Video: How Dancing N.Y. Troopers Became a State Fair Tradition

An impromptu dance by a New York State Police trooper at the state fair in 2021 attracted a huge crowd and started a sensation that continues to be a highlight of the annual fair.

By Don Cazentre

Source syracuse.com

Aug. 28, 2025

4 min read

What to know

New York State Trooper Andy Campbell, a 22-year veteran, has become a viral attraction at the New York State Fair by dancing in uniform outside a food stand, drawing nightly crowds since 2021.
Campbell and fellow troopers say the tradition helps humanize law enforcement, providing positive community engagement beyond routine enforcement encounters.
State police commanders support the initiative, viewing it as an effective public relations tool during the fair, where troopers volunteer to provide security.

New York State Police troopers Jordan Popp, Nicholas Murray and Andy Campbell lead the Cupid Shuffle in front of the Moose Joose stand during the New York State Fair on Tuesday in Geddes.

It could have been the “Wobble.” Or maybe the “Cupid Shuffle.”

Or even the “Electric Slide.”

New York State Trooper Andy Campbell doesn’t remember exactly which song he danced to for the first time at the New York State Fair.

But otherwise, that night during the 2021 state fair was memorable.

It was just outside the Moose Joose Slush stand across from the Dairy Products Building. The stand operator turned up the volume on its music.

Campbell was wearing his full state police uniform, from the black boots on his feet to the gunbelt around his waist to the light gray Stetson hat on his head. The trooper also stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds, making him hard to miss in a crowd.

Then he stepped out in front of the stand and started to dance.

“It just seemed like the thing to do,” he says now.

It attracted a huge crowd, many with their phones. Videos showed up on TikTok and other social platforms.

Now it’s a state fair tradition.

Videos of Campbell dancing to V.I.C.’s “Wobble” went viral in 2022. Since then, Campbell and some his fellow troopers make it a point to stop by the Moose Joose stand to dance each night of the fair.

Why?

“It’s a positive thing,” he said. “You know most people’s encounters with us (police) come on a bad night for them, sometimes their worst night. This gives us a chance to show, you know, we’re human too. We know how to have fun.”

And, he adds, his commanders at the state police approve of the public relations. “They get it,” he said.

Campbell is a 22-year state police veteran. He grew up in the Auburn area and now works road patrol in Cayuga County, as part of State Police Troop E.

This is the 19th year he has volunteered to work the fair detail for the State Police, which handles security on the fairgrounds.

“Some people are assigned to it, but a lot of us volunteer, because, well, it’s fun,” he said. “I love it. You meet the vendors, you meet the people who come to the fair every year. Everyone’s having a good time. It’s great.”

Campbell grew well acquainted with Jody and Melanie Conklin, who run the Moose Joose and other stands at the fair. Like Campbell, Jody Conklin lives in Cayuga County.

Conklin remembers that night when Campbell first showed off his moves.

“We turned up the music, and I looked out and there’s Andy, dancing in the uniform and the hat and everything,” Conklin said. “He really stood out, and people came out of nowhere to take a look.”

The dancing now typically takes place at the end of the night, just after the concerts end at the big Suburban Park venue on the fairgrounds. The popular songs call for line dancing.

“We get big crowds coming through when the shows stop,” Conklin said. “It’s like Times Square here. And Andy and the troopers are the prime attraction.”

Aside from Campbell, dancing troopers include his current partner Nicholas Murray and his former partner, Jordan Popp.

They also love working the fair.

“It’s like a big reunion for all of us here,” Murray said of their fair detail. “And some of us get to dance.”

Conklin arranged a special “flash mob” style dance for the troopers around 5 p.m. Tuesday. It featured many young workers from Moose Joose and other stands.

As the sounds of Cupid’s 2007 song “Cupid Shuffle” blasted on the speakers, Campbell, Murray and Popp ran out and started their routine.

As always, the crowds of dancers and onlookers formed fast.

One woman taking her children into the nearby Eatery Building stopped and brought them over to watch.

“Look, kids,” she said. “It’s the dancing policemen!”

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