montgomery County
• The Bull and Bee - Albany, Albany County

The New York State Tasting Yard will operate from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. In addition, next to the Tasting Yard, the Seminar Room will host a series of classes for fairgoers interested in learning about New York's craft beverage industry. Seminars to look forward to include:

• Honey Sensory and Its Impact on Mead Flavors, hosted by Lilly Belle Meads;
• The Evolution of Cider and the Importance of Understanding Grower's Cider vs Commercial Cider, hosted by Brooklyn Cider House;
• Master the Art of Craft Cocktails with Bitters, hosted by Second Act Spirits;
• New York State Cider Trivia, hosted by Awestruck Ciders;
• Moonshine Master Distiller, hosted by Smokin' Tails Distiller;
• Premiumization of Ready-to-Drink Cocktails, hosted by Liquid Fables;
• Mead - The World's Ancient Honey Wine - From the Gods to your Glass, hosted by The Bull and Bee;
• History of Brewing in the Empire State, hosted by Chris Nothnagle; and
• History of Hops in New York, hosted by Chris Nothnagle.

There will be seminars held during the Fair's 13-day run, including special conversations hosted by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and the New York State Cider Association. On Thursday, August 27, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation will hold three seminars covering the quality and diversity of wines produced across New York State, with opportunities to sample award-winning selections from the 2026 New York Wine Classic. On Sunday, September 6, Scott Ramsey, Executive Director of the New York State Cider Association, will hold a panel discussion with experts from New York State's cider, craft beer, and wine industry to discuss what makes the beverages so special, how the vast growing regions of the state impact flavors, and how to approach these beverages in your local market.

Taste NY Pop-Up Market and Taste NY Marketplace

The Taste NY Pop-Up Market and Taste NY Marketplace will once again return to the Horticulture Building, directly across from and next to the Maple Booth, and are open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. Together, the Taste NY Pop-Up Market and Taste NY Marketplace feature locally made items sourced from each of New York's 10 regions.

Featuring more than 250 unique products from over 80 vendors from across the State, the Taste NY Pop-Up Market allows visitors to sample and shop for food, beverage, and gift items sourced from businesses throughout New York. The Taste NY Pop-Up Market provides fairgoers an opportunity to discover their new favorite locally made foods and beverages, such as craft beverages, cheese, chocolates, sauces, dips, snacks, coffee and tea, crackers, popcorn, and more. The Pop-Up Market is operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County.

The Taste NY Marketplace will feature more than 30 New York State producers that will be sampling and selling their products over the 13-day run of the Fair. Around 12 New York producers from across the State will be sampling daily, featuring products ranging from soaps and wood products to baked goods, garlic scapes, hot sauces, BBQ sauces, jams, chips, salsa, teas, coffee, spices, roasted pumpkin seeds, jerky, spirits, mead, and wine. Businesses will rotate during the Fair, providing guests a new experience each time they visit the Marketplace.

Taste NY will again provide a Purchase Check area that allows fairgoers to store products purchased at the Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Pop-Up Market while they enjoy The Fair and to return to pick them up before the Horticulture Building closes. Please note that only Taste NY items may be stored, and alcohol items may not be checked.

Scott Ramsey, Executive Director of the New York Cider Association, said, "New York Cider is truly an expression of our state's extraordinary agriculture; our apples, our orchards, our growers and the distinct regions where they come together. The Great New York State Fair and Taste NY give us this incredible opportunity to invite people to discover that connection firsthand, while showcasing cider alongside the remarkable range of craft beverages being produced across New York. I'm especially looking forward to bringing voices from across our cider, wine, and craft beer communities together for a conversation about how place shapes what we produce and what makes New York beverages so distinctive. It's another opportunity to help people discover why New York truly is the State of Cider."

Sam Filler, Executive Director of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, said, "Every year, NYWGF works to put New York wine in front of new audiences across the state, and there's no better stage for that than the Great New York State Fair. This is where New York celebrates its agriculture, from the growers who tend the vines to the winemakers who bring them to the glass. New York grapes and wine belong at the heart of that celebration. This year, we're especially excited to bring a taste of the New York Wine Classic to the Fair, offering visitors exclusive access to some of the top-scoring wines in the state while learning firsthand about the diversity and quality coming out of every region of New York. Whether someone's a longtime wine enthusiast or trying a New York wine for the first time, our goal is the same: to make it easy, approachable, and worth remembering."

Brian Facquet of Do Good Spirits, President of the New York State Distillers Guild, said, "The Great New York State Fair presents a fantastic opportunity to enjoy New York's craft spirits alongside many other wonderful agricultural products from right here in the Empire State."

Paul Leone, Executive Director of the New York State Brewers Association, said, "There are 500 breweries in New York State, the second most in the country, and we're excited that the Fair will once again highlight a few of those breweries in the New York State Tasting Yard. The Tasting Yard has always been a great location to not only taste and purchase incredible NYS craft beer, but to also experience so many other incredible craft beverage producers in the same area."

Kim McDonnell, Taste NY Market Manager, Hudson Valley Catskills Welcome Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, said, "It has been a pleasure to work with more than 50 new vendors to bring their products to the 2026 New York State Fair and showcase their small businesses. Alongside our returning vendors, they represent all regions of New York State and the incredible creativity, talent, and flavors found across the state. It's exciting to partner with the Department of Agriculture and Markets' Taste NY team to create a marketplace where fairgoers can explore, sample, and discover something new around every corner. From handcrafted goods and sweet treats to savory snacks and unique local products, the Taste NY Market offers a true taste of everything New York has to offer. Working with team members from Taste NY locations statewide to staff the market is an incredible collaborative experience."

Shannon Onstot, Market Manager, Taste NY at the Adirondacks Welcome Center, said, "The Taste NY Pop-up Market is the best way to experience the innovation and spirit of collaboration that comes together from every corner of the state. Every region brings a unique flavor to the Great New York State Fair and connecting small businesses with larger opportunities while also providing fairgoers with new products and experiences is what we're most passionate about as Taste NY operators."

Other Attractions in the Horticulture Building

The Horticulture Building brings together some of the very best growers, producers, manufacturers, and apiculturists from across the State. A variety of interactive exhibits, seminars and product booths highlight the diversity and quality of agriculture in New York State. The Empire Honey Producers Association, New York State Maple Producers Association, SUNY Cobleskill, Morrisville State College, and New York Farm Bureau also have exhibits in the Horticulture Building.

The Horticulture Building also showcases spectacular arrangements of colorful plants and flowers, and the winners of New York's harvest. It also gives guests a chance to get up close to hundreds of amazing butterflies.

Attractions include:

• Produce and flower exhibits
• The New York Maple Center, where you can buy candy, syrup, and ice cream made with New York maple syrup
• Yard and Landscaping Display
• Honey Exhibit
• Butterfly Exhibit
• The Great New York State Fair Potato Booth, home of the $1 baked potato with all the toppings, now with local, New York grown potatoes and local New York toppings like butter, cheese, and sour cream.

Check out a map of exhibits at The Fair, including those in the Horticulture Building.

About Taste NY

Taste NY highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. Taste NY aims to create new opportunities for producers through events, retail locations, and partnerships, such as at The Great New York State Fair.

Taste NY has grown significantly since its launch in 2013, bringing over $100 million in economic impact to New York State producers over 10 plus years of the program. Over the last decade, Taste NY has supported nearly 2,000 food and beverage producers participating in the program through retail outlets, events, and sponsorships. Taste NY's food and beverage businesses also support the state's farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products.

About The Great New York State Fair

The Fair starts Wednesday, August 26, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. All concerts are included in the price of admission. Tickets are on sale now 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 Fair's award-winning concert lineup. 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, TikTok, and Instagram.

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