2019 NC State Fair

Advice from the Deep Fried rookies

Tractor Pull October 13 November 2

The N.C. State Fair is full of surprises and hidden gems. When you work at the fair for the first time, like I did in 2019, those things add up quickly. If you’ve visited before, it’s easy to think you know pretty much everything there is to know. If you’ve visited a lot, you learn even more and find even more surprises and gems over the years. I can say I learned a lot by working at the fair and being inside the gates for all eleven days in 2019 (plus a week before opening day too). I wasn’t alone…

East Coast or West Coast: Caricature options range from a Raleigh local to The California Boys at the fair

Tractor Pull October 25 October 26

One thing you may want to add to your State Fair to-do list is a caricature. It’s one of those things you may not think of at first, but getting a caricature done can be pretty fun, and then you have a nice souvenir to remind you of the fair. Artist Nick Tabron told me he sees some people make it an annual tradition. It’s one of the reasons he’s been coming every year since 1996 or ’97. (It’s hard to remember when you’ve been doing it so long.) “I enjoy it,” he said. “I have repeat customers who come…

“Field of Dreams” gets to the foundation of food

Tractor Pull October 24 October 24

The “Field of Dreams” has been part of the N.C. State Fair since 2004, but when I visited this year, I found a few folks who somehow had never seen it. I was pretty sad to hear that because the exhibit gets at the heart of what the fair is about. While the fair used to be about showcasing and sharing agricultural practices and equipment amongst farmers (or at least people familiar with farming), it’s now more about a few agricultural folks sharing with the general non-farming public. That’s exactly what “Field of Dreams” does. In a plot of land…

Every pumpkin has a story

Funhouse October 23 October 24

Cindy Perkins teaches exceptional students at Grady Brown Elementary in Hillsborough. Part of their classroom learning is tending to a student garden. The class of seven has grown corn, squash, tomatoes, mums and pumpkins. Since all of Perkins students function at different levels, they have different jobs in the garden. Like watering and pulling weeds, and get excited about seeing the garden grow. “The students enjoy the garden,” Perkins said. “They look forward to completing assignments so they can have garden time.” The class monitored and watched the pumpkins grown and finally chose two to be pulled from the garden….

Six inducted into Livestock Hall of Fame

Giant Watermelon October 21 October 24

While many know the North Carolina State Fair is known for its food, rides and music, agriculture has always been the driving force behind all the things that fairgoers enjoy. On Sunday, the fair honored several men who have made substantial contributions to agriculture in North Carolina, as Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted the six newest members of the State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame. Frank Hollowell of Hurdle Mills, Sammy Jenkins of Apex, David Lee of Zebulon, Freddie O’Neal of South Mills, the late Carm Parkhurst of Castalia and Larry Wooten of Raleigh were all inducted in a ceremony…

Folk Festival keeps a tradition of dance alive in N.C.

Tractor Pull October 20 October 20

A pretty cool thing happened at the fair this weekend – one of those things that reminds you of North Carolina culture and makes you love the N.C. State Fair. I was on a mission to check out the leatherwork artist that Funhouse featured in a previous post here on the Deep Fried blog. I was making my way through the Village of Yesteryear in the Gov. James E. Holshouser Building when I ran into a classmate from college. More specifically, we played the same instrument in the marching and pep bands. Leah Catherine and I chatted a little as…

Blue-ribbon winner Dianah Stewart is a name to remember

Funhouse October 19 October 20

Dianah Stewart has an eye for fashion and skills that quickly wowed the judges in this year’s youth clothing competition. Stewart entered her prom dress – which she designed and sewed for her Senior Prom at South Johnston High School earlier this year. Stewart’s fancy dress won first place, Best in Show and walked away with the Charlotte Wyatt Award for youth garments. The Wyatt Award is named after long-time supervisor of the clothing and quilts division, Charlotte Wyatt. After her death in 2008 the fair implemented the award to honor her memory. The judges commented that Stewart’s dress was…

Artist ARCY has a secret

Tractor Pull October 18 October 20

Artist ARCY is making his third appearance at the N.C. State fair in 2019, and you can expect to see the eye-catching paint splashed style he’s become known for. “It will be my classic style that people are familiar with, highlighting elements unique to the North Carolina State Fair,” he said. In 2017, ARCY – whose name is Ryan Christenson – painted a single mural over the 11 days of the fair. This year he is painting individual smaller canvases that measure 8 feet by 12 feet (8’x12’). Each day starting at 11 a.m., you can watch ARCY working on…

Sale of Champions Buyers Find the Livestock Program worth their investment

Marisa Linton See October 18 October 17

Every year, the best of the best in livestock are chosen as champions at the N.C. State Fair. Currently, the pens in which they are housed, stand empty, the signs above that tell who exhibited the animal stands blank. We don’t know who will be named champion. We do know that the competition will be stiff as it is every year. We know that the emotions will be intense. We know that everyone will stand around the show rings with bated breath as they wait for the judge to shake one youngsters hand. We also know that there will be…

Invitation to a pig show turns into a business opportunity for Transylvania County girl

Firecracker October 17 October 17

It was an invitation to a livestock show that turned the McNealys into a pig family. Watching her friend parade around a show ring with a pig, 9-year-old Ella McNealy was hooked, and she soon convinced her parents to let her start showing pigs. There was a definite learning curve for the Transylvania County family. Mom, Heather, grew up around horses, not pigs. But the whole family soon got behind Ella’s newfound hobby, and they all found a love for pigs. Little brother Denver even wanted to get in on the fun and started showing pigs, too. In 2018, Ella…

Category: 2019 NC State Fair