Love A Fair

150 Reasons to Love the N.C. State Fair

Funhouse October 4 October 4

Crisp fall nights, apple cider, sparkling midway lights, people watching. Let’s face it, the fair is a special place. Earlier this year we asked people on social media and those that volunteer or work at the fair just what they think makes the annual event special. Check out the responses below. Did your reason to love the fair make the list? Poster prints of the 150 Reasons to love the North Carolina State Fair will be available at The Nest in the Exposition Center lobby. Get your own 8×10 for $6 or 16×20 for $8.

The bear went over the mountain…

Bearded Lady October 22 October 21

You don’t have to go over a mountain to see some of the best exhibits at the fair. You just have to go “up the hill.” If you’ve never been up the hill from the lake, then you’ve missed a special portion of the N.C. State Fair. The area located near Heritage Circle is full of exhibits from the N.C. Forest Service and Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The most recognizable display on the hill is a giant, talking Smokey Bear. Children love interacting with Smokey and asking him questions. Other N.C. Forest Service exhibits provide useful information on…

Progress Photo: 5 days and counting

Bearded Lady October 8 October 8

Today is a busy day at the fair, as we’re just five short days away from the start of the 2011 N.C. State Fair. Carnival workers are assembling some of the largest carnival rides, vendors are setting up food booths and cleaning off their grills, exhibitors are hanging signs, and moving furniture and superintendents are eagerly accepting jams, jellies, quilts, paintings and more. As if there isn’t enough happening inside the fairground gates, there also are thousands of Wolfack fans outside the gates tailgating before today’s game against Central Michigan. As a reminder, tailgaters can take advantage of the Gate…

Deep Fried Triangle TweetUPdate

Bearded Lady October 6 October 6

We’re one week away from the 2011 N.C. State Fair and the Deep Fried Triangle Tweetup. This year’s Tweetup goes way beyond the latest deep-fried creation. Sure, there will be samples of some awesome new food, but we also hope you leave with an even greater appreciation of the exhibits, rides and entertainment at the fair. The Tweetup will be Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Folk Festival Tent. Get your tickets here. You’ve probably already heard that we will be hosting a team-based trek on SCVNGR. Your team can explore the fair, complete challenges and earn points…

Sky Diver is a whirlwind of fun

Bearded Lady September 26 September 26

At first glance, the Sky Diver looks like a plain Ferris wheel. But when you get up close, you realize there is a lot more to this ride than meets the eye. The Sky Diver is based on a Ferris wheel design, but passengers sit in cages similar to the Zipper. The cages are mounted on an axle that allows the cars to spin like a barrel roll. The best part? There’s a wheel in the cage so you, or your co-pilot, can control how fast you spin. To see this technique in action, check out the video below. (My…

A little rain didn’t extinguish our SPARK

Bearded Lady September 20 September 20

When it comes to promoting the fair, we like to start from the ground up – literally. That’s why Blue Ribbon, Merrie Go Round and I joined about 280 other teams sprawled out in the middle of Fayetteville Street for a day of street chalking during artSPARK in downtown Raleigh. Together, with some very talented students from Garner Magnet High School, we created a unique kind of billboard for the fair. We’d like to thank the students from GMHS for their wonderful design and help Friday and Saturday. We chalked four squares during the event. Three were dedicated to the…

It pays to be a professional showoff

Bearded Lady September 1 August 30

Did your mom every tell you to stop showing off? Chances are Arthur Fratelli heard the same thing from his mom. Good thing he never listened because if he had, we may not have been lucky enough to have this professional showoff come to the N.C. State Fair. Fratelli is one of the amazing grounds acts that will make this year’s State Fair one to remember. Since this is Arthur’s first time performing at the N.C. State Fair, we decided to take some time to learn a little more about him and his act. And, what better way to learn…

SPARK of Love

Bearded Lady August 8 August 3

We love the fair around here, and if you follow this blog, you probably love the fair, too. You probably also know that this year’s theme is “Love A Fair.” If you love the fair as much as we do and have some artistic ability, then we have an opportunity for you to help us spread the “Love A Fair” theme. We’re looking for talented artists, designers and creative types to help us with a special State Fair promotion at artSPARK on Saturday, Sept. 17. For those of you who don’t know, artSPARK is a part of SPARKcon, a four-day…

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