Holy Cow! New York’s Largest Holstein Dairy Cattle Show in Nearly a Decade is Coming to The Great New York State Fair

The Holstein Dairy Cattle Will Be Back at the Toyota Coliseum

New York Agriculture Takes Center Stage with More Animals, a New FFA Building, Local Potatoes, the Big Cheese, the Return of Grape Day and So Much More!

Mooove on over to the Fairgrounds because Holstein dairy cattle are headed back to the Coliseum! A fairgoer favorite, the Holstein Dairy Cattle Competition will take place on Sunday, August 30 in the Toyota Coliseum with its largest showing in nearly a decade. In addition to the tremendous showing of Holsteins, New York agriculture is on full display this year, with more animal exhibitor entries, a new FFA building, locally grown potatoes at the famous Great New York State Potato Booth, the return of Grape Day and so much more, allowing visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at the State's thriving industry.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "There are lots of exciting activities and events taking place this year at the Great New York State Fair and I'm so proud to say that agriculture is at the heart of so many of them. Fairgoers can meet and engage with farmers, experience New York agriculture through exhibits like the Voice of the Farmer Garden, see farm animals up close, and sample some delicious local food, all while learning more about how food goes from farm to table. There is truly something for everyone, and we encourage our fairgoers to come out and celebrate New York agriculture."

State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, "The State Fair is steeped in rich history that started in agriculture, so it's exciting for us to offer so many great ways for fairgoers to interact with our agricultural community. They can check out new experiences such as the return of our Holstein show, which is going to be the biggest yet, tons of animal competitions, an education opportunity to learn about horses, the return of Grape Day, the Big Cheese display, and so much more. I encourage everyone to come out, explore, and make some memories while learning about this important industry."

In less than one week, The Great New York State Fair will open its gates, ready to celebrate New York agriculture, which is the foundation of the country's oldest state fair. In addition to the Fair's Special Days dedicated to agriculture, Agricultural Career Day, Maple Day, Beef Day, and Dairy Day, and its animal barns, this year's Fair provides fairgoers with endless opportunities to learn firsthand about New York agriculture and taste some of its bounties!

Exciting Exhibits and Events

The Fair this year will welcome New York's FFA students and educators to their brand-new home on the west end of the Fairgrounds. The newly constructed, 4,000-square-foot FFA Building provides a dedicated space for New York's youth in FFA-not only during the 13 days of The Fair, but year-round. Beginning next May, the building will also serve as the permanent home of the FFA State Convention.

Speaking of the future of agriculture, The Fair is debuting Behind the Halter - Celebrating the Youth Behind New York's Dairy Cattle, a new digital campaign highlighting the young people who represent the next generation of New York's dairy industry. Featured on screens throughout the Dairy Cattle Barn, the campaign will introduce Fairgoers to young exhibitors who dedicate countless hours to caring for, preparing and showing their dairy cattle, offering a glimpse into the passion and hard work behind the animals they see at The Fair.

The agricultural presence extends throughout the livestock experience, with Llama, Meat Goat, and other animal entries on the rise at the 2026 Fair. Visitors can walk a llama, milk a goat, attend the Rabbit Hopping Contest, watch a rooster crow, and encounter animals of all shapes and sizes throughout the Fairgrounds.

The Toyota Coliseum will offer two opportunities on Saturday, August 29, to get a closer look at the wonderful world of horses. At 10:30 a.m., 4-H youth will present the 4-H Driving and Miniature Horse Show, where they will demonstrate their driving and in-hand skills. Then, at 5 p.m., visitors can join 4-H youth for a Meet the Horses Educational Event to learn more about the magnificent horses staying at The Fair.

The Fair's animal facilities also continue to grow and evolve. The recently constructed Goat Barn Pavilion will host goat competitions with bleacher seating so visitors can watch the action, while two new horse barns provide a home for horses brought by 4-H youth. Visitors can also meet members of the Empire Sheep Producers Association and talk with farmers in the Wool Center and Sheep Barn, both of which opened last year.

What's On the Menu: New York Pride

Commissioner Ball often says, "It's all about the food," and he is certainly right! For the first time ever, the famous Potato Bar will be serving up New York State Grown & Certified potatoes, sour cream, butter, and cheese, all sourced from New York farmers and dairy processors. The newly reimagined Great New York State Fair Potato Booth will be run by Tully's Good Times and continue to offer the famous $1 potato with the fixings.

The Voice of the Farmer Garden, the first of its kind at a state fair in the country, has expanded this year to include new cut flower beds highlighting New York's growing commercial cut flower industry, an exhibit on wool pellets as soil amendments, and a small, high-density apple orchard. The garden is a living, interactive learning space for visitors to see in person many of the major crops grown in New York. All crops from the garden are then donated to local food pantries to support our own residents.

The Big Cheese will debut at the 2026 Fair. In conjunction with Great Lakes Cheese (and the Dairy Farmers of America, a 1,400-pound replica cheese wheel from 1835 will be proudly displayed in the Dairy Cattle Building for our fairgoers. This cheese celebrates New York dairy, Sandy Creek's history, and the history of cheese making all the way to the White House. This cheese is made with Locust Hill Dairy Farm milk, located in Mannsville, NY. Once the cheese matures next year, the Fair will donate the cheese to food pantries.

In 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the Milk Bar will be undergoing renovations, which will include increasing the square footage of the Dairy Products Building exhibit and installing new state-of-the-art equipment. Once complete, these upgrades will allow fairgoers to enjoy strawberry milk, along with white and chocolate milk, supplied by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, for all 13 days of The Fair. The enhanced Milk Bar will be completed in 2027. In the meantime, the Milk Bar continues to serve as an important workforce development opportunity for our young people as part of a partnership with The Fair and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, providing hands-on learning with field trips to farms and informational seminars in a multi-week summer program.

In addition, fairgoers visiting the Dairy Products Building will also be able to sample and purchase a variety of cheeses from across the State, as well as products from NYS Grown & Certified processors. And, not to be missed, the Butter Sculpture, crafted from 800 pounds of New York butter.

The Mobile Dairy Experience and the all-new Dairy Discovery Center will be at The Fair this year. The 53-foot immersive educational experience demonstrates the processes behind dairy production, the importance of environmental stewardship in agriculture, the economic impact of the dairy industry, and so much more. The Mobile Dairy Experience is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located on the west end of The Fair, near Suburban Park.

The New York State Tasting Yard and the Taste NY Pop-Up Market and Marketplace are located in the Horticulture Building, creating a one-stop shop for fairgoers to discover their favorite New York product. Additionally, new this year: the New York State Tasting Yard will offer an expanded selection of informational classes in the Seminar Room, hosted by New York craft beverage producers. On Grape Day, August 27, The New York Wine & Grape Foundation will be pouring award-winning selections from the 2026 New York Wine Classic, the annual competition celebrating the very best in New York wine. View a full schedule here.

With the Maple Booth, Arborist Association, Honey Producers, Taste NY, and the Potato Booth all in one space, the Horticulture Building has returned to its agricultural roots.

For more information and a list of schedules of these events, exhibits, and opportunities, visit nysfair.ny.gov/your-visit/daily-schedules/

About The Great New York State Fair

The Fair starts Wednesday, August 26, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. All concerts are included in the price of admission. Tickets are on sale now at The Fair's website, nysfair.ny.gov. Packed with value, a single admission ticket costs $8 and includes access to all grounds entertainment and The Fair's award-winning concert lineup. In addition, a Frequent Fairgoer ticket option is available for $25.

The Fair continues to be one of the most affordable fairs in the nation, with admission remaining free for those aged 65 and older along with children 12 years old and under.

Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment, and is a key piece of the state's CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.

The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about The Great New York State Fair online, browse photos on Flickr, and follow the fun on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

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