If you are looking for somewhere to take the whole family, you’ve come to the right place. At the N.C. State Fair, you will find a handful of highly talented musicians, delicious food, and entertaining performances. One, in particular, and a family favorite, is Agricadabra. Hosted by entertainer Brad Matchett, Agricadabra is a family-friendly magic show that is not only fun but educational.
Using volunteers from the audience, Brad highlights all things agriculture within North Carolina. The show dives into fun farming topics, such as the average age of the farmers in your state, questions about chicken and egg production, and even the difference between whole milk and skim milk. The show even offers the chance to meet Houdini, the live rabbit.
Matchette ensures the show is constantly changing and being updated. Recently, he has been incorporating jokes from new films such as Jurassic Park and Top Gun to feel more connected to his audiences.
Brad’s career started when he first wrote an agriculture-based show for the Virginia Department of Agriculture, after that, Agricadabra took off, taking him through multiple states. The show is booked for 34 fairs this season alone. When asked what his favorite thing about the job he shared, “Making people laugh. I want the show to be not only entertaining but funny. I love seeing people laugh so hard they nearly pee their pants.”
“We constantly try to keep the shows updated. We have added some fun pop culture things such as giving the audience members their own call names, like the pilots in Top Gun.”
This will be Agricadabras first appearance back at the fair in five years. Before, Brad had performed at the N.C. State Fair for nearly ten years.
Matchett is looking forward to his return. “I have always loved the N.C. State Fair, and this year, we will be performing in Kiddieland. I was the first-ever performer hired for Kiddieland, so it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come since then.”
He also mentioned he couldn’t wait to get his hand on a classic red-hot dog. The classic American hot dog with a cherry red twist has been produced in Smithfield, North Carolina, since 1941 and is known to be a “southern tradition.” The only place you’ll be able to find one is in North Carolina, so you better take Brad’s advice and grab one at this year’s State Fair.
Agricadabra will perform daily near the administration building at the end of Kiddieland. Check out the Daily Schedule for showtimes.