Folk Festival moves to a new “neighborhood” on the fairgrounds

“That’s where I’ve always thought it should be.” That’s the reaction Leah Catherine Seaton had when she heard the N.C. State Fair Folk Festival is moving to a new location this year. It’ll be in an area adjacent to Heritage Circle and the Village of Yesteryear. Seaton has clogged in the festival for more than 20 years, skipping a year every now and then. So it’s a good sign when someone like her gives the stamp of approval to a new location. You can tell clogging is important to her. You can hear it in her voice and feel it…

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Folk Festival keeps a tradition of dance alive in N.C.

A pretty cool thing happened at the fair this weekend – one of those things that reminds you of North Carolina culture and makes you love the N.C. State Fair. I was on a mission to check out the leatherwork artist that Funhouse featured in a previous post here on the Deep Fried blog. I was making my way through the Village of Yesteryear in the Gov. James E. Holshouser Building when I ran into a classmate from college. More specifically, we played the same instrument in the marching and pep bands. Leah Catherine and I chatted a little as…

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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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10 fun things you can do during your visit to the fair

Here at Deep Fried, we know a thing or two about the N.C. State Fair. Our staff has more than 50 years’ experience with this annual event, so if you’re looking for directions to help you maneuver all 200 acres of the fairgrounds or the best places to eat, we can point you in the right direction. But, before you head out to try the latest deep-fried culinary delights at the fair, here are a few things you can do to build up an appetite: Visit the State Fair Ark. This is the best place to see North Carolina’s diverse…

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Meet the new Deep Fried Ambassador

Our very first Deep Fried Ambassador, Suzanne from the Pretty*Swell blog, blew away all our expectations last year and set the bar pretty high. Nevertheless, we had some amazing entries from people wanting to be the 2010 Deep Fried Ambassador. These bloggers represented Fair veterans and rookies, singles and parents, deep-fried food lovers and exhibit enthusiasts. We had so many great entries that it’s taken us an extra day to decide. Luckily, we reached a decision about an hour ago and are happy to announce that the 2010 Deep Fried Ambassador is Ashlee from the LilBlueAshes blog. She won us…

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Folk Festival superintendent Annette Pulley wraps up her final Fair

With the final song on the Folk Festival stage today, superintendent Annette Pulley will bring to a close a storied association with the festival. This marks the 61st year of the festival that is dedicated to preserving and celebrating North Carolina’s traditional music and dance. For more than 40 years, Pulley has had a role in the Folk Festival. She has been a performer, a judge and, for more than half of her time with the event she has served as superintendent. She has literally seen children grow up on the Folk Festival stage, later returning with their own children to…

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