Indian Village at the New York State Fair will see $750,000 worth of improvements over the next year as the state continues it's $50 million makeover of the fairgrounds. The announcement came during Six Nations Day at the New York State Fair Friday.
The Indian Village has virtually stayed the same at the state fair for years now. However, that’s about to change. Superintendent of the Village Norm Jimerson says the news is lifting the members’ spirits.
“We got $500,000 through Governor Cuomo and $250,000 through the New York State Fair to renovate Inidan Village for 2017,” Jimerson said to cheers and applause. “That’s a big thing for our people. Next year when you come back, we should hopefully have a new stage, renovations to our restaurant, soup house, other buildings, roofs.”
Clerk of the Village Clara Hill looks forward to the improvements.
“Especially help with the buildings, because they aren’t that good. They’re falling apart.”
Hill hopes the village remains authentic to what fairgoers see today.
The Cadin family from Massachusetts is making their first visit to the village with their young son.
“This is my son Owen, and he studied Indians, the Wampanoag last year in school," his mother said. "He saw the Indian Village, and wanted to come see it.”
“I like the costumes, the jewelry, the houses,” said Owen.
Many fairgoers watched the Indian dancers and browsed through arts and crafts.
