Syracuse, N.Y. — The New York State Fair is turning to a city business in its latest attempt to steady the Empire Room, selecting Harvey’s Garden to run the bar as part of a broader reset for the long‑troubled space.
Syracuse‑based Harvey’s Garden has been selected to operate the bar and patio at the Empire Room, according to owner Michael Greene, bringing a local hospitality concept to one of the Fair’s most visible — and most challenging — indoor spaces.
Syracuse.com reached out to fair officials to confirm the selection and details; officials said they couldn’t confirm the selection until the details were finalized.
But Greene has started to make plans. He says the selection was finalized in late April, and he provided a letter to syracuse.com sent by the state to Greene after a review of multiple applications.
The letter also outlines operational requirements, including minimum daily hours during the Fair, limits on when outdoor entertainment can begin, and restrictions on food offerings, with all programming and product lists subject to state approval ahead of the 2026 fair.
“I think we finally have a chance to make the Empire Room feel like a place people want to discover,” Greene said. “Not because it’s a restaurant you have to plan around — but because it’s active, welcoming and flexible.”
The choice comes as the fair prepares to take a more hands‑on role with the Empire Room during the 2026 fair, shifting away from a traditional restaurant model and toward daily programming run by the fair itself. Under that approach, Harvey’s Garden would handle beverages and patio activity, while fair staff curate what happens inside the air‑conditioned space.
That reset follows years of uncertainty for the Empire Room, which has cycled through operators and struggled to settle on a clear identity.
Greene said Harvey’s Garden is planning to operate the bar and patio throughout the 13‑day fair, staying open until 10:30 p.m. nightly. He’s paying the rental price for the space: $45,792.
Harvey’s Garden opened in 2021 in a former warehouse on Syracuse’s North Side and is known for its self‑pour beer wall, rotating events, and an emphasis on local partnerships.
The beverage menu will spotlight New York products, including beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails. Greene said the beer list is still being finalized, but brands the team hopes to pour include Ommegang, Prison City, Meier’s Creek, 1911 and Ithaca Beer, among others.
For Greene, the Empire Room opportunity also carries symbolic weight. Harvey’s Garden is named after Harvey Baldwin, Syracuse’s first mayor and one of the early founders of the New York State Fair in 1841.
“There’s a real full‑circle quality to this,” Greene said. “We wanted to create something rooted in Syracuse’s civic history. Bringing that spirit to the Fair feels right.”
This year’s fair runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 7.