State Fair Insider's Guide 2008

Safety Town

Safety starts at home, but not in the House of Hazards at Safety Town, USA, the State Fair’s model home depicting virtually every bonehead mistake you could make. One quick tour of the 3-D, multi-room house, located in the Science and Industry Building, can help to make youngsters aware of the importance of keeping home safe while it gives adults a chuckle over the cornball captions and silly setups. Either way, you’ll probably wind up removing that lawnmower from the laundry room and moving the paint cans away from the open flame. 

Nearby are benches where the whole family can take a break while watching a fire safety video or puppet show. A gift shop is well stocked with fire department-related apparel, toy trucks, dolls, stuffed animals and, of course, fire chief hats. Proceeds benefit the fire prevention education center. 

Out of the frying pan: This kitchen setup provides limitless amusement while educating the public about fire risks at home.

Hall of Vet Health

Pet lovers can pick up some tips to keep their furry family members healthy with a visit to the Hall of Veterinary Health in the western wing of the horse barn, nearest Gate 4 and the Speach’s Family A’Fair stand. The room is loaded with posters and displays on diet and nutrition, anatomy, dentistry and medication that can help pet owners partner with their vets to maximize the effectiveness of their pet’s medical care.   

There’s a fascinating array of vet instruments on display—some of them antiques—including stethoscopes, syringes, microscopes, forceps and livestock tools. X-rays give visitors an inside look at various pet pregnancies, injuries and ailments, while computer terminals encourage surfing the virtual vet with various categories to explore. Look for free samples provided by pet product companies.

Inside edition: X-rays provide a vet’s eye view into various animal-related ailments. You’ll find them at the Hall of Veterinary Health.

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Weather or Not

There is job security in predicting the weather, and you can get the little ones on the road to weathercasting at the News 10 Now chromakey display inside the Science and Technology Building. While anchor desk equipment is always available to check out, including the green screen in front of which many a meteorologist holds court, kids are welcome to try their hand at the talent twice a day. 

“This is our fifth Fair,” says Time Warner Cable’s News 10 Now general manager Ron Lombard. “People have a lot of fun with it. The camera is always set up and you can see yourself on TV in front of some weather graphics.” But at noon and 5 p.m. every day the area is staffed and kids pretending to be weathercasters can be videotaped doing their thing. “We give them the tape to take home for free,” Lombard says. Staff is on hand for an hour each time and each taping session lasts a few minutes.

“We do this to have a little fun and also because we have the ability to do it,” Lombard adds. “It’s always popular when we take the Stormchaser vehicle around to fairs and festivals. And we’re set up well for it at the Fair. It’s a controlled environment and it’s well-lighted. And everyone wants to be a weathercaster, don’t they?”

Chroma chameleon: In front of News 10 Now’s chromakey, children can be transformed into little weatherpeople and their predictions chronicled on videotape to take home.

Hey, You Never Know

The New York Lottery Players Pavilion, which has greeted fair visitors as they entered the main gate, has reportedly been moved to the most congested crossroads of the expo. At the spot where you can walk toward the Grandstand or the Midway—and most people do it in all sorts of directions—where the Pizza Fritte A-frame stands (it's called Times Square among Fair brass), there is a one-time restaurant building. That is where Yolanda Vega and her ilk have been transfered.

In the pavilion’s place? An expanded Pride of New York display of Empire State agricultural products. Wow!

—Kevin Corbett