The Midway is hoppin’ today, thanks in part to the unlimited ride wristband festival visitors can buy for $20. The deal started today at 3 p.m., and is good until the Midway closes tonight at 10 p.m. You can also purchase tickets individually. Each tickets is $1, or you can buy sheets of 14 tickets for $10 and 30 tickets for $20. Check out the wide variety of carnival rides and let us know which one was your favorite.
The N.C. State Fair has arguably the largest midway in North America. And each of the 100-plus rides on the midway undergoes a rigorous inspection by the N.C. Department of Labor before the first rider steps on. Bureau Chief Jonathan Brooks and his crew of 24 inspectors have been working diligently to inspect each ride to make sure it is 100 percent in line with the manufacturer’s specifications. If it doesn’t pass muster, it doesn’t “get stuck.” That’s industry lingo for the sticker that certifies a ride has passed inspection. North Carolina’s standards for ride safety are among the strictest…
“Squilling” Earnhardt Jr., “Piggy” Gordon, “Rutter” Martin and “Hoggy” Jarrett of the Circle C Racing Pigs (a company based out of Newton, N.C.) make their laps on the Hog Speedway for their final prizes–cheese puffs! Read a great review of the race from the Times-News. And don’t forget to visit these little fellas when they travel to the State Fair in just a few weeks! The Ferris wheel at the Mtn. State Fair had incredible views of the mountains and, if you timed it just right, airplanes taking off out of the Asheville Regional Airport across the road. A curious…
Before… …and after! (Notice the mountains in the backgrounds of both pictures.) It’s always fun to see what happens on the fairgrounds before everyone comes for their candy apples, Ferris wheel rides and the livestock shows. When I arrived on Tuesday, the Midway was pretty empty save for some of the larger thrill rides. But what a different a day-and-a-half makes! The staff up here in Fletcher and Playworld Amusements company worked their magic overnight to have the grounds fair-ready for Friday’s opening ceremonies. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, front, and Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, in the second seat,take a ride…
The Claw in action at the 2007 N.C. State Fair I had a chance yesterday to talk with Charlie Belknap from Powers Great American Midways, the official carnival provider of the 2008 N.C. State Fair. Powers has been busy since we saw them last October. As a matter of fact, they’re in Maryland this week, traveling to New York next week, and on to Pennsylvania before making their way back south for the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair (Goldsboro) in September. According to Charlie, they’ve been busy and are anticipating another huge Midway at the Fair, with around 110 rides –…
