State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced the following events that will be coming from March 28 - 31 to the New York State Fairgrounds:

The Salt City Cluster Dog Show features dogs of all breeds aiming for the title of Best in Breed, while the New York State Horse Pull features horses competing to see which one can pull the heaviest weight.

Doors open for the Dog Show at 8:30 a.m. from Thursday, March 28 through Sunday, March 31.  Admission is free on Thursday, $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12 on Friday and Saturday, and $5 for adults and free for children under 12 on Easter Sunday.

The Salt City Cluster Dog Show is put on by a coalition of four kennel clubs from Central and Northern New York.  In the Toyota Events Center, dogs will compete in a manner familiar to anyone who has watched the Westminster Dog Show on TV.  The dogs will walk, pose and be looked over closely by judges to see which is best in its particular breed.  There’ll be plenty of action in the Center of Progress Building, where dogs will run obstacle courses against a clock. 

A “Meet The Breed” event, held every day from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Toyota Center, will give people a chance to talk to show dog owners and meet dogs of various breeds.  In addition, many vendors in the Center of Progress will provide what show spokesperson Desiree Williams calls “really good dog shopping.”

The New York State Horse Pull is called “The Spring Pull of Champions” and is one of a handful of national-class events in the sport.  The event will feature dozens of competition horses from throughout the United States and Canada, working to see how much weight they can pull and how far they can pull it.  The action begins Saturday, March 30 at Noon at the Coliseum.  Admission is $10 per person.

In addition to the annual New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious horse and livestock shows.

The home of the Great New York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website.  Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook or follow NYS Fair on Twitter. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas on the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.