Bigger, More Exciting Wade Shows Midway Features New Roller Coaster, Modern Version of Double Ferris Wheel

People who love the thrills of carnival rides will find the biggest and most exciting Midway in the long history of the Great New York State Fair this year.  The Wade Shows Midway will be larger and easier to navigate than ever, with more rides, games and food than ever before, wider walkways and more shaded seating, and a more convenient Kiddieland, Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner announced today.

The Midway has increased in size to approximately 15 acres and has had most of its electrical services relocated underground as a result of the $50 million project to transform the Fairgrounds.  The expanded space allows for wider aisles and more covered seating areas, while underground utilities mean far fewer obstructions for people pushing strollers or using wheelchairs or walkers. 

Included in the new Midway footprint is a defined area for Kiddieland, the area of rides for young thrill seekers.  Kiddieland is placed conveniently just off the back entrance of the International Building with the main Midway adjacent to it. 

“The change in our Midway is dramatic and the Fair has worked hard with Wade Shows to maximum the use of this new space.  I know that fans of rides of all kinds will find new ways to have a thrilling time at this year’s Fair,” said Waffner.

“We are delighted to be bringing the most guest-friendly midway yet to the Great New York State Fair.  With the investment from the state in the grounds and our world-class guest amenities plus several exciting new rides, the Midway will look more like an amusement park than ever before,” said Frank Zaitshik, Wade Shows CEO.

Advance sale purchases of Wade Shows Midway discount ride packages can be made at etix.com, the Fair’s official online ticket seller (along with discounted tickets for Fair admission), or at the Wade Shows website. 

More rides, new rides 

The Wade Shows Midway will feature 75 rides, the most in the midway’s history, including the return of the Comet II, the nation’s largest traveling roller coaster.  Eight rides will be new to the Fair:

• The new Super Cyclone roller coaster, the newest addition to the Wade Shows coaster lineup and the second largest traveling coaster in the country.
• Stampede, a modern take on a classic favorite, the double Ferris Wheel, in which riders face to one side while they spin.
• Disk’O, which features riders facing outwards on motorcycle-style seats on a disk that spins as it rocks back and forth on a roller coaster track
• Storm, a thrill ride in which the rider sits in a car on a platform that’s attached to the base of the ride.  The base, the platform, and the car all spin at once
• The Zipper, a thrill ride in which riders rotate up one side of a bar-shaped boom arm and back down the other, while their cars spin upside down and back
• A huge new Ferris Wheel that rises more than70 feet in the air.
• Surf’s Up, a family ride in which a giant painted surfboard spins around and around, while riders stand up and surf the swells of the track.
• Flying Elephants, a gentle kiddie ride

In addition, several rides, including the Gravitron, Ring of Fire, Flying Bobs, and Jumping Star have received new LED lighting and other improvements for 2016.

New Gold Access Pass

Gold Access is Wade Shows' all-new VIP Midway experience.  For an additional fee, guests are given a VIP wristband and lanyard that provides special Gold Access privileges. The number of Gold Access tickets is limited so as not to disrupt the enjoyment of our non-Gold Access guests and maintain the integrity of the Gold Access experience.  The benefits of Gold Access include:

• Priority line boarding – Most rides will have a special entrance clearly marked for Gold Access members.  A small amount of the ride's seating capacity is set aside for Gold Access riders, who board first.
• Food Discounts – Midway food stands that display a Gold Access sign offer a 10% discount.

Gold Access cards cost $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends.

Money-saving Promotions

There are many ways to enjoy the Wade Shows Midway on a budget:

• Purchase a wristband that allows one person to ride an unlimited number of rides on one day.  The advance sale price of the wristband is $20 for Monday through Friday use and $25 for weekend use.  Each is a $5 savings over the price of the purchase during the Fair.  People who purchase a weekday wristband and come on the weekend can upgrade to the weekend wristband for $5 at any Wade Shows booth.  Online purchases provide a voucher, which are turned in at the Wade Shows office for the wristband.
• Purchase the Wade Shows MegaPass, which allows one person unlimited rides every day of the Fair.  MegaPass is $70 through August 24 and $90 from August 25 through August 28.  MegaPass will not be sold after Sunday, August 28.  Those who purchase a MegaPass on the Wade Shows website can upload a headshot photo, which will be printed on the MegaPass ID card.  Otherwise, the voucher from the online purchase can be taken to the Wade Shows office to have a photo taken for the ID card.
• Take advantage of the new ‘Midway Monday’ on Monday, August 29, which offers a wristband good for 10 rides for $10.
• Come on Dollar Day on Labor Day, when admission is just $1 and all rides on the Midway are just $1.

Wade Shows recommends not buying wristbands for children under 36 inches as they are limited to a small number of rides due to safety restrictions, and that parents of children under 48 inches should check the height requirements of individual rides before buying tickets.  Height requirements and information on each ride are available at the Wade Shows website.

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 25 to September 5, 2016.  The Fair's mission, reflected in its theme, "Find Your GREAT!," is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.

The 375-acre New York State Fairgrounds is undergoing the most significant transformation since it first opened its gates in 1890. The $50 million plan, announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, revitalizes the grounds in many ways, improving the quality of the fairgoer’s experience and providing greater economic benefits for the region. Improvements include the dramatic new Main Gate— the arches of which recall the carriage gate that greeted fairgoers in 1900, a larger, 15-acre Wade Shows Midway that will hold more rides than ever, and the brand new 315-site Empire RV Park with underground water, sewer and electrical service. The plan will better position the New York State Fairgrounds as a premier year-round, multi-use facility that can attract more events and visitors from across the nation.  Renderings can be viewed here. 

In addition to the annual New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious horse and livestock shows. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website.  Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at [email protected].