Food & Beverage Service

Planning on having a food, beverage, or catering vendor at your event?

Speak with your fairgrounds staff representative on policies

List is updated on a continual basis as new preferred vendors are added

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Are you a food & beverage service vendor interested in providing temporary food,
beverage, and/or catering services to events on the Fairgrounds?

Contract Title: 2026-27 Temporary Food, Beverage & Catering Service

Dates of service for this application: 4/1/2026-3/31/2027

Proposal Due Date: Ongoing (Applications accepted through 3/1/2027)

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of the New York State Fair (the “Department” or the “Fair”) is accepting applications from food and/or beverage service vendors to provide one or more of the temporary service options below:

1) Temporary catering service for non-fair shows or events held throughout the year on the New York State Fairgrounds (Town of Geddes, Onondaga County, Syracuse, New York) where there is no contracted permanent food and beverage vendor. Vendors must indicate on their application whether they will provide:

a. food, non-alcoholic beverage, and alcoholic beverage service or
b. food and non-alcoholic beverage service only

2) Temporary concession service for non-fair shows or events held throughout the year on the New York State Fairgrounds (Town of Geddes, Onondaga County, Syracuse, New York) where there is no contracted permanent food and beverage vendor. Vendors must indicate on their application whether they will provide:

a. food, non-alcoholic beverage, and alcoholic beverage service or
b. food and non-alcoholic beverage service only or
c. alcoholic beverage service only

3) Temporary catering service for special events held in the Exposition Center or other venues as required during the 2026 Great New York State Fair held on the New York State Fairgrounds (Town of Geddes, Onondaga County, Syracuse, New York). Vendors must indicate on their application whether they will provide:

a. food, non-alcoholic beverage, and alcoholic beverage service or
b. food and non-alcoholic beverage service only

Temporary catering service is defined as food, non-alcoholic beverages and/or alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, cider, and spirits) provided for a pre-determined number of patrons that includes a limited, pre-determined menu and a lump sum fee charged to the contracted event promoter/organizer. Temporary concessions service is defined as individual customers purchasing food, non-alcoholic beverages, and/or alcoholic beverages from a menu with listed prices and payment is collected from the customer at the point of sale.

The following facilities on the Fairgrounds currently have contracted permanent food and beverage vendors and are not covered by this contract: the Exposition Center main floor concessions only, and the Center of Progress Building. This contract is also not applicable to the annual Syracuse Nationals event held at the New York State Fairgrounds. Catering services in the Empire Room will only be permitted during the period of 4/1/2026 through 6/30/2026 and 9/8/2026 through 3/31/2027. A separate solicitation will be issued for catering services in the Empire Room for the period 7/1/2026 through 9/7/2026.

Temporary Food, Beverage, & Catering Service:
The Fair will maintain a list of licensed vendors authorized to provide the temporary service options listed above (“Approved List”). Any non-fair event promoter/organizer or fair-time special event organizer who requires one of the temporary service options listed above may only use one or more vendors chosen from the Approved List to provide those services.

Each vendor on the Approved List must sign a contract with the Department and provide the requisite proof of insurance, as indicated in Appendix D of the sample agreement, a copy of which is attached for reference. Vendors on the Approved List must also pay the Department twelve (12%) percent of the gross revenue, less New York State and Onondaga County sales taxes, from the sale of all food and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages.

When an event promoter/organizer chooses a vendor(s) from the Approved List, the selected vendor(s) must submit a form with supporting documentation to the Department identifying the service(s) provided for the show/event and the location where service(s) will be provided. After the show/event, the selected vendor(s) from the Approved List must submit a form with supporting sales documentation to the Department. The Department will verify the sales data and invoice the vendor accordingly for the percentage payment due.

Please review the documents attached and complete the application and submit for processing:

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Your application should be submitted to: sfcontracts@agriculture.ny.gov

Questions? Please contact john.hammerstedt@agriculture.ny.gov or call (315) 728-4447

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ICE SERVICES

Event promoters/organizers are now required to source their own ice for vendors at any shows/events.