The fifth annual Syracuse Winter Fair kicked off this Friday, Feb. 2 at the Expo Center located at the NYS Fairgrounds. The weekend-long event welcomes all of Central New York to experience the joy and excitement of “summer fun” during the winter season.
The Syracuse Winter Fair was started in 2019 by organizer Steve Becker in hopes of providing a fun space for community members to gather around and make memories with loved ones.
“There’s so many great activities,” said Becker. “How many times can you do what we’re doing here? This may sound a little offbeat but I enjoy hearing the screams from the kids on the rides, I mean, these kids are having fun. For parents, it’s great for them to get out of the house and make memories with their kids.”
In the past five years, Becker and his team have overcome Syracuse’s harsh winters and the COVID pandemic. Last year, 15,000 people attended the fair. This year, Becker hopes to have 20,000 attendees. To meet this goal, Becker incorporated feedback from previous years.
Last year, the fair showcased a pep band competition between three high schools that was well received. This year, an Irish dance academy competition will take place where the winning dancers will get unlimited ride tickets.
For Becker, the inclusion of multicultural entertainment is important. This weekend, performances from the Six Nations Native American dancers, Latin dance groups and African drumming with Adanfo African ensemble will be shown.
“Within the community we have to recognize that there’s diversity, the result is that we’re all from the same seed and we have to appreciate the different cultures,” said Becker.
On day one of the fair, the variety of cultures could be seen not only in the multicultural events but also in the fair’s local food vendors. Syracuse University alumni Cherilyn Beckles and Luther Masanto offered Trinidadian vegan cuisine at Be Vital.
“You really get to know a place by the type of food that you…
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