Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the 2022 Great New York State Fair on opening day, Governor's Day, along with several other state lawmakers on what was also the one-year anniversary of her rise to New York's highest office. 

"This is what we wait all year for isn't it. The fair is back! I was here last year, it was probably one of my first acts, I was governor a year ago today at that time and, what a difference a year makes," said Hochul. "There's nothing like this. Other states can't touch the New York State Fair, so I'm really proud to be governor."

Hochul highlighted the leadership involved in putting on the fair, citing her time as a 4H member in her youth and its continued influence on the State Fair today. 

"We're going to keep investing in this. I've always wanted to raise the bar, so that's why we put in nearly $35 million in our new budget to keep this going, so let's make it better."

That $35 million will be dedicated to 25,000 sq. ft. of new pavilion space, powered by solar energy, a new concessions building, improvements to restaurant row with new vendor spaces, lighting and landscaping, and a brand new sheep barn, show ring, horse barn and seating area, said Hochul Wednesday.

"You're going to see those improvements at next year's fair,'' said Hochul of the plans. 

Another addition, in the interest of showcasing New York's transition to more green energy, will be a state-of-the-art greenhouse to focus on the latest high-tech initiatives towards clean energy, Hochul said. 

Hochul received a Distiguished Alumni Award from the 4H club she was once a member of at the press conference Wednesday, the first New York governor to do so.