Author: Firecracker

Firecracker (aka Jen Kendrick) Appears as a guest blogger with a special 22-year history with the State Fair. She now works with the N.C. Pork Council, but she still lends a hand in the press office when she can. Thanks, Firecracker!

You can’t win if you don’t register!

The decorated cakes are always a popular. An article in today’s N&O about recipe contests got me thinking about cooking contests. And then I had an “AACK” moment when I realized that NOT ONLY is the fair just 29 DAYS AWAY, the deadline to register for competitions is only A WEEK away. A few deadlines have already passed (livestock and wine categories are a few), but most will close out on Sept. 24. The good news is that you can do it all online this year or print out an entry form and mail it in, as long as it…

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I’m thinking sherbet

Yesterday, we got our new “uniform” for the 2008 State Fair – our polo shirts. It’s a geeky thing, but we always get excited to get a new shirt and start wearing it around town. It’s a great conversation starter, usually beginning with the question, “Do you know when the State Fair is this year?” Or “do you know who’s playing in Dorton Arena?” So, you’ve got to be on your game and know the answers if you wear a Fair shirt in public this time of year. But, it’s fun and it definitely gets people talking, even if they’re…

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Remebering Sept. 11 and saluting the Men and Women in the armed forces

Surely, all of us who were born before 1990 remember that beautiful September morning in 2001 when the world seemed to stop. In Raleigh, it was a gorgeous day and we were busy with getting ready for the upcoming fair when a co-worker (Merri-Go-Round) came into the office and said that a plane had struck a building in New York. My first thought was nothing like the horrrible reality that it was. For the rest of the day, we kept up with the news on a small, 6-inch, black and white television, and watched out our windows as workers scurried…

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It’s a revolution!

We are starting a revolution…well, Jared Fogle (the Subway guy) is at least. As part of his 10-year anniversary with Subway Restaurants, Jared is embarking on a cross-country “Tour De Pants.” Along the way, he’ll promote Subway restaurants and 10 years of maintaining a healthy weight. As part of the promotion, there are lots of activities, such as an online Pants Dance game, and the chance to make a healthy promise. In conjunction with the 2008 N.C. State Fair, Jared just launched a new competition…the Pants Dance Revolution, where you can win a year’s supply of Subway sandwiches, a Nintendo…

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Keeping up with State Fair news

No need to play guessing games! Sign up for E-News to get all the latest State Fair info. Some of us just LOVE the N.C. State Fair and can’t get enough information about what’s new this year. A few of us are lucky enough to work here and have all sorts of behind-the-scenes information, and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you through this blog. We hope we are doing a good job in bringing you some fun information about the 2008 N.C. State Fair. If you still find yourself wanting more news about the Fair, our E-News service…

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Who is the mystery artist?

Who is the mystery artist? (Photo from the 2007 N.C. State Fair – not the mystery artist!) Okay, I know we were supposed to announce the mystery artist “no later than Sept. 1,” but because of circumstances beyond our control, we are still unable to make the announcement. (Sorry!) We are legally obligated to keep our mouths shut for a few more days because of our contractual agreement with the artist. I will make one guarantee…we will make the announcement sometime on Saturday (expect it to be late in the day) and we will start ticket sales for this artist…

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You’re with the Band – Catching up with the Wells Family

Sara, Jade & Eden Wells took some time to act as propsat the King BMX Stunt Show at the 2007 State Fair. The Wells Family Band out of Johnston County is returning to the Fair to perform on the Waterfall Stage. There’s a lot to love about this family (other than their great music). They have so much energy and charm … and they really like being together. Plus, they shared their State Fair experiences with the world last year through their video posts on YouTube called “You’re with the Band.” (They even videoed their performance at our media luncheon!…

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New Rides @ the N.C. State Fair

The Claw in action at the 2007 N.C. State Fair I had a chance yesterday to talk with Charlie Belknap from Powers Great American Midways, the official carnival provider of the 2008 N.C. State Fair. Powers has been busy since we saw them last October. As a matter of fact, they’re in Maryland this week, traveling to New York next week, and on to Pennsylvania before making their way back south for the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair (Goldsboro) in September. According to Charlie, they’ve been busy and are anticipating another huge Midway at the Fair, with around 110 rides –…

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Toby Mac takes the lead!

Yep, Christian hip-hop artist, Toby Mac, has taken the early lead, despite a url mix-up on the part of yours truly. (Sorry to anyone this morning who tried to link to Toby Mac or Jason Aldean tickets and ended up in the Josh Turner ticket bin instead. It was quickly remedied, but an embarrassing gaff on my part. I do apologize!) But back to Toby Mac tickets….there are still plenty of great seats left, but as of Day One, he’s sold the most tickets. The assistant fair manager isn’t surprised because he had a lot of excited people e-mailing him…

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