New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today visited the Central New York Welcome Center, located in Destiny Mall in Syracuse, for an open house event celebrating the Taste NY program’s 10^th anniversary and showcasing New York’s farmers, food and beverage producers, and the diverse and unique products grown and made in the state. Since its launch in 2013, the Taste NY program has grown significantly, bringing over $100 million in economic impact to New York State producers across the State. Today’s celebration marked the ninth and final event in a year-long tour of the regional Welcome Centers across the state in recognition of the program’s 10-year milestone. The event also highlighted opportunities across the State to shop local and support New York small businesses during the holiday season.

Commissioner Ball said, “This has really been a great year celebrating our Taste NY program’s 10^th anniversary; we’ve traveled to almost every corner of the state and have gotten to highlight some of the very best food, beverages, and specialty items our New York producers have to offer. Thanks to the hard work of our welcome center staff, operating partners, and of course, producers, these Taste NY markets are more than a stop along the way, but destinations in their own right. They introduce travelers, visitors, and residents to local farmers and producers. I'm proud of the work we’ve done building the Taste NY program into the success it is today and look forward to another decade of growth.”

The open house event brought together regional agricultural, tourism, and supporting partners to introduce visitors to the New York farmers and producers whose products are available at the Welcome Center. Producers providing samples at the event included Dutch Hill Maple, Rich’s Apiary, Speech Family Candy Shoppe, and Nelson Farms. As part of the celebration, the Welcome Center held a reusable bag giveaway to the first 25 visitors. Additionally, Commissioner Ball unveiled the Welcome Center’s holiday wreath, which was sourced from New York State Grown & Certified Christmas tree grower, Springside Farm in Pompey. New York State Grown & Certified Christmas trees are also prominently on display throughout the State, including in every regional Welcome Center.

Located inside Destiny USA, America's sixth largest shopping center, the Central New York Welcome Center has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors through its doors since its opening in 2017. Since then, the Taste NY Market at the Welcome Center, operated by Visit Syracuse, has supported more than 50 vendors in bringing over 200 locally made products to market. More than 16,000 purchases have been made at the Taste NY Market, totaling more than $200,000 in sales of local New York State made products. 

Welcome Center Market Manager Allyson Towndrow said, “I have been the manager of the Central New York Welcome Center since we opened in 2017. I have enjoyed being able to promote our great region and state while forming wonderful relationships with small business here in Central New York. Whether you live her or are just visiting we have something for everyone to enjoy in New York.”

Empire State Development Vice President and Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said, "Taste NY has served as a great platform for inviting guests and residents alike to discover New York's delicious array of food and beverage experiences. Whether traveling along a wine trail, attending a special event at a craft brewery, picking apples or pumpkins in the fall, enjoying a regional specialty at a signature restaurant, we know how much visitors love sampling all the Empire State offers when it comes to agritourism and culinary travel. Congratulations to Taste NY for ten years of helping to show food and drink lovers how easy it is to love New York!"

Libby Croom, owner of Syracuse Salt, said, “We have loved our relationship with the Welcome Center since the start. We receive so much feedback about what a great addition to the area the Welcome Center and Taste NY have been, and our customers have been happy to see our products there. We have so loved cultivating our relationship with everyone involved both personally and professionally.”

The Welcome Center celebrates the natural beauty New York State has to offer its residents and visitors, featuring a camper retrofit with a large LED screen that promotes regional tourism attractions and destinations. Multiple interactive I LOVE NY kiosks are positioned in kayaks, allowing visitors to test their knowledge of the region or design a trip itinerary. Additionally, a Department of Motor Vehicles self-service kiosk allows users to renew their vehicle registrations and conduct other DMV transactions.

New York State products can now be found at nearly 70 Taste NY locations across New York State, including the 11 regional Welcome Centers, airports, State parks, the Javits Center and more. Over the last decade, Taste NY has also partnered with sports venues, such as the MVP Arena (Albany) and the Blue Cross Arena (Rochester), and formed partnerships with high profile event organizers to bring Taste NY products to major sporting events such as the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games, the Saratoga Race Course, and the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester. 

#TasteTurns10 Social Media Contest

In November, Commissioner Ball announced two new social media contests to celebrate the program’s anniversary and promote local food, beverages, and agritourism to New Yorkers and visitors alike who are traveling across the state during the holiday season. To highlight the NYS Grown & Certified Christmas trees on display at the regional Welcome Centers and Taste NY Markets across the state, each market incorporated a different New York agricultural commodity in a homemade tree topper, including honey, maple, dairy, and apples. The markets and welcome centers held a virtual trivia contest with questions about each commodity, leading up to the unveiling of their annual Christmas tree toppers during a Facebook livestream. The winning responses were from Westchester, Oneida, Jefferson, and Suffolk Counties. 

Additionally, through the end of the year, Taste NY Markets in the 10 regional Welcome Centers across the state are offering New York State-themed “selfie stations.” To participate in the contest, New Yorkers and visitors traveling for the holiday season can snap a photo at the selfie station and post it on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #TasteTurns10. A QR code provided at the selfie station will provide directions for how to ensure participants are entered in the contest for a chance to win prizes, including gift baskets filled with New York-made food, beverages, and gift items from each region of the state and gift cards to ShopTasteNY.com, the program’s e-commerce marketplace. Learn more about how to participate.

For those who are unable to travel, or live out of state, ShopTasteNY offers opportunities to shop for New York agricultural products and gifts online. ShopTasteNY.com has holiday gift sets available for purchase, as well as its regular selection of products that highlight the quality and diversity of the state. Orders can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. To better ensure gift orders arrive by December 24, it is recommended to have orders placed by Monday, December 18.

About Taste NY

Taste NY highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. Taste NY aims to create new opportunities for producers through events, retail locations, and partnerships, such as at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse and the PGA Tournament in Rochester. Over the last 10 years, Taste NY has supported nearly 2,000 food and beverage producers participating in the program through retail outlets, events, and sponsorships. In 2022, 311 new producers were onboarded to the program through New York's Welcome Centers. Taste NY's food and beverage businesses also support the state's farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products.