2009 N.C. State Fair

Clay Walker has parlayed his musical success into a platform for MS awareness

Fried Oreo August 8 August 14

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 country singer Clay Walker. “Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination.” — Diane Sawyer Some people spend a lifetime in search of their life…

What I learned in Vegas shouldn’t stay in Vegas

Blue Ribbon December 4 December 4

This week, I represented the N.C. State Fair at the International Association of Fairs and Expos annual convention in Las Vegas, along with Mike Pleasant, our assistant manager. It was a great opportunity for networking with knowledgeable people from fairs around the world, and for taking some interesting educational workshops. At a workshop called “Greener Fairs,” I was asked to present a case study about our recycling program, and at the “Social Media Power Up Lab” I was grilled on the nitty-gritty details of our social media campaign. In both sessions, attendees asked great questions and shared advice from their own experiences. Mike and I picked up some…

Deep Fried Ambassador update: Can I get a piece of lettuce?

Cotton Candy October 26 October 26

This is our 2009 Deep Fried Ambassador’s last roundup for our Deep Fried Blog. We had such a blast following her blog posts and were happy to have her as part of the deep-fried crew. Be sure to stop by her Pretty*Swell blog, and check out all of her posts on her deep-fried adventures. This is my final post as your Deep-Fried State Fair Ambassador. Sniff. I have lived and breathed the North Carolina State Fair for two weeks and loved every minute of it. I traversed practically every square inch of the fairgrounds, tried all sorts of new things,…

Folk Festival superintendent Annette Pulley wraps up her final Fair

Merrie Go Round October 25 October 25

With the final song on the Folk Festival stage today, superintendent Annette Pulley will bring to a close a storied association with the festival. This marks the 61st year of the festival that is dedicated to preserving and celebrating North Carolina’s traditional music and dance. For more than 40 years, Pulley has had a role in the Folk Festival. She has been a performer, a judge and, for more than half of her time with the event she has served as superintendent. She has literally seen children grow up on the Folk Festival stage, later returning with their own children to…

Press Office Challenge: Top 5 edition

Bearded Lady October 25 October 25

On the first day of the Fair, Firecracker issued a challenge for the press office staff to do something they have never done before at the N.C. State Fair. As an intern from South Carolina, there are a lot of things that were new for me this year. Yes, I have been to the N.C. State Fair before, but I usually limit my trip to one night – enough time for one ride, a turkey leg and some N.C. State ice cream. I waited until the last day to post this blog, and now present Bearded Lady’s Top Five New…

Chinese tobacco buyers get a taste of the State Fair

Flying Bob October 25 October 25

Asian visitors to the N.C. State Fair are becoming a tradition. Last year, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S. visited. Saturday, a group of 22 Chinese tobacco buyers toured the Fair. The group has been in North Carolina for almost a week, meeting with representatives of U.S. Tobacco Cooperative and others involved in exporting N.C. tobacco to China. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler took a few members of the delegation for short rides on the Big Cart. Afterward, the group visited the Got to Be NC Agriculture exhibit, sampled homemade ice cream and strung tobacco in Heritage Circle, saw dairy cattle in…

Behind the scenes with…Mason Meyer, Zambelli Fireworks

Bearded Lady October 25 October 25

Each night of the Fair, more than 2,000 shells of fireworks light up the skies above the Midway. Even during a light drizzle, the display can be described as “awesome.” What most people don’t know is that it takes a lot of work to make sure the fireworks go off at 9:45 nightly. I spent some time with the crew from Zambelli Friday afternoon to see how they prepare for the nightly show. Mason Meyer explains in this video: There’s only one day left to see the fireworks. Don’t miss your chance to be “A Whole Lotta Happy” at…

Take a tour of Green NC, earn a State Fair T-shirt

Blue Ribbon October 24 October 25

Have you been to the Green NC exhibit yet? That’s the large, unassuming white tent located near Gate 11. It’s the only place on the fairgrounds where you can participate in a chemistry experiment, “fish” in a State Park pond and see solar panels all in one location. Not to mention earn a cool T-shirt. That’s right, we are giving away 2009 State Fair T-shirts over here, but there’s a small catch — you’ll need to learn a little. The Green NC exhibit is one of many educational experiences on the fairgrounds. Visitors can interact with environmental organizations, learn about “green” topics through hands on activities and participate in…

Category: 2009 N.C. State Fair