Since 1987, Dan Denning of Lillington has been helping fairgoers take home a lasting memory from the N.C. State Fair. His business, State Fair Caps and T-shirts, located near the Sam G. Rand Grandstand, sells a selection of short sleeve and long sleeved shirts and hats with the fair logo and offer about a dozen different colors of shirts each year.
Denning’s involvement with the fair goes back a little further as he helped with the nightly fireworks shows. “The first company that did fireworks at the fair did so for around 50 years,” said Denning. “I worked with them during the 1980s and 90s. That firework company also had a big silk-screening operation for t-shirts at the time. Back then, not many people sold souvenirs at the fair. So, after a few discussions and some work, we set up State Fair Caps and T-shirts.”
“The N.C. “We sell our t-shirts only at the State Fair,” Denning said. “Our close friends and family run the booth. It’s a family activity for me. My children, daughter-in-law and granddaughter all work at the booth. It’s a great time. We all travel back and forth each day. Some of my children even use vacation days from their jobs to help me out.”
The parts of the fair that Denning enjoys most is the people and the fun atmosphere. His location at the fair also means he gets to answer quite a few questions from passing fairgoers. “Our most asked questions are mainly two things,” said Denning. “The first is directions to a specific food booth when the day first starts. When the day comes to a close, my next most asked question is the most direct route to get out.”
“The State Fair over the years has just been great,” said Denning. “I give credit to all the people who have helped with my booth over the years. Those include both family and friends. I also enjoyed having a good working relationship with the fair staff. They have always been very nice and kind. I can’t wait to be a part of it again this year.”