Tag: flower show

Millbrook’s Magical take on Hogwarts wins Best School Garden

Millbrook High School FFA used their wild card entry into the N.C. State Fair garden show to teach muggles about the magical world of Harry Potter. Their garden won first in their division and was chosen as best school garden and won an additional $100 prize. “Millbrook won because of the quality of their plants, their creativity and the connectivity of the garden,” said Dan Danforth, superintendent of the N.C. State Fair Flower Show. “Their garden had the highest combined score of any school garden. The students really hit on something that spoke to the interest of young people when…

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Chosen By The Bells

Charlie St. Cyr – Paul is the man behind the Cast In Bronze Carillon. Some of you may remember the Carillon from the 2019 N.C. State Fair, however it takes on a new look, feel and management under Charlie. In previous years, the bells were played by Cast in Bronze creator, Frank DellaPenna. However, Frank recently announced his retirement from touring with the Carillon and chose none other than Charlie St. Cyr – Paul to carry on the inspiring tradition. Cast in Bronze was the first musical act in the world to feature the carillon in its show. Although the…

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2016 N.C. State Fair Bucket List

‘Tis N.C. State Fair season and nothing could be finer. And whether you’re a State Fair veteran or a rookie, you know there is something magical about the state fair that is calling your name. Between the cool autumn nights kept well-lit by the carnival midway, the deep-fried delicacies, and the engaging exhibits and entertainment, what’s not to like? To make sure you’re taking full advantage of your time at the fair, we’ve listed some things that you must do at this year’s event, Oct. 13-23. See a concert on every stage. As a part of this year’s Homegrown Music…

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Employee Profile: New assistant fair manager James Romer brings passion for fairs

New assistant fair manager James Romer has developed many passions, from collecting rocks to horticulture and gardening. However, when it comes to his love for fairs, Romer said it just got into his blood as a child and has been there ever since. “Some of the best days of my life have been spent at fairs,” Romer said. “In fact, I met my wife at a county fair in Iowa. Fairs are always going to be special to me.” Romer’s experience with fairs began with his parents who, in 1965, began raising and showing dahlias at local county fairs and…

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Make your trip to the fair a love a-fair

Funhouse and I collaborated on what would be the perfect fair date. We’ve come up with five things you must do on a date at the N.C. State Fair. Start your visit with a stroll through the Flower Show. The Flower Show is a beautiful oasis at the fairgrounds. You and your date can come take a stroll through the winding paths of gardens and get your photo taken on the giant Adirondack chair built for two. If you wait until dark, the Flower Show is lit up with luminaries, adding a little romance to the air. The Flower and Garden Show is…

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Behind the scenes with…Betty Shaw, entry department superintendent

As of Tuesday afternoon, 18,506 online, mailed, faxed and hand-delivered applications had been received by the entry department and the number keeps growing. There is still time to enter the horticulture and Flower Show competitions (deadline is this Friday, Oct. 1), but other Fair contests stopped accepting entries last Friday. If you entered one of the contests, you may have talked with Betty Shaw, superintendent for the entry department. Since Friday, Betty and her staff have been working to verify applications and prepare entries for the Fair. We took a few minutes to talk with Betty and find out more about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the competitions each year. Note: If …

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Flower show in-the-know workshop Sept. 19

So last year you walked through the Flower Show area during the N.C. State Fair and surveyed the competition. And you thought, “wait a second, I’ve got flowers that look as good as these,” or you questioned, “Why one plant won a blue ribbon versus a second-place red ribbon?” This all got you thinking that it would be fun to enter the flower show competition. So here’s a reminder that is not too late to enter this year. Exhibitors for the flower show actually have until Oct. 2 to pre-register for the competition.

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