Just 30 minutes north of Charlotte in the Lake Norman area, Carrigan Farms, a 5th generation family farm, is growing blue ribbon winning produce, flowers and gourds. First founded in the 1750’s and settled in their current spot in Mooresville since 1902, Carrigan Farms is well-known for growing apples, strawberries, pumpkins and various other commodities. For the past two years, they have also submitted blue ribbon winners in the N.C. State Fair’s flower show and horticulture department.
“I’ve always had a strong passion for agriculture,” said William Carrigan. Graduating from N.C. State University in May of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, he now assists his family farm full time with crop management and agricultural operations.
William Carrigan began submitting entries for the N.C. State Fair two years ago. He has been entering fair competitions since he was a child and has always had a strong passion for competition. “To me, the N.C. State Fair is all about agriculture,” he said. “My very first year, I submitted various gourds and produce pieces, winning around five blue ribbons in total for all my submissions. The next year, I submitted even more entries, winning around 10 blue ribbons.”
His creative process is as simple as planting seeds in the ground and letting them grow. However, Carrigan added that there was also more to it. “The plants that make blue ribbon winning produce must be given delicate care with certain amounts of daily care including water and fertilizer,” he said. “Much of the growing process includes genetics with the seed planted. Starting with the right seed to plant is what makes award winning produce from these plants. Otherwise, it is skill and luck on how the plant is made.”
When choosing which piece to enter at the N.C. State Fair, Carrigan notes it is specific to the competition. For example, you would enter your biggest piece for a competition based on the size of the item. “For most other categories, the most important factors are how pretty the piece looks and how similar they are to each other,” he said. “For instance, if entering a contest where five peppers are needed, they would have to look nice while looking relatively the same. What makes a blue-ribbon winning piece varies depending on the competition.”
For people who are submitting entries at the State Fair for the first time, he’d advise them to grow plants with high quality seeds and to study the information packet provided by the N.C. State Fair to ensure you understand all of the competition rules and how they will be judged.
Altogether, the Carrigan Family has won around 50 blue ribbons from the N.C. State Fair. Or, as William Carrigan likes to put it: “A desk drawer’s worth.” Each year, he goes to the Fair with his sister and some friends. Sometimes, they drive to Raleigh, other times they take the train from Charlotte. “We like to make a day of it,” he said.
One of the greatest rewards that he gets from entering the fair is getting first place for a job well done. Carrigan is excited to submit more entries to this year’s State Fair and to do all that he can with each competition. Be sure to check out his entries at the 2026 N.C. State Fair!
It is also a great time to start planning your own entries for the N.C. State Fair. The competition handbook for this year’s fair comes out in July.
Carrigan Farms is open year-round to visitors, hosting weddings, company picnics, proms and many other various seasonal attractions. Some of these seasonal attractions include its October “Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail” and a natural granite swimming quarry. At Carrigan Farms, you can pick strawberries, pumpkins and apples. The farm also sells lettuce, sweet corn, asparagus and a rotating selection of seasonal vegetables.
