MORRISVILLE, NY—SUNY Morrisville will bring its innovation, animals and exciting hands-on approach to learning to the Great New York State Fair again this year. The fair runs Aug. 22-Sept. 3.
Get an up-close view of the college’s jellyfish, a handcrafted scale-model canoe, a student-built hot rod, an aquaponics display and a lumber jack demonstration by Morrisville’s Woods Sports Team. Watch our alluring Belgian horses compete, sample food and treats made in our very own Nelson Farms facility, and check out the college’s new look and take home some of its new swag.
Taste beer ice cream featuring beer brewed by Morrisville’s Copper Turret Restaurant & Brewhouse, which will be served up at Gilligan’s ice cream stand, stationed at the fair’s wine court. Owners of Gilligan’s, located in Sherburne, teamed up with the Copper Turret’s award-winning head brewer, Micheal Coons, to create the unique treat.
Fairgoers can learn about the college’s academic programs in the SUNY Morrisville alumni building, located near Gate 4 by the Coca-Cola Coliseum and the Iroquois Indian Village, and also in the Horticulture Building, where displays trumpet the engaging, one-of-a-kind learning going on inside and outside of SUNY Morrisville classrooms.
That innovation and Mustang pride is showcased in the college’s new look, which touts diverse learning settings for students to create and innovate, design and build, cultivate and harvest, breed and rehabilitate, troubleshoot and repair, analyze and sustain, and diagnose and heal.
Alumni Building
See the college’s showcase Mustang car in the alumni building. Students in the college’s automotive programs transformed the 1988 Mustang into a 550-horse power dragster that accelerates to 130 mph in 10 seconds, as well a collection of awards won by our athletics teams.
Check out a handcrafted canoe, a scale model of those being constructed in an Introduction to Boat Building course offered at the college, as well as a renewable energy display with a small-scale wind turbine and an aquaponics display with New York State species of fish, herbs, basil and chives.
In this building, alumni also can access materials to find fellow classmates, enjoy history about the college and get caught up on what’s new. Join fellow alumni on Alumni Day, Saturday, Aug. 25, for happy hour from 5-7 p.m.
Horticulture Building
There’s a lot more to learn about at SUNY Morrisville’s exhibit in the Horticulture Building, where fairgoers can see a display of succulents, created by a horticulture student and a Moon jellyfish research project.
The college’s hands-on approach to learning is evidenced in other places throughout the fair, too.
See how students at SUNY Morrisville are developing their skills in the ring as they competitively show sheep in the sheep barn on Tuesday, Aug. 28, and learn more about the Morrisville Livestock Institute, which will be on display from Sunday night, Aug. 26 through Wednesday, Aug. 29.
Equine faculty and students will hone their skills as they compete with the Morrisville College Foundation’s award-winning Belgian hitch Aug. 30-Sept. 3 in the Toyota Coliseum near the dairy barn. Admission to the horse show is free. Morrisville is the only college in North America to compete with a six-horse hitch.
There’s even something for those exploring careers in forestry during Forestry Awareness Day on Sunday, Sept. 2. SUNY Morrisville’s Woods Sports Team will compete against timber sports teams from SUNY-ESF and Paul Smith’s College, in the New York Experience Area, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Teams will compete in a variety of timber sports events, including crosscut and bowsaw, axe throw, underhand chop, logrolling and speed climbing. There will also be felling demonstrations with the college’s Derrick auger pole-setting truck.
The college’s dairy judging team will be at the fair on Thursday, Aug. 23 and Friday, Aug. 30 judging youth dairy competitions. Students in the Dairy Institute will be covering the night watch at the calf birthing center Tuesday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 2.
Fairgoers can sample food from Nelson Farms, which is heading up the fair’s retail store offering food products grown and produced in New York State. Products sourced from vendors all over New York State, in addition to items made by SUNY Morrisville students, will be available including salsas, jams, barbecue sauces, granola, fudge, maple, honey, coffee, spices, candy and popcorn.
The college will also participate in Ag Career Day Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gate 2 in front of the State Fair Administration Building. Morrisville will showcase its agriculture programs, which lead to dynamic local and international careers within the food system. See an array of products developed by students and produce from the Horticulture Institute’s organic farm.