Harvest Fest celebrates the quality and diversity of food and beverage products made in New York State. Taste NY is the state’s program to link local products to local buyers. The Taste NY Harvest Fest allows people to sample products from each vendor for free and purchase those products directly from them.
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New York’s world-class wine industry always has a strong presence at Harvest Fest. So far, nine wineries have signed on:

• Adirondack Winery of Lake George, Warren County
• Americana Vineyards and Winery of Interlaken, Seneca County
• Brotherhood Winery of Washingtonville, Orange County
• Casa Larga Vineyards of Fairport, Monroe County
• Lakeland Winery of Syracuse, Onondaga County
• Raymor Estate Cellars of Bloomfield, Ontario County
• Three Brothers Winery of Geneva, Ontario County
• Thousand Islands Winery of Collins Landing, Jefferson County
• The Winery at Marjim Manor of Appleton, Niagara County

Two craft beer brewers have signed on so far – Empire Brewing Company of Syracuse and Saranac of Utica. Utica’s Adirondack Distilling Company and Rochester’s Black Button Distilling will provide spirits. Adirondack earned a Double Gold in the Fair’s competition for its 1,000 Stills White Whiskey.

Six food products producers have signed up for Harvest Fest to date. Among them is Senza Glutine by Carmela, which makes gluten-free biscotti, rugelach, and scones. Also providing food samples will be Cooperstown Cookie Company (baked goods), Heintz & Weber (mustard), Janet’s Cookie Jar (baked goods), Pa’s Pistols (barbecue sauce), and Roger’s Rustic (barbecue sauce).

This year’s event will be held in two sessions in the Horticulture Building at the Fairgrounds. The first session will run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and the second session will run from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For a single price, festival attendees with proper proof of age are given a complimentary glass that can be used for sampling wines, beers, liquors, and ciders. All vendors make free samples of their products available and can sell their products directly to consumers.

“We’ve already signed up many companies for this event, and more are in the pipeline. Even so, we encourage any food or beverage-maker with a product to join us at the Taste NY Harvest Fest as they’ll receive priceless exposure to new customers. And we hope people will circle the date on their calendars so they can join us for the food, drink, and fun that comes with enjoying the very best products from our friends and neighbors,” said Commissioner Ball.

Companies interested in knowing more about Harvest Fest can call Geneanne Keegan-Smith at 315-487-7711 extension 1212. Information for exhibitors, including an application form, can be found at www.nysfair.org/harvestfest.

The Taste NY Harvest Fest will also feature free seminars on New York wines, beers, and ciders, conducted by experts from prominent New York beverage businesses.

Admission to the Taste NY Harvest Fest is $15 by advance sale ticket purchased no later than 4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 30 and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in person at the State Fair Administration Building, by phone at 315-487-7711 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or by faxing an order form to 315-487-9260. The order form can be downloaded from the Harvest Fest website at www.nysfair.org/harvestfest. Orders placed by phone or fax can be picked up at the door during the event. Each ticket is good for only one of the two sessions, and you will be asked to choose the session for which you are purchasing the ticket. Cash, Visa, and Mastercard are accepted. Tickets are non-refundable, cannot be exchanged, and cannot be replaced if lost.

The home of the Great New York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website. Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.

Media Contacts:
Joe Morrissey
Public Information Officer
NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets
518-457-0752

Dave Bullard
Public Relations
New York State Fair
315-487-7711 x 1377