Tag: dorton arena

Culinary Students from Dunn and Sanford Sizzled the Judges with their Top Sirloin Salad Recipes in the Fair’s Home Chef Challenge

The N.C. State Fair Home Chef Challenge in Dorton Arena has showcased some of this year’s fairgoers’ best recipes in daily food competitions. On Wednesday, sirloin steak was the star ingredient. Contestants had to put their best Top Sirloin Salad recipe to the taste test in this sizzling challenge sponsored by the N.C. State Fair. Recipes in the top three get bragging rights and prize money of up to $1,000. Cary resident Amy Libbus is this year’s Contest Manager. She makes it all happen behind the scenes, “For Wednesday’s competition, I got a little nervous at first because several entries had…

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Loaded Nachos Challenge, Wolfpack Basketball, and Thrills Slated for Opening Day of the Fair

Loaded Nachos will be first Home Chef Challenge competition at Fair

It’s game time at the N.C. State Fair for the first time in history as The Wolfpack basketball teams host its annual Primetime with the Pack preseason event on Thursday, Oct. 13, at PNC Arena South Plaza across from Carter-Finley Stadium in conjunction with the opening day of the Fair.   “It’s going to be a big day, and we want everyone to get in fair and game-day mode,” stated Brooke Johnston, Associate Director for Fan Experience and Marketing for men’s basketball. N.C. State Wolfpack Basketball sponsor of the Loaded Nachos Challenge in the 2002 Home Chef Challenge at the Fair…

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A Longtime N.C. State Fair Fan is Ready to Taste the State’s Best Chili in the 2022 Home Chef Challenge

Bowl of chili

For 11 days each October, the N.C. State Fairgrounds turns into a delicious culinary playground. This season, the North Lobby of the Dorton Arena will have the sensational aromas of home chefs cooking their best recipes in hopes of winning $500 and bragging rights in the 2022 Home Chef Challenge.  Raeford resident Dewayne Smith has attended the N.C. State Fair for 35 years. This season he is ready to chow down on homemade chili as one of the panel judges for The Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-Off presented by Carolina Cooker.  When Smith read about the contest in the…

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Got To Be NC takes on a new look and feel at the 2021 N.C. State Fair

The Got To Be NC tent at the N.C. State Fair is a sought after attraction each year. From delicious food products, like Bob’s Smokin’ Southern BBQ and Zulia’s Bakery, to other locally made products, like soap from Blinking Toad Workshop, the Got To Be NC area is a fair favorite to vendors and attendees alike. This year, vendors will take on a larger space in the Dorton Arena, aka the Got To Be NC Pavilion! Dorton Arena is the most iconic building on the N.C. State fairgrounds in Raleigh and sits proudly in the middle of all the action…

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American Aquarium performance in Dorton is delayed but not denied

American Aquarium was set to open the 2018 N.C. State Fair, but severe threatening weather postponed the bands’ debut on the Dorton Arena stage. Jumping ahead to 2019, fairgoers can see the latest lineup of the Raleigh-based band on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Dorton Arena. The long-awaited show will feature the alternative country sound that has drawn critical praise and comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and a former Raleigh band, Whiskeytown. The following is adapted from a Deep Fried Blog post from 2018: “Tough times don’t last, but tough folks do.” BJ Barham, front man of American Aquarium, lives those words….

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60 tons of shavings: The N.C. State Fair by the numbers

The annual N.C. State Fair is less than 2 weeks away. The fairgrounds crew is busily preparing the grounds for the nearly 1 million fairgoers that will visit during the annual 11-day event. Check out these fun numerical facts about the 151st N.C. State Fair, which runs Oct. 11 through the 21st. 2,855: Number of windows on the exterior of Dorton Arena 1,674: Number of mums ordered for the Flower and Garden Show. Several of these will be used to build the giant mum-tree, one of the fair’s most popular photo spots. 60 tons: And what do you get? All…

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Country rocks Dorton Arena with Parmalee and OSMR

Parmalee is a country rock band, composed of brothers Matt and Scott Thomas, their cousin Barry Knox and friend Josh McSwain, that originated in Parmele in Martin County. The group was formed in 2001 when the members began practicing every Tuesday and Thursday night in a barn they dubbed “Studio B.” Since then, Parmalee has gone on to produce five albums and has been featured on Billboard, AOL.com and Clear Channel. It wasn’t long before the band members realized they needed to broaden their horizons outside of the barn in Parmele if they wanted to jump-start their music career. After…

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Dorton Arena is a field-trip destination

If you have ever attended the fair or other events at the fairgrounds, probably one of the first things you see from a distance is the odd-shaped roof of the most standout building on the grounds. J.S. Dorton Arena is certainly a symbol of the fairgrounds, but it also has an important place in architectural history. Elizabeth Grant is a professor of architecture at Virginia Tech University. Each year she takes her second-year students on a field trip to visit architecturally significant buildings. Some noted buildings in Raleigh include the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, the N.C. Museum of Art…

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Weekend Update: April 13-15

Saturday’s Sports Card, Memorabilia, & Comic Con  will include the UNC Tar Heel seniors from the 2017 NCAA National Basketball Championship signing autographs.  More than 75 exhibitors will be buying, selling and trading vintage to new sportscards, memorabilia and comics on over 160 tables on Saturday in the Scott Building. Autograph guests include the “Teddy Bear Girl” Addy Miller from The Walking Dead, former MLB pitcher Jose Nunez and UNC Chapel Hill 2017 NCAA National Championship Team seniors Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, Nate Britt and Stillman White from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m….

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Weekend Update: April 7-9

Spring has certainly arrived when the popular Southern Ideal Home Show – Spring Edition returns to the Graham Building and Exposition Center. This three-day event allows homeowners to see the latest in home improvement trends, and shop, compare and seek advice from professionals and see the latest in home improvement trends. The event features hundreds of building, remodeling, kitchen and bath, landscaping, outdoor living and interior design companies. This event has set the standard as the “must-see” home and garden event of the year. Hours are Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday,…

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