Q&A with Poppin’ Penelope

Poppin Penelope and her brightly colored balloons are decorating the Expo Center lobby for a second year. We caught up with Penelope to find out a little about her unique talents and what she thinks of the N.C. State Fair. How did you get started as a balloon artist? “My brother is Farmer Phil. He’s played the N.C. State Fair in the past and was the first one in the family in this type of business. I saw he was having a lot more fun at his job than I was having at mine. I do balloon art, but I…

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Casey’s top 5 fun things to do for free at the Fair

There’s a new bird in town – Fair mascot Casey the Cardinal. And he’s got lots of tips for fairgoers.  This week we are looking at a few of Casey’s favorite things to do for free. Discover new North Carolina music. We’ve got the Homegrown North Carolina Concert Series. More than 80 bands are playing at this year’s fair on three separate stages. Casey can’t wait to find a new favorite group to practice his swanky dance moves. Pick a racer on the Hogway Speedway The Circle “C” racing pigs and the Hogway Speedway have moved to a new location…

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