Tag: N.C. Department of Labor

Progress Photos: Wednesday

The rapidly approaching opening of the N.C. State Fair tomorrow means a lot of final preparations are taking place today. In Dorton Arena, crews were installing lighting equipment as the building gets ready for 11 nights of concerts. The 2010 concert series kicks off tomorrow with country singer Danny Gokey. (Tickets for the show are $5.) In the Jim Graham Building, livestock were being checked in for the Junior Livestock Shows. Across the fairgrounds, vendors were putting out their products and gussying up their booths. Inspectors with the state Labor Department were busy inspecting rides to make sure they meet…

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Busy, fun weekend planned at the State Fairgrounds

It’s gonna be a full house at the State Fairgrounds this weekend, with plenty for everyone in the family to find something to do. Let’s take a quick trip around the Fairgrounds to get a feel for what’s going on. Or if you want, download a map from the Got to Be NC Festival Web site.  (Dates and times vary, so visit the respective Web sites to double check times.) Here’s your all-encompassing list for this weekend’s events: NC Pig Jig / Mason’s BBQ Cooking Championship (Sat)  – beside the Expo Center Teams of Masons will have cooked whole pigs,…

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Stick ’em

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…

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