2008 N.C. State Fair

Vanilla Ice has mad DIY skillz

Flying Bob August 28 August 27

Each week until the start of the State Fair, the Deep Fried Crew will highlight one of the 2014 Dorton Arena entertainers. Tickets for all concerts and advance admission and ride tickets are on sale online here. Get your tickets early to save time and money, and to reserve your seat for your favorite Dorton Arena performer. Check out this year’s lineup here. This week we highlight rapper Vanilla Ice, whose album “To the Extreme” was released on Aug. 28, 1990. I envy Vanilla Ice. And not because he used a sample of a classic rock song to create one…

Weekend Update: July 25-27

Fried Oreo July 25 July 25

The Kids Exchange Consignment Sale will be in the Graham Building and Exposition Center through Sunday. Like-new clothes, toys and other children’s items will be offered at discounted prices. Items will be marked half-price on Sunday. Hours are today until 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Raleigh Summer Dressage I & II Show will be in the Barn E Ring at the Hunt Horse Complex on Saturday and Sunday. This event will feature dressage under saddle classes at all levels, Intro to Grand Prix both days and…

Five 2008 Farm Animal Frenzy animals are up for auction

Flying Bob January 6 August 5

If you’ve ever had a hankering to own one of the fiberglass animals that competed in the 2008 Farm Animal Frenzy contest at the N.C. State Fair, now’s your chance. The State Surplus Property Agency is accepting online bids for five animals (a cow, horse and three chickens) until Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. (You don’t have to bid on all five.) You can register to bid here. The animals were decorated by high school art students as part of the Fair’s annual Farm Animal Frenzy art contest. They were on display at the 2008 State Fair, and though…

Master Plan

Firecracker February 4 May 8

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will unveil a long-range master plan for improvements to the N.C. State Fairgrounds at a press conference this morning. If you are interested in seeing the planned improvements, click here at 11:30 a.m. to watch the presentation live.

You like us, you really like us!

Firecracker February 3 May 8

Southern Living readers love their state fairs, especially the N.C. State Fair! Southern readers (from Delaware to Texas) voted the N.C. State Fair as number two in the Best Fair or Festival category in the annual reader’s choice awards, which were announced in the January issue. We did come in second behind the Texas State Fair, which is the largest fair in the country. (The saying “Everything’s bigger in Texas is true…their State Fair lasts almost a month! A feat that we have no desire to copy.) We want to say thank you to all the fairgoers who voted for…

The countdown is on!

Firecracker January 23 May 8

According to my countdown, it looks like we are 265 days away from the 2009 N.C. State Fair! Which means the clock is ticking for the Fairgrounds staff to pull together another stellar entertainment lineup and to get everything ready for another great event. The past few months were spent wrapping up the 2008 N.C. State Fair and attending fair conventions. A few highlights: In December, the State Fair signed a contract with Powers Great American Midways to provide the Midway for the 2009 N.C. State Fair. We are excited to work with Corky, Charlie and their very professional crew…

A different measure of success

Firecracker October 28 May 8

Well, the Fair is over and the Fairgrounds is slowly transforming from a bustling mini-city to empty buildings and parking lots. The press office has moved from our cramped quarters in the Kerr Scott Building to our individual offices in downtown Raleigh, ready to settle in for a long winter’s nap (we wish!). There are plenty of boxes left to unpack and we need a day or two to decompress before we start documenting the good and the not-so-good about the 2008 N.C. State Fair and start looking ahead to Oct. 15-25, 2009. Despite what some media outlets might have…

Chef’s delight

Firecracker October 27 May 8

Gail Fuller of Raleigh took home four first place finishesin the State Fair cooking contests One of the (many) jobs in the press office is to announce the daily winners of the specialty cooking contests through writing press releases and posting recipes and photos to the State Fair’s Web site. Usually, the winning names look familiar, though the names and faces come and go through the years. I would imagine it takes an awful lot of trial-and-error to come up with new recipes each year for these contests, not to mention the time it takes to come to the fairgrounds…

Beaten, but not out

Merrie Go Round October 26 May 8

The Demolition Derby at the N.C. State Fair wrapped up its final bone-crunching heats tonight and we have names of the drivers who were the last ones standing, i.e. THE WINNERS.In the 4-cylinder feature heat, Tony Camptella of Raleigh finished first in the Moonshine Express, after eliminating Jimmy Goodman of Topsail Beach who drove the number 121 car. In the 6-cylinder feature heat, Ricky Cooke of Jamestown knocked out Jimmy Goodman of Topsail Beach for bragging rights. In the 8-cylinder feature heat, Chris Lane of Goldsboro beat out fellow Goldsboro driver Donald Stokes for first place. And finally, in the…

Overheard at the State Fair (Remember it IS the last day)