Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market Return to the 2019 Great New York State Fair

The Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market will be back at the Great New York State Fair for the 2019 season, bringing a taste of some of the best homegrown and homemade New York maple, dairy products, craft beverages and more to fairgoers in the Horticulture Building.  The Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market will introduce visitors to a bigger and broader selection of New York-made food and beverage products. 

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said, “The Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market at the New York State Fair continue to grow and expand, providing a unique platform for our New York farmers and food and beverage producers to introduce their homegrown and made products to new consumers. We encourage fairgoers to stop by the Horticulture Building and not only discover a new local offering–whether it be maple products, dairy or craft beverages—but also to visit all corners of the Horticulture Building, where the very best of New York agriculture is on display.”

State Fair Director Troy Waffner said, “Taste NY is a big attraction for many fairgoers who look forward to sampling and taking home a new favorite product.  The Fair is committed to sourcing as much New York food and drink as it can across our 375 acres, and the Horticulture Building is a great place for visitors to learn more about local food and agriculture and buy delicious local products to take home with them.”

Open every day at the Fair from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Taste NY Marketplace will feature more than 40 companies that will be sampling and selling their products over the 13-day run of the Fair. Ten New York food and beverage companies from across the State will be sampling daily. Vendors will be offering free samples of artisan foods, jams and jellies, sauces, cookies, craft wine, beer and spirits, and other products that can be purchased on site. Businesses will rotate during the Fair, providing guests a new experience each time they visit the market. A current list of participating companies can be found here.

In addition, the Taste NY Marketplace will celebrate New York’s Concord grape industry on Thursday, August 22 by featuring products such as wine, cider, spirits, jams and jellies made from New York Concord grapes.   The Marketplace will highlight all things maple on Maple Day, taking place on Monday, August 26, and dairy products on the Fair’s annual Dairy Day on Thursday, August 29.

Taste NY Market

Operated by Nelson Farms, in partnership with SUNY Morrisville, the Taste NY Market, located next to the Taste NY Marketplace, will sell products from even more vendors this year than ever before with a total of 107 vendors represented from across the State.  The Market will feature products that are offered at the Marketplace and will carry additional products from around New York, so visitors can buy even more delicious, locally made foods and beverages such as chocolate, sauces, cheese, gourmet nuts and much more. The Taste NY Market will also offer a selection of giftware items including handmade soaps and signs. 

A current list of companies featured in the Taste NY Market can be found here. The Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on August 21 through September 1.  The Market will close at 9 p.m. on the final day of the Fair, Labor Day, September 2.   It will also run special promotions for Grape Day, Maple Day, Beef Day, and Dairy Day.

Together, the Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market will feature producers from every New York region.

Sammi Clark-Collins, Associate Director for Nelson Farms, said, “We are honored and humbled to be a part of the Great NYS Fair again this year. We work with the best vendors that NYS has to offer and are excited to share their products with fairgoers from all over the State.  If you are looking for local, handcrafted, and unique food and gift items, the Taste NY Marketplace and Taste NY Market are a must-see during your time at the Fair.”

Michael Sharlow, owner of SYRACHA'CUSE Specialty Foods, said, “We love being part of Taste NY. It’s a great initiative in helping to create awareness to small local businesses. Being able to be part of the NYS Fair through Taste NY is a great opportunity for us to showcase our products to people from all over New York State and even other parts of the country. We’re always excited and grateful to be part of the biggest event of the summer thanks to Taste NY.”

Nickey Aubin, owner of Busted Grapes, said, “Busted Grapes has been fortunate to have the chance to participate in the Taste NY program at the Great New York State Fair.  We are a very small winery in Upstate New York with a limited advertising budget, so this opportunity allows us to reach a larger market.  We are proud of all the work that goes into each bottle of our handcrafted wines, and love having the chance to talk to people about our wines while they try it.  My husband and I are passionate about our business, and love meeting new people along the way to building our dream.  We are thankful to have the opportunity to share our bottled artwork as a guest of the Taste NY program.  Busted Grapes is a true labor of love, and we are proud to share it with all.”

Paul Leone, Executive Director of the New York State Brewers Association, said, “New York State breweries have been very fortunate to be a part of the Taste NY section of the Fair these past several years, and this year we’re extremely excited to have our section right next to Taste NY in the Horticulture Building. Each day will feature four breweries from around the State sampling and selling amazing New York State craft beer you won’t find anywhere else throughout the Fair. We are so excited to be a part of this year’s Fair and to talk and educate visitors about New York State craft beer.”

Other Attractions in the Horticulture Building 

A favorite stop for fairgoers, 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 New York Apple Association, 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.  New this year, the New York State Brewers Association will be sampling and selling New York State beers in the Horticulture Building, across from the Taste NY Market.

During the Taste NY Wine, Cheese, and Beer Seminars, representatives from local wineries, breweries and distilleries share their knowledge about grapes, hops, and how to pair various wine, beer and spirits with food to maximize taste. 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 a working bee colony and hundreds of amazing butterflies.

Attractions include:

• The Suds & Spuds baked potato and sweet potato booth, home of the $1 baked potato with all the toppings
• Produce, flower and apple exhibits
• The New York Maple Center, where you can buy candy, syrup, and ice cream made with New York maple syrup
• Bee Colony and Honey Exhibit
• Butterfly Exhibit

About Taste NY 

The Taste NY initiative has seen steady growth and recognition since it was created in 2013 by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Taste NY sales increased to $17.8 million in 2018. The program, which is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, has created opportunities for local producers to showcase their goods at a variety of venues throughout the State and at large public events, such as the Great New York State Fair and the Barclays Tournament at Bethpage State Park. It has also helped the farms and companies participating in the program to reach more customers, increase online sales, and, in many cases, expand the processing capacity of their business. Taste NY’s food and beverage businesses also support the State’s farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products.

New York products sold under Taste NY branding are available in more than 70 locations throughout the State as well as the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in San Juan, Puerto Rico.