NY State Fair Shatters Attendance Record

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The New York State Fair has ended its 12-day run with the highest attendance total in the annual event's 175-year history.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was at the fairgrounds in the Syracuse suburb of Geddes on Monday to help state and local officials celebrate the record-breaking year. By the time the fair ended Monday night, more than 1.1 million people had visited the fair.

That tops the previous record set in 2001, when just over 1 million attended.

This year's attendance increased by 23 percent over the 2015 State Fair.

Officials say more than 118,000 people passed through the turnstiles Monday, making it the first State Fair to have five days with 100,000-plus in total attendance.

Cuomo credited the $50 million the state spent on fairground improvements for helping boost attendance.