SUNY Cortland Returns to the State Fair

08/16/2013 

Last weekend, Blaze danced in the crowd during a free Salt ‘n Peppa concert at the New York State Fair. He boxed with the mascot panther from Tompkins Cortland Community College and hugged Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy.

Meanwhile, just a few yards away, alumni wearing Cortland gear shared memories of their College days between visits to the giant butter sculpture, the New York Wine Tent and strolls through the livestock barns.

And everywhere across the 375-acre fairgrounds, folks in red and black SUNY Cortland sunglasses laughed on midway rides, ate deep-fried Oreos, sampled cups of farm-fresh milk and generally enjoyed themselves.

And this weekend it will all happen again.

For the second consecutive weekend during the second consecutive year, the College will staff an exhibit booth at the Fair, New York’s largest annual event. Organizers are encouraging students, staff, faculty and alumni to wear their school colors and visit them on Chevy Court, the Fairs outdoor free concert venue.

Cortland staff and volunteers will be at our booth, located under the State University of New York’s exhibit tent, Friday, Aug. 30, and Saturday, Aug. 31.

Anyone who visits the exhibit wearing SUNY Cortland gear on those days will receive a pair of Cortland sunglasses and an opportunity to get a photo of himself or herself doing something adventurous at the Fair while wearing Cortland colors. The College will post any photos submitted to us at public.relations@cortland.edu on its State Fair event page on Facebook.

On Friday, you can participate in campus Red Dragon Pride Day, even though you’re visiting the Fair 40 minutes away in Syracuse. Simply snap photos of you or your friends wearing Cortland red while having fun at the Fair and share them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #CortlandPride.

On Saturday, alumni might want to re-live the first sold-out Spring Fling concert at SUNY Cortland. Rock band OAR (Of a Revolution) is playing in Chevy Court at 8 pm. For free. Recent grads may remember the band’s wildly successful show on campus during Spring Fling 2009.

The SUNY tent is prominently located on Chevy Court, and visitors at the SUNY Cortland booth get a great view of the show. It’s also located next to the Dairy Products Building and an incredible variety of food and drink stands that offer wine slushies, sausage sandwiches, deep-fried candy bars and just about anything one would want on a stick.

For a quick peek at one SUNY Cortland students trip to the Fair, check out the video on our Fair Page.

It’s also not too late to take advantage of College volunteer opportunities at the Fair. SUNY Cortland is still looking to fill some four-hour shifts at the booth. Volunteers will hand out giveaways and talk about the College. They can also volunteer to actually dress up as Blaze the red dragon.  

All volunteers will receive free admission to the Fair, a t-shirt and a Fair Bargain Book filled with coupons offering $3,000 in discounts at more than 100 Fair vendors. And, of course, volunteers will also get a pair of Red Dragon sunglasses. You can sign up through Volunteer Spot.

For additional information, check the SUNY Cortland website or call the College’s Public Relations Office at 607-753-2232.