The New York State Fair will be held this year, but a few longtime vendors won't be there.聽
State Fair Director Troy Waffner said Wednesday that Dinosaur Bar-B-Que/Gianelli Sausage, Baker's Chicken Coop and Haddock's Paddock will not be back.聽
"We thank them for their many years of dedication to fairgoers and the hard work they put in to help build our fair into one of the nation's greatest and largest," Waffner said in a statement. "These vendors will be greatly missed, but they are welcome to return at any point in the future."
Dinosaur and Gianelli had one of the fair's most popular food stands on Chevy Court. That 21-year partnership combined Gianelli's sausage sandwiches with Dinosaur's chicken, pulled pork and ribs.聽
Gianelli posted a statement on its website announcing the "difficult decision to end our participation in the Great New York State Fair."聽
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"As it has been for everyone, the past year has been challenging for us," the company wrote. "Both Gianelli Sausage and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que have been dedicated to serving the diverse needs of our customers while navigating the increasing and changing demands of the times we are living in. We believe our focus and attention must remain with our core businesses."聽
While Gianelli won't have a stand at the fair, Waffner confirmed that the sausage sandwiches will be served by other vendors.聽
The loss of Baker's Chicken Coop and Haddock's Paddock is a major blow to Restaurant Row, a stretch along the west end of the fairgrounds. Baker's was named for Dr. Robert Baker, who opened the stand to serve his Cornell chicken. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the stand in 2019 to present Baker's with a proclamation recognizing their 70 years of service at the fair.聽
Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited the fairgrounds on Monday to announce the state fair will operate at 100% capacity. Nearly every building will be open. The fair runs from Aug. 20 through Sept. 6.聽
Waffner told 新加坡多多开奖记录 after Cuomo's announcement that most vendors are returning this year, but 3-4% of the fair's approximately 600 vendors weren't planning to come back. He said they would follow up with the vendors to determine if they would reverse their decision after the state eased restrictions and allowed the fair to increase capacity.聽
Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.