2012 N.C. State Fair

Weekend Update: Aug. 17-19

Bearded Lady August 17 August 16

Mark your calendars because we are just under eight weeks away from the 2012 N.C. State Fair. If you haven’t already, you can purchase your gate admission, ride and concert tickets online at www.ncstatefair.org. By purchasing in advance, you’ll avoid lines at the fair, secure your favorite seat for concerts in Dorton Arena and can earn up to three free gate admission tickets with the Early Bird Special. In the meantime, it’s going to be another great weekend at the fairgrounds. The big event this weekend is the Carolina Fall Boat Show and Sale in the Graham Building. If you’re…

Show us your Bumper Crop of Fun

Bearded Lady August 15 August 15

Around here, we’re pretty big fans of The Peterson Farm Bros YouTube sensation,”I’m Farming and I Grow It.” If you haven’t seen this Internet phenom, check out the video below: The video has more than 6 million views on YouTube and has inspired an array of other farming parody videos, including Lil Fred’s “Farm It Maybe.” With all of the creativity across the country, we knew there had to be just as many creative people right here in North Carolina. That’s why we created the Bumper Crop of Fun Video Contest. Here’s how it works: Create a music video that…

Weekend Update: August 10-12

Bearded Lady August 10 August 8

First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a baby carriage. No matter what stage of life you are in, there’s something for you this weekend at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Whether it’s puppy love or the real deal, there’s nothing quite like spending time strolling through the Raleigh Flea Market with your special someone. You can spend a few minutes or a few hours browsing the vendor booths. The market is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you’re preparing for a stroll down the aisle in the near future, then you…

Weekend Update: Aug. 3-5

Bearded Lady August 3 August 1

Looking for something to do this weekend? Come out to the fairgrounds and spend some time exploring the Raleigh Flea Market. The market is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features hundreds of vendors. You also can enjoy one of the these special events: Dixie Gun & Knife Classic Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the modern and collectible firearms, custom-made knives, hunting and fishing equipment, and more. The event will be held in the Graham Building Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults…

Advance tickets go on sale Aug. 1

Bearded Lady July 31 July 31

The wait is almost over. Advance tickets for the 2012 N.C. State Fair go on sale Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. Buying early is the best way to save if you want to stretch your dollar as far as you can on admission, concerts, grandstand events, rides and more. And, if you’re looking for a front-row seat to one of the Dorton Arena concerts, you’re definitely going to want to be in front of a computer when tickets go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. We want your ticket-buying experience to be as smooth as possible, so here are some…

Weekend Update: July 27-29

Bearded Lady July 27 July 25

If you’ve never visited the Hunt Horse Complex, this is the weekend to do it. The complex will be the site of a hunter show and two dressage shows with free spectator admission for all events. The fairgrounds also will host a sports card and memorabilia show in the Scott Building and the Raleigh Flea Market in and around the Commercial and Education buildings. Read on for more details. NCHJA Summer Indoors Horse Show The N.C. Hunter Jumper Association Summer Indoors ‘C’ Horse Show will start Friday at the Hunt Horse Complex. The competition, organized by Triangle Farms, will feature…

90 days away

Bearded Lady July 12 July 12

The 2012 N.C. State Fair starts 90 days from today. To get you excited about the Bumper Crop of Fun coming in October, we thought we’d share this really cool video from the 1970s. It’s part of N.C. State University’s digitization project called Cultivating a Revolution: Science, Technology, and Change in North Carolina Agriculture, 1950-1979. The video is aerial footage of the fair circa 1973. In the video, you can see construction of the Kerr Scott Building (site of this weekend’s Raleigh Coin Club and Stamp Show), the old livestock buildings and the racetrack, which is now the site of…

Weekend Update: July 6-8

Bearded Lady July 6 July 5

If you love antiques and collectibles, this is the weekend to come to the N.C. State Fairgrounds. We’ll be hosting the 62nd Raleigh Antiques Extravaganza in the Graham Building. The show will feature more than 125 exhibitors selling quality antiques and collectibles. Doors are open Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6.50 per day or $7.50 for a weekend pass. For more details, go to www.antextofnc.com. While you’re there, check out the Raleigh Flea Market. Vendors will be set up in and…

Announcing the 2012 N.C. State Fair Concert Lineup

Honey Bee July 2 July 2

It’s hard to believe I’m already a month into my internship. Time flies when you’re having fun, and believe me, I’m having fun. Last week, we shot a video to announce our concert lineup for the N.C. State Fair. So, watch this video, get excited and buy your tickets on Aug. 1. Ready. Set. Go! Here’s a recap in case you missed it on the video: Thursday, Oct. 11: Varsity Vocal Showcase, $10 Friday, Oct. 12: Matthew West and Sanctus Real, $10 Saturday, Oct. 13: Jake Owen, $10 Sunday, Oct. 14: Hot Chelle Rae, $15 Monday, Oct. 15: Scotty McCreery,…

An unusually large harvest of fun

Firecracker May 25 May 25

Bumper Crop: (-adj) an unusually large, fine or abundant harvest. We’ve been bumping this theme around for probably six years now, but just haven’t done anything with it in favor of other ideas, such as Celebrate What’s Great, Whole Lotta Happy, Take Time For A Great Time and others. But each year in our brainstorming sessions, it gets brought up again and again. One year, we went so far as to get the designers to try to figure out a logo to go along with the theme. But, nothing seemed to visually match what was going on in our heads….

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