Jim Gaffigan performs on Friday, August 28. Hank Williams Jr. takes the stage Sunday, August 30. Patti Labelle performs on Thursday, September 3. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for all three shows will be priced at $20 and $15. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 15 online via the Fair’s official and only online ticket seller, etix.com, and in person at the State Fair Box Office.

“From the beginning of planning for this year, we have been thinking about ways to thank fans for four decades of loyalty to the Grandstand shows. While we can’t roll prices all the way back to the level when Charley Pride played the very first show here in 1976 for $6 and $3, we can push them back to a level where many more people can enjoy these shows by these legendary performers,” Waffner said.

Jim Gaffigan is a Grammy-nominated comedian and New York Times best-selling author. The father of five’s most recent standup special, “Obsessed,” premiered at #1 on iTunes and earned a nomination for ‘Best Comedy Album of the Year’ at the 2015 Grammys. In 2013, Gaffigan’s first book, “Dad is Fat,” spent 17 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. His second book, “Food: A Love Story,” debuted at #3 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Jim Gaffigan will serve as Executive Producer and star in “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” premiering July 15 on TV Land and Comedy Central.

Hank Williams, Jr. will record his 37th album on Nash Icon Records with music expected later this year. His five-decade career continues to add to an extremely impressive resume: 70 million albums sold worldwide, 20 gold albums, six platinum albums and 13 chart-topping albums. Williams. has been named ACM Entertainer of the Year, CMA Entertainer of the Year and BMI Icon in addition to winning a Grammy and being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His hit song, “All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight,” was reworked to become the theme song to ABC and ESPN’s Monday Night Football for many years. Chris Stapleton will open the show.

Patti LaBelle is a Grammy Award-winning singer, author, and actress who has spent more than 50 years in the music industry. She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Apollo Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. In 2005, the World Music Awards presented her with the coveted Legend Award. Patti Labelle has sold over 50 million records worldwide and Rolling Stone Magazine included her on its 100 Greatest Singers List. She is known for the iconic song “Lady Marmalade,” and other hit singles including “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude,” “Stir It Up,” and “On My Own,” which is a duet with Michael McDonald. LaBelle is also a noted actress and competed on the recent season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Tickets remain on sale for Eric Church’s Grandstand show on Thursday, August 27 at 7:30 p.m. Waffner also announced today that The Cadillac Three will open for Church. The Cadillac Three is a high-energy trio who describes their sound as “country fuzz.” Composed of three Nashville natives – Jaren Johnston on guitar and lead vocals, Kelby Ray on bass steel guitar, Dobro guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals and Neil Mason on drums, percussion and vocals – all three guys have weathered wild adventures as a country group with a rock edge. Johnston is known for writing Keith Urban’s #1 smash “You Gonna Fly,” two new cuts on Tim McGraw’s latest record “Two Lanes of Freedom,” and several other tunes for performers such as Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Sara Evans and Dierks Bentley.

There have been more than 500 performances on the Grandstand stage since its first four concerts in 1976: Charley Pride, Bob Hope, Neil Sedaka, and Bobby Vinton. The Grandstand will host its final four concerts this year. Paid-admission concerts during the Fair will move to Onondaga County’s new amphitheater, located along Onondaga Lake adjacent to the Fair’s Orange parking lot. The Fair and the County have agreed that any ticket to a concert at the new county amphitheater includes admission to the Fair on any day.

Demo Derby and Monster Truck Show on Same Day
It’s a day of destruction at the Fair, with two huge metal crunching shows for one low ticket price on Sunday, September 6 when the New York State Championship Demolition Derby and the All Star Monster Truck Tour take over the Grandstand track.

The New York State Championship Demolition Derby and Double Figure 8 race, starting at 1 p.m., features the winners of county fair derbies and other top drivers from across the state coming together to crown an overall champion. The smashing and crashing continues in the final until there is just one competitor left running.

The excitement of the Double Figure 8 race allows competitors to bump, bang, and weave a path through a treacherous course with two intersections. Collisions happen early and often throughout the race.

The field for the two events begins with the winners and runners-up of county-level demolition derbies across the state, and the 22 county winners of figure 8 events. However, anyone with a vehicle that meets derby standards and who has a desire to smash it can try to make the championship final by taking part in open qualifying heats.

Potential competitors should contact JM Productions Inc., the event’s promoter, for application instructions at 716-648-5100 or visit www.jmproductionsinc.com.

Once the Demolition Derby is over, the hard hitting action keeps on coming, as The All Star Monster Truck Tour returns with the top monster truck drivers in the industry battling it out in several events, including a tailgate-smashing wheelie competition, full throttle racing, and a no-holds-barred freestyle challenge.

The 2005 World Freestyle Champion vehicle, Bounty Hunter, celebrating 20 years in the monster truck industry, returns to defend the New York State Fair championship it won in 2013. Fans have seen this truck compete for many years on national television and at events in the Carrier Dome.

Joining Bounty Hunter will be the Iron Outlaw, another All Star Monster Truck that has competed all over North America. All Star Monster Truck fans will remember Iron Outlaw’s violent crash at the 2013 New York State Fair that destroyed the entire rear end of the truck.

The All Star Monster Truck lineup also features three very distinctive monster machines. First is Stinger, a 3-D Scorpion-shaped monster truck, piloted by one of the youngest monster truck owners in the industry, Zane Rettew from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Next is a monster creation you won’t see anywhere else in the world: Quad Chaos, the world’s largest monster 4-wheeler/ATV. It has taken the circuit by storm, capturing the rookie of the year title during this year’s indoor winter series. The third is a fan favorite: Dirt Crew, the world’s only monster dump truck. Kids and parents alike love this brightly colored dump truck that flies through the air, smashing everything in its path.

Joining The All Star Monster Trucks will be the high-flying daredevil acrobatics of Freestyle Motocross. It’s an all-out throw down, as two of the best riders in the country battle in a variety of head-to-head challenges. These riders want nothing more than to out-perform the other, flying three stories high above a 75 foot gap while twisting, turning, and performing an insane variety of mid-air stunts.

Fans can see the 12 foot tall, 10,000 pound All Star Monster Trucks up close, take photos, and get autographs with all of the monster truck drivers and freestyle motocross competitors during the Party in the Pits, which takes place from 6 p.m.to 7 p.m. The green flag drops and the 1,500 horsepower engines roar to life at 7:30 p.m.

One $25 general admission ticket is good for both the demolition derby and monster truck shows. A pass to the monster truck show’s Party in the Pit is an additional $5. Tickets are available via etix.com or at the State Fair Box Office.

About Grandstand Ticket Sales
Etix.com is the Fair’s official and only online ticket selling agent. Ticket prices are the same whether tickets are bought online at etix.com, on the phone at 1-800-514-3849 or in person at the box office. A $3.75 service fee will be added to the price of all tickets. An additional fee will be charged for the use of a credit card. There is a purchasing limit of 8 tickets per person. Most major credit cards are accepted. Advance-sale concert tickets include admission to the Fair.

Parking for box office sales is available in the Centro parking lot adjacent to the Main Gate beginning at 5:30 a.m. and lineup can begin at 6 a.m. Tickets for people who require wheelchair accessible seating or who have mobility disabilities, or those who are hearing impaired will go on sale at the same time as general seating tickets. Convenient parking for people with disabilities who have either the proper license plate or hanging tag will be available via the Main Gate.

About the Great New York State Fair
The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 27 to September 7, 2015. The Fair’s mission, reflected in its theme, “Summer’s Best in Show,” is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.

This year’s fair features a lineup of 23 national touring acts at Chevy Court, including shows from Melissa Etheridge, Meghan Trainor, Jonas, and the Steve Miller Band, among others. This year also includes a new all-vegan vendor in the International Building, the return of the popular Sea Lion Splash exhibit, and the cow birthing exhibit.

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, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.

Media Contacts:
Jola Szubielski
Public Information Officer
NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets
518-457-0752

Dave Bullard
Public Relations
New York State Fair
315-487-7711 x 1377