YORK, Pa. — For more than 70 years, not much has changed at Stoltzfus Pa. Dutch Food stand at the York State Fair.
“This is year 71," Owner Dale Stoltzfus said. "My dad would have been 13 years old when he started working for his sister and brother-in-law doing the push slicing."
The notable changes? Give or take a few owners and the cost of doing business.
“Prices have had to go up, " Stoltzfus said. "[The] price of goods have gone up over the years as well.”
From food to rides, fair officials say they are charging more. The last price increase was in 2010.
Stambaugh says the decision was made to avoid diminishing the quality of the annual event.
“It was either we cut the things that make our fair great and less free attractions, less things to do, or we increase the price and give people the fair that they want," York State Fair Marketing and Communications Director Montgomery Stambaugh said.
This year there are more promotional days than in years prior, including, for the first time, $2 Tuesday. The promo features $2 admission, $2 rides, and $2 food specials, like $2 lemonades at Schander's Taters & Funnel Cakes.
Owner John Koza says he’s glad to give a discount.
"It’s great, especially nowadays people live on fixed incomes, a lot of folks have been coming to the York Fair for a long time," Koza said. "Everything is expensive, we really don't want to put that on our customers."
Koza is getting creative too, celebrating 45 years at the fair with a free milkshake for the 45th customer each day.
Stambaugh and the vendors say the discounts are a great way to get people out to the fair.
“We always want to give people a chance to come to the fair. And a lot of the times people do say that ‘Oh, it's too expensive, or etc.,'" Stambaugh said. "It gives people an opportunity that haven't come before, maybe another chance to come."
You can find a full list of the 2023 promotional days here.