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Syracuse Winter Fair 2025

Bringing Summer Fun Into Winter!

This is the 6th edition of a popular major community event featuring the food, rides, music and entertainment that people enjoy throughout the summer but with one obvious, but major, twist: it’s in the middle of winter!

The Syracuse Winter Fair 2025 can expect to attract 20,000 people from Syracuse, Central New York – and far beyond!

Winter Fair 2025 will take place Friday, January 31 through Sunday, February 2, 2025. Advanced sale tickets are available now at www.nyswinterfair.com. Advanced tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for teens/pre-teens and seniors. Children 10 and under will be admitted free of charge.

“The idea of the Syracuse Winter Fair,” said Steve Becker, principal at Premier Promotions, and founder of the event, “is to bring summer into winter. It’s 72 degrees inside the Expo Center, free parking is right next to the center, and the cost is low, but The Winter Fair offers lots of things to see, do, taste, learn, and experience!”

Since about 1997, Becker has been active in promotions and event planning, and this will mark the 6th year the Syracuse Winter Fair will bring people from all over the state, Canada, and further away still, a taste of summer in the dark of winter. And our town and region couldn’t be more grateful!

Becker, Owner/President of Premier Promotions said the organization just marked its 28th year in 2024. Steve also is the producer for Jazz in the City and promoter for the Small Business Show – SOHO Syracuse along with event management for such events as: the Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival, the New York State Blues Festival, Taste of Syracuse, Parade of Homes and the Syracuse International Film Festival. And in each case, he notes, the idea is “all about COMMUNITY.”

“We have a great community, and the idea is to showcase, and to share. And have fun while we’re at it!”

Of course Syracuse and Central New York are excited to enjoy a winter weekend break with all the fun of summer. And Becker reminded us that this is also a great opportunity for neighboring communities to get out of the house and take advantage of this big, summer-in-the-winter event.

Your county, city, and districts here in Syracuse and Onondaga County are all represented in support of this big, family-fun event – from Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, to Mayor Ben Walsh, Senator Rachel May, NYS Assembly Persons William Magnarelli, Al Stirpe and Pamela Hunter. Each one offered their praise and enthusiasm for what has become a much-anticipated staple of the CNY winter.

“This annual event highlights the resilience and warmth of Syracuse, even in the coldest season, and strengthens our community by bringing people together from all around the region,” added Danny Liedka, President and CEO, Visit Syracuse.

Coming back as a sponsor for their 3rd year is Amazon, with its Amazon Winter Fair Stage.“ This has become a favorite annual tradition for us and the community,” said Adi Shankar, director of operations for Amazon’s SYR1 fulfillment center.“ Winter Fair certainly brightens the winter months in Central New York, and we are excited to see the Amazon Winter Fair Stage come alive again with this year’s lineup of music acts.”

Also back as a Sponsor is AmeriCU. They will be providing free parking at Winter Fair 2025.“ AmeriCU Credit Union believes in the power of community. We are proud to partner with the Syracuse Winter Fair, an event that will bring us together, uplift our spirits, and celebrate what makes Central New York such a wonderful place to live,” says Ron Belle, President and CEO of AmeriCU Credit Union.“ I encourage you to spend some family time together at this year’s fair.”

The event will fill the Expo Center with rides, foods, entertainment, games, and surprises.

A new feature this year will be the Winter Fair Reindeer. Attendees will have a chance to take their picture with a Live Reindeer from Hanggi Farms! This will take place outside in front of the walkway to the Expo Center on Saturday February 1st from 10am to 4pm. There is no charge. Sponsoring the Winter Fair Reindeer is Your Local IT Dept. Matt Masur, owner of Your Local IT Dept. shared, “At Your Local IT Department, community connection is at the core of what we do. We believe Winter Fair is a fantastic celebration of togetherness for our community, and we’re thrilled to support it once again. This year, we’re making it even more special by launching something brand-new at Winter Fair – an exciting surprise from my fellow local business and that we know the community will love.”

Visit the Mini-Midway Winter Fair again will feature a Mini-Midway with rides that include: Roc-o-Plane, the Scrambler, the Spider, Giant Slide, the Sea Ray, Merry-Go-Round, Clown-Around Fun House and the family Dragon Coaster! Plus more to come.

Eat! It’s true, winter can make you hungry just because – just because! So come on out and enjoy Villa Pizze Fritte, Kiki’s Authentic Greek Cuisine, BBQ with Limp Lizard, Hoffmann hot dogs, coneys, and State Fair sausage sandwiches. And more: Pizza from Paradise Companies, Baked Potato Express, Sarita’s Spanish Cuisine, Ooompa Loompyas with fusion food, Sammies & Sweets with beef on a weck and cheesecake, Dean’s Concession featuring chicken tenders, french fries and blooming onions, Chocolate Treat with waffles, plus Paradise Companies ice cream. More food selections are being added. Plus there’ll be beer, wine, lemonade, beverages, water and wine slushies. A complete list of food vendors and menus are online at the Winter Fair website. In other words, whatever you, your family, your friends are hungry for – it’s probably going to be there, and it’s definitely going to be good!

Entertainment There will be entertainment on and nearby the Amazon Winter Fair Stage. Music performers will include:

Friday, January 31 Cheri Geraud; Custom Taylor Band and Letizia

Saturday, February 1 Austin Jimmy Murphy; Just Joe; Infinity and the ATLAS Dance Party

Sunday, February 2 Five to Life; a Gospel program under the direction of Cora Thomas; and wrapping up Winter Fair 2025 will be the R&B/Funk/Soul group, U.A.D. – Kings of the Fall.

Events/Demonstrations/Features: A High School Choral Ensembles competition, the Francis Irish School of Dance, the Six Nations Native American dancers, martial arts demonstrations with Karate John’s, an Urban Fashion Show with LS Jones, Latin Dancing with Roberto, Multi-Cultural Entertainment and Gotta Dance performance will be at Winter Fair 2025. A complete schedule of entertainment and special features with times are online at The Winter Fair website.

There will be Winter Fair 2025 special areas for the NAACP Van Robinson Pan African Village, the Six Nations Indian Village, the Latino Village and the International Diversity Village.

And take a look at the Ice Sculptures lining the walkway to the Expo Center. The theme will be Summer Fun. But really, who needs summer (yet, anyway) when you can have this much fun under the Expo Center Roof?

Giving Back The Winter Fair is about community, and one thing we know about CNY – it’s a fun-loving, and also a generous community. Once again, Winter Fair 2025 will include chances to help give back to the home region. Market 32/Price Chopper Winter Fair Hoops will be back with attendees shooting baskets and winning prizes for donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse. Various Syracuse University Athletes will be there to meet and greet attendees in the Winter Fair Hoops area. For the past 5 editions of Winter Fair over $12,000 has been raised for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse.

The NAACP will be managing the Coat Check and will receive a portion of the proceeds. The Food Bank and other organizations will be there too, raising donations.

Additional Sponsors: A-Verdi Storage Containers, Woodford Brothers, DOT Foods with Ice Sculptures, Bass Pro, Karate John’s, Marriott Syracuse Downtown, ServPro of SW Onondaga County, D’Arcangelo CPAs, Michelob Lite, Charles Signs, Seven O’s RV and Kiki’s Authentic Greek Cuisine.

Media Sponsors: Radio Media Partner is Cumulus Media with 93Q, 95x, the SCORE 1260, SNGL; PBS TV and Radio, NewsChannel 9, WCNY; CNY Latino, CNY Business Journal, Eagle Newspapers, Park Outdoor, Table Hopping Media and 55 Plus. With great coverage of the event are: CNY Central 3, 5 & 6, Spectrum News, Syracuse.com and WAER for their coverage.

What better way to beat the post-holiday, middle of winter let-down than with as much great entertainment, good food, and grand fun as possible at the Syracuse Winter Fair!