By Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com and Connor Pignatello | cpignatello@syracuse.com
New York State Fair The Wave Swinger is one of the many thrilling rides on the Midway at the New York State Fair. (Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com/Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. ― Two sports reporters walk into the New York State Fair.
Their assignment: Try out all the rides and games that money can buy.
Will they be the oldest people on every ride and every game?
Yes.
Will they have a blast?
Also yes.
Pro tip: Ride tickets range based on the day of the fair and whether you pre-pay online or buy tickets on the fairgrounds.
For example, you can get an armband for unlimited rides during weekdays for $39.40, plus a $2.40 ticketing fee if you buy online. That’s for everyone over 3 feet tall. We opted for the extra fee for the fast lane, which is an extra $18.54.
Below, we also listed how many regular tickets, or credits, are needed for each ride. If you’re buying those credits at the fair, they range from $10.30 for 8 credits to $51.50 for 50 credits.
Here are the best rides and games we found at the New York State Fair.
The Cliff Hanger
Where: Midway
How much: 4 credits
What’s it like: This ride was my son’s favorite when we started going to the fair as a family. He’s grown up and on his own, but I’m still going to the fair and this might still my favorite ride.
When I saw those familiar gliders, I just had to get in line with the rest of the kids and take flight again just like the old days.
This is a great ride, especially for kids who fall somewhere between the little tykes’ rides and the hairy-scary rides. There’s a smooth lift-off followed by two exhilarating minutes circling, dipping and diving.
A ride that’s well worth the money (or tickets.)
Hoop Shot
New York State Fair The Hoop Shot is a fun, but tricky basketball game on the Midway at the New York State Fair. (Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse./Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com)
Where: Midway
How much: $5 for 1 balls; $10 for 3 balls
What’s it like: This seems like a simple game of putting a mini-basketball into a hoop, but it’s tricky.
The rims are bigger and thicker than regulation rims and the balls are extra bouncy. So unless you put the ball directly through the hoop, you have almost no chance. In other words, there’s no shooter’s roll in this game.
I found this out the hard way. I tried to bank in my three attempts, a la the old Pop-a-Shot technique. Each one bounced much harder off the backboard than I expected. I figured it out, but my third and final attempt got a bit of the rim and caromed off.
The ball bounced out to me and, somewhat frustrated, I flipped a fourth shot directly at the basket. Of course, it swished right in.
(The guy running the game smiled as he denied me a stuff animal.)
All in all, a fun game. Worth the try.
Wave SwingerNew York State Fair The Wave Swinger is one of the many thrilling rides on the Midway at the New York State Fair. (Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com/Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com)
Where: Midway
How much: Six credits. Must be 44″ to ride.
What’s it like: Always a hit, the Wave Swinger gets your legs swinging in the breeze and gives you a panorama of the fair as you whirl through the sky. It’s fun for kids of all ages.
There was a little kid with skeleton face paint a few rows ahead of us, and he was absolutely loving it — arms spread wide open and feeling the wind on his face.
An added plus: with the great view you get from the ride, you can survey where to go next.
Just one ride down the line, we chose the Superman.
Superman
Superman ride at NYS Fair The most topsy-turvy ride of them all. (Mike Waters/Mike Waters)
Where: Midway
How much: Six credits. Must be 56″ to ride.
What’s it like: An all-time favorite, the Superman swings you around and turns you upside down just long enough to get your blood pumping, though not too long that you want out. It’s a must-ride for anyone looking for a thrill.
Make sure to take your glasses off and remove anything from your pockets that could fall out when you get upside down.
Because you do a full revolution on the Superman.
At its peak, Mike screamed: “Connor what have you done to me?”
But when we came back hurtling down to earth, we were both glad we had done it.
After doing the Wave Swinger and the Superman back-to-back, we were happy to stay stationary for a few minutes.
A fun bargain and a devilishly exciting ride.
Let’s Go Fishing
New York State Fair Let’s Go Fishing is a great game for kids located on the Midway at the New York State Fair. (Mike Waters/Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com)
Where: Midway
How much: $10 for 2 games. Accepts card and cash.
What’s it like: A note to parents of young kids. This is the game for you. Or more accurately, this is the game for your little ones.
After you’ve emptied your wallet attempting to win a prize and your kid has grown frustrated with his inability to toss a ring around a duck’s neck, head over to Let’s Go Fishing.
For just $10, your little one can dip a small fishing pole in a pool crowded with toy sharks and whales. Hook a pair and walk away with a stuffed animal.
(And avoid all those tears on the way home.)
Sea Dragon
Where: Midway
How much: Five credits. Must be 48″ to ride.
What’s it like: This is a well-known ride, sometimes fashioned as a Viking or pirate ship, that swings pendulum-style one way and the other until it approaches peak verticality.
It’s a smooth ride, but don’t be fooled: It’s not for the faint of heart. A small child a few rows in front of us was having a very bad experience.
Even Connor got to the “When is this going to stop?” point as this ride goes on longer than most on the Midway.
While this ride doesn’t look as frightening or thrilling as others like Superman, I felt more secure on Superman with its over-the-shoulder harness compared to the Sea Dragon with its simple bar-across-the-thighs device.
Break a Plate
A winner! Connor Pignatello with his well-earned New York State Fair prize. (Mike Waters/Mike Waters)
Where: Midway
How much: $5 for one baseball, $10 for three. Cash only.
What’s it like: Mike and I strolled up to the worker running the Break-A-Plate game as the first customers of the day. He gave me a few extra tosses as a result.
When I asked for advice on how I should throw my baseballs at the plates stacked on the shelf, the worker shared some wisdom: precision not power.
My first toss hit dead-center in the plate in the middle row but bounced off like nothing. So I added some extra gas to my throws. That made me less accurate, but I still got a satisfying smash and came away with a three-foot tall stuffed alligator.
Lesson learned: Aim for the plates in the middle row and get some velocity on your throw.
Speed Pitch
Where: Midway
How much: $5 for one baseball, $10 for three. Cash only.
What’s it like: After seeing Connor’s throwing motion at the Break-A-Plate, I thought I’d toe the rubber on this baseball game.
Apparently, I left my fastball on the high school field back in 1982. I needed to hit 55 mph to win a medium prize and I only managed 54 on my first strike.
I did surpass 55 (nod to Sammy Hagar) with my next pitch, but I never even got to 60.
A fun game. My only complaint is the medium prizes weren’t stuffed animals. They were blow-up baseballs and basketballs.
Popeyes Prize Palace
Where: Midway
How much: $10 for three darts
What’s it like: I approached the counter at the dart and balloon game with some doubts. Mike had told me about how the balloons usually aren’t inflated and the darts bounce off.
But I had played too many games of darts over the weekend and was feeling good about myself. Pop. Pop. Pop.
The stuffed raccoon was mine.
Tips: Hit the balloon in its center with some pace. One popped balloon gets you a small stuffed animal, three gets you a medium, six gets you a large, and 12 gets you a choice.
Super Cyclone
Where: Midway
How much: Six credits. Must be 51″ to ride.
What’s it like: Can’t have a story about rides without going on a rollercoaster, right?
Obviously you’re not going to get a Six Flags-type of stomach-churning coaster experience at the fair, but the super cyclone was tamer than expected. I thought I’d be scared, but the ride ended after only one real drop.
The whole ride lasted about 30 seconds. I left wanting more, but after doing four other rides in the previous hour, a part of me (my stomach) was glad I was done with rides for the day.
If you’ve ever ridden a rollercoaster before, you’ll be just fine with this one.