Dairy Day at State Fair Moves to New Day

If you always go to the New York State Fair on Dairy Day, get out your calendars.

Dairy Day is mooooooving this year.

Dairy Day will be Thursday, Aug. 31 at the 2017 State Fair. It had to be moved because the normal day -- the first Monday of the fair -- is change out day for the dairy cattle in the dairy barn. If Dairy Day had been held on the first Monday Aug. 28, there wouldn't have been any dairy cattle in the dairy barn.

"What is Dairy Day without dairy cattle?" asked Mary Ellen Chesbro, New York State Fair coordinator and agricultural manager.

The 2017 fair willl celebrate the 41st anniversary of Dairy Day wit new events and opportunities for fairgoers, said Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner.

New this year, guests will have an opportunity to win gift baskets filled with New York dairy products by visiting popular dairy attractions and answering trivia questions.

In addition, the fair is partnering with two New York State Certified processors to bring top-notch, local dairy products to the fairgrounds, including a New York State Fair-branded cheese. 

In 2016, more than 82,000 people visited the Fair on Dairy Day. 

 

"Dairy Day is a great opportunity to recognize the hard work of our dairy farmers who make delicious products. We are excited to put the industry on display at the fair and highlight their many contributions to agriculture," Waffner said. "I encourage our guests to stop at the Dairy Products Building, Dairy Cow Birthing Center, and join us at the many special activities on Dairy Day as we celebrate our farmers and processors across the state.”

 

New York yogurt

For the first time, guests can enter a drawing to win Taste NY dairy gift baskets by answering trivia questions when they visit three popular dairy attractions on Dairy Day. To participate, guests can pick up a copy of the questions at any of the fair’s six Guest Relations locations. 

They can find the answers by visiting the Milk Bar, Cheese Booth, and Yo2GO Yogurt Bar. When a guest has completed the questions, they can drop off their answers at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center where they will be entered to win. Three winners will be selected at the conclusion of Dairy Day. 

 

Both the Milk Bar and Cheese Booth will be offering delicious, high-quality dairy products made by two New York State Certified Dairy processors — Byrne Dairy and McCadam Cheese. 

Byrne Dairy, a fourth generation, family-owned dairy processor and distributor, will supply milk for the Milk Bar, one of the fair’s longest-standing traditions. The Milk Bar is being sponsored by Tully’s Good Times and New York’s official beverage will continue to be sold for 25 cents per cup. Last year, 398,059 cups of white and chocolate milk were sold. 

A previous butter sculpture

Fairgoers will also have the opportunity to sample and purchase award-winning McCadam Cheese at the Cheese Booth. McCadam will also be unveiling a NYS Fair-branded cheese. 

For the fourth year, a cheese sculptor will also be carving images out of a block of New York state white cheddar at the Cheese Booth on select days. The sculptures are being sponsored by the New York State Cheese Manufacturers Association. 

 

In addition, the YO2GO Yogurt Bar will mark its fourth anniversary at the fair, making it easy for fairgoers to enjoy New York’s official state snack— fresh New York regular and Greek-style yogurt with a choice of 15 fresh toppings. 

The 49^th Annual Butter Sculpture, created by American Dairy Association North East, will be sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets. The sculpture will be revealed Aug. 22, the day before the fFair opens, and will be on display throughout the fair. 

All of these exhibits are located in the Dairy Products Building and open during all 13 days of the Fair. 

 

Dairy Day will also feature a variety of activities to showcase the State’s dairy industry, beginning with the Recognition Awards & Awards Breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Empire Room, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. 

As part of the awards ceremony, Dairy of Distinction Awards and the Commissioner’s PRO-DAIRY Service Awards will be presented. In addition, winners of the New York State Fair Dairy Products Competition, which includes entries in the cheese, fluid milk and other dairy products categories, will also be announced. 

The “Big Cheese” Auction will immediately follow and be led by auctioneer and chairman of the New York State Assembly Agriculture Committee Bill Magee. This year, the auction will be held in the Empire Room. Guests can bid on blocks of New York state cheese and enjoy samples that will be handed out by dairy princesses.

 
The festivities continue with a Milkshake Contest at 10:30 a.m. in the Chevy Court Pavilion, where local celebrities will compete to see who makes the best shake. The day will end with the Dairy Day Parade, beginning at 6 p.m. in Chevy Court, which features floats, dairy princesses, tractors and milk trucks.