If there’s one day at The Fair you circle on the calendar, make it this one.
Tasty Tuesday returns to The Great New York State Fair today, September 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it might be the single best value you’ll get all season. If you want to eat your way around The Fair without completely emptying your wallet, this day is for you.
Here’s the deal: Around 20 Fair vendors are offering sample-sized portions of some of their signature dishes for just $3 to $5 each. That’s it. No gimmicks, no fine print — just a one-day chance to try a little bit of everything without committing to a full-size portion (or a full-size bill) at every single stand.
Just grab a few bucks, walk around and start trying things. Honestly, this is how I want to eat at The Fair anyway.
For a fair that already bills itself as the most affordable state fair in the country, Tasty Tuesday takes that reputation and runs with it. It’s basically built for grazers — the people who want to work their way down a mental list of “things I’ve been meaning to try” instead of picking one meal and calling it a day.
And there’s a LOT to choose from.
What’s on the Menu:
The line-up this year covers a lot of ground, and honestly, that’s the fun of it. You’ve got comfort food classics like Alivero’s meatballs in marinara with parmesan, and Papa’s Pizza is doing a buffalo-style meatball for $3. Big G’s is bringing their bourbon chicken — a 25-year staple that’s sweet, Cajun-leaning, and better than it has any right to be over rice and beans (no alcohol involved, despite the name).
If you’re more of a snacker, Country Corner’s chocolate-covered bacon is exactly what it sounds like: hickory-smoked bacon, tempered Hershey chocolate, a hit of sea salt. Wild Bill’s is doing Jamaican jerk curly fries, and Limp Lizard is sending out a wing flight — four jumbo wings, four different sauces, one plate.
There’s plenty for the adventurous eater too. Ji-woo’s Korean Seoul Food has a ComboBop with beef, pork, and chicken over rice. Cousins Maine Lobster is offering both a lobster grilled cheese and a cup of lobster bisque. Lawrence & Perry BBQ has deep-fried pork baby back ribs in your choice of sauce — Carolina Golden, jerk, sweet chili, take your pick.
And don’t sleep on dessert. Bowl of Dough is scooping edible cookie dough safe to eat straight off the spoon. Dude’s Donuts has fresh apple cider donuts for $3 (or two for $5, which — do the math, just get two). Tropical Delights is serving their award-winning Dole Whip in strawberry-pineapple swirl, and Funk ’n Waffles is doing a chicken ‘n waffles sample with their house spicy syrup that’s worth the trip on its own.
That’s just a taste of what’s on the list — there are around 20 vendors participating in all, spanning everything from root beer float sliders to Korean rice bowls to lemonade.
Hot to Find “Tasty Tuesday” Vendors
Participating vendors will be flying Tasty Tuesday signage at their booths, or you can use your smartphone to pull up the official NYS Fair app, head to the “Food Finder” section, and search for the Tasty Tuesday icon to map out your route ahead of time. If you’re the planning type, that’s the move — build yourself a little tasting itinerary before you even walk through the gates.
Tasty Tuesday only comes around once during the run of The Fair, so if today, September 1 works for your schedule, it’s worth building your day around it. Bring an appetite, bring some singles and fives, and go try something you wouldn’t normally order.
The Great New York State Fair runs through September 7 in Syracuse. See you there.
