By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The Annual Great Eastern Whiteout in Fulton, Syracuse Winterfest and Syracuse Winter Fair represent the top winter-oriented festivals in CNY each winter after the holiday season concludes.
Sure, they’re fun. But they also boost revenue for area businesses as the events require outside vendors, equipment and supplies.
Out-of-town attendees will also need places to dine, sleep, fuel up and explore while in the area.
New York State Winter Fair (www.nyswinterfair.com/), which runs Jan. 31-Feb. 2, attracts up to 20,000 people annually to the New York State Fairgrounds (although the event is not affiliated with The Great New York State Fair, which occurs in late summer).
“Anyone doing events like this benefits the Central New York economy,” said Steve Becker, the event organizer. “We bring people from Central New York and outside the area.”
In its 6th year, the event brings in an estimated half a million to $1 million in annual revenue to the area. The attractions are both inside and outside the Expo Center, including carnival rides and foods, live reindeer (new this year), ice sculptures by international sculptor Stan Kolonko, and a fireworks display.
The Annual Great Eastern Whiteout Antique And Vintage Snowmobile Show And Swap Meet (https://northeastwheelsevents.com/events/25th-annual-great-eastern-whiteout) represents one of the biggest snowmobile expos in the region with about 300 registered snowmobiles on the premises.
“It brings a lot of people in from all over the Northeast; it does pretty well,” said Jim Latino, promoter of the show. Held on Feb. 1, the event typically draws 2,500 snowmobile enthusiasts who participate in and watch races, buy and sell parts and sleds and commiserate.
Syracuse Winterfest (www.syracusewinterfest.com), which runs Feb. 13-23, draws more than 100,000 people to its dozens of indoor and outdoor events, parties, cook-offs and many other activities. It is billed as the second largest audience in all of Central New York events.
“All the events we put together are directed to bring people into the restaurants,” said Bill Cooper, president of Syracuse Winterfest, Inc. “They experience them firsthand. Ticket prices are $5 for tastings and drinks, except the wing walk. The area businesses enjoy the fruits of the entertainment we produce in the 11-day festival.
“Restaurants donate products and get great exposure because people come in to try things they haven’t eaten there before. They have a lot of return customers who come back. Restaurants try to showcase items other than those they did the year before.”
Visitors come from as far as California, Virginia and Connecticut. Since the event coincides with school break, the timing couldn’t be better.
