The weekend just got longer, at least when it comes to the Great New York State Fair’s Latino Village Weekend. The annual event, in its third year, will expand to four days and move to a new home in front of the Youth Building. The move will allow organizers to use the Talent Showcase Stage in the evening and create a more compact and convenient experience for fairgoers. The growing celebration of Latino food, music, and culture will take place Friday, August 30 through Monday, September 2.
“Our effort to embrace the many cultures of New York is one reason for our rapid growth in recent years. We’re pleased to see Latino Village growing and I believe this move will bring this wonderful event to many more fairgoers this year,” said Troy Waffner, Fair Director.
Highlights of the stage performances this year include a return visit from recording artists Grupo Karis and Latino drag queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The schedule is:
- El Potro Doney, 6 p.m. Friday, August 30. El Potro Doney sings popular ranchera music, a genre of the traditional music of Mexico that tends to highlight the beauty of the country and its people;
- Grupo Karis, 8 p.m. Friday, August 30. Grupo Karis’ merengue hits were a staple of tropical radio in the 90s;
- Kevin Tapia, 6 p.m. Saturday, August 31. Kevin Tapia is a rising Latin pop and reggaeton singer from New York City;
- Calle Uno, 8 p.m. Saturday, August 31. Calle Uno is a popular group from Upstate New York that plays salsa, merengue and bachata, among Latin music styles;
- CNY Drag Queens, 6 p.m. Sunday, September 1, followed by National Latino Drag Queens at 8 p.m.;
- International Youth Talent Show, 5:30 p.m. Monday, September 2;
- Trio Los Claveles, 6 p.m. Monday, September 2. Rochester’s Trio Los Claveles plays boleros, bachata, merengue, salsa, Latin jazz and other Latin rhythms.
- Grupo Pagán, 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2. Syracuse’s Grupo Pagán blends diverse backgrounds to create a high-energy sound, with influences including Santana, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Sade, Marc Anthony, War and beyond.
Founded in 1841, the Great New York State Fair is America’s third largest state fair. The Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment and is a key piece of Governor Cuomo’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. Fair attendance is up more than 40% since the beginning of more than $120 million in investments, with 1.27 million people attending the Fair in 2018. The 2019 Fair runs from August 21 to September 2. Information about the Fair can be found here.
The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available here. Find the Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter and enjoy photos from the Fair on Flickr. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
