40th Annual Queens County Fair: Sep 8-10

 

Photo credit: Lily Landes

Queens County Fair Celebrates Landmark 40th Anniversary on  September 8-10, 2023 Enjoy a Taste of Autumn, Agriculture, Arts & Culture, Along with New Fair Offerings including Tractor Exhibit, Free Mac & Cheese and Dozens of Other Activities Fair Also Beginning of Fall Fun with Opening of NYC’s Only Corn Maze as This Year’s Maze Theme is Inspired by the Farm Itself

Holy cow! The Queens County Farm Museum announced today its 40th anniversary programming of the Queens County Fair, which begins Friday, September 8 with a ribbon cutting, live DJ and Motown concert. Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10 features a full line up of traditional county fair programming including opening weekend of the Amazing Maize Maze, NYC’s only corn maze sponsored by Con Edison and shaped in the theme of a 1954 Ford tractor, along with other new surprises. The party begins with the ceremonial ribbon cutting on Friday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m. with local officials and farm friends launching the long-awaited 40th annual Queens County Fair. Co-curator Malik Work sets off the sound system and greets fair-goers with some of Queens’ favorite sonic selections, followed by the joyful and absolutely soul-warming offerings of this milestone year’s celebrated inaugural band: Dr. K’s Motown Revue. East Coast Street Tacos will debut a limited-edition 40th Anniversary Apple Cider Margarita and souvenir cup for the opening ceremony, one of many local culinary offerings throughout the weekend.  Then brand-new surprises and activities await fair goers of all ages as Queens County Fair continues Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10, 11am to 6pm.  New activations to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Queens County Fair include: • The Taste New York Pavilion will showcase its delicious New York State growers and producers. • Keeping the tractor theme going: A tractor exhibit highlighting the evolution of farming. • Say Cheese! The Cabot Cheese Cruiser Cheese Truck with free mac n’ cheese.   • Heartee Mushroom Vessel featuring gourmet mushroom tastings, recipes and education materials from this leading vertical mushroom farmer. • The Colonial Lab at the Adriance Farmhouse features historic house tours and demonstrations such as butter churning, colonial cooking and quill writing.  • Lewis Latimer House Museum’s Mobile Lewis Latimer Lab makes its debut showcasing its state-of-the-art mobile TinkerLab with free STEAM activities to fair-goers. • Paint the Farm: The Arts Parlor offers free face painting, caricatures, farm-themed temporary tattoos and the Growing Artists Challenge, where kids can draw their favorite farm animals for an exciting chance to be featured in future Queens County Farm Museum maps and signage - in partnership with Commonpoint Queens. • Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater Puppet Mobile (Sunday only). Additional robust and diverse programming for all ages includes: • Opening weekend of the Amazing Maize Maze, inspired by the 1954 Ford tractor generously donated by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Keep the tractor theme going by also enjoying a hayride.  • Best in Show: Blue Ribbon Competition where makers across New York are invited to showcase their work and compete for a coveted Award Ribbon, or perhaps a golden cow adorned Best-in-Show trophy. The six divisions include Arts & Crafts, Culinary Arts, Vegetables, Apiculture, Flower Arranging, and Horticulture. Nicole Haroutunian - Senior Educator at the American Folk Art Museum - will lead the panel of judges which also includes NYC lifestyle influencer Viveca Chow. • A Beer Garden showcasing NYS beer & cider curated by Queens Night Market, along with the Museum’s famed apple cider donuts and pies. Food vendors include Teriyaki Plus, CBao Asian Buns, TaDa Noodles, Tania’s Kitchen, Our Green Acres Corn, Ed’s Italian Sausage & Polish, Long Island Seafood, Cousins Maine Lobster, Wafels and Dinges, Kelli’s Funnel Cake and more.  • Main Stage Entertainment: The Main Stage features noteworthy artists including Fogo Azul, New York City-based all-women Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line; Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, The Bone Squad, Surya Botofasina Band and MOMENTNYC: Tribute to Queens. • The Family Entertainment Tent features Midnight Radio Show, NuTribe Dance Company, jugglers, and acrobats for interactive family fun. Shinbone Alley Stilt Band & Harold the Unicycle Clown also make an appearance, plus free games for all to enjoy.  • Carnival rides and midway games to vie for a prize.  • Free games include pie eating & corn husking competitions, and more. • The Con Edison Ecology Booth brings free crafts, sustainability tips and the uber popular Adopt-a-Worm composting program to visitors. Plus, Apiary talks in partnership with New York City’s Andrew’s Honey.

Photo credits: Lily Landes

“Forty never looked so good!” said Jennifer Walden Weprin, Executive Director of the Queens County Farm Museum. “There is something for everyone at the 40th Annual Queens County Fair between the opening Motown concert, two full days of live entertainment on the Main Stage and the Family Entertainment Tent, plus the Taste NY Pavilion, all of our community collaborations and free mac n’ cheese. We are so excited to welcome everyone down on the farm.” “Con Edison is proud to support Queens County Farm Museum’s work to make learning and caring for the environment a lifelong pursuit,” said Museum Board Director Stuart Nachmias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Con Edison Transmission. “Congratulations on the Fair’s 40th anniversary, and we hope many New Yorkers get to enjoy this year’s Amazing Maize Maze sponsored by Con Edison.”  “We at Brooklyn Botanic Garden are a-mazed to see our 1954 Ford tractor getting traction in this year’s Queens County Fair,” said Adrian Benepe, President and CEO of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. “It's such an honor to be involved in the 40th year of the iconic Queens County Fair. We've visited Queens County Farm Museum on numerous occasions this year as a family, but it's a great privilege and pleasure to help curate the food vendors and beer garden highlighting New York State products. I can't wait!" said John Wang, Founder of Queens Night Market.  “We're incredibly excited and honored to be a part of the 40th Anniversary of the Queens County Fair,” said Rob Imbeault, Co-founder & Chief Product Officer, Heartee Foods. “We are Heartee Foods and we're advancing access to sustainably grown food.”

Photo credits: Queens County Farm Museum

Photo credits: Matthew Borowick (left), Queens County Farm Museum (right)

The Queens County Farm Museum is located at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park, New York 11004. Tickets for the 40th Annual Queens County Fair start at $15. Single, 2- and 3-Day passes are available. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit queensfarm.org/queens-county-fair.

Photo credits: Lily Landes (left), Queens County Farm Museum (right)

About Queens County Farm Museum Queens County Farm Museum is one of the longest continually farmed sites in New York State, dating back to 1697, and the largest tract of farmland in New York City. It implements regenerative farming practices and is a leader in hyper-locally grown food. Queens County Farm Museum is a New York City Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been presenting the Queens County Fair for 40 years.