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Weekend Update: Aug. 9-10

Funhouse August 7 August 7

Brides-to-be will find the fairgrounds the place to be on Saturday and Sunday as the Southern Bridal Show and Expo sets up in the Graham Building. Meet more than 150 Triangle-area wedding experts. Also enjoy wedding fashion previews featuring the latest trends in bridal wear. Event hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 per person. Children age 12 and under are admitted free. Pre-register and purchase tickets online to receive a $2 discount. Other events this weekend: The Raleigh Flea Market is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Each weekend, the Commercial and…

Show us your Bumper Crop of Fun

Bearded Lady August 15 August 15

Around here, we’re pretty big fans of The Peterson Farm Bros YouTube sensation,”I’m Farming and I Grow It.” If you haven’t seen this Internet phenom, check out the video below: The video has more than 6 million views on YouTube and has inspired an array of other farming parody videos, including Lil Fred’s “Farm It Maybe.” With all of the creativity across the country, we knew there had to be just as many creative people right here in North Carolina. That’s why we created the Bumper Crop of Fun Video Contest. Here’s how it works: Create a music video that…

What’s in a name?

Bearded Lady April 4 April 4

Most people know about the animals that live at the fairgrounds temporarily during the N.C. State Fair, but there are also a handful of animals that make the fairgrounds their home the rest of the year. One such addition has found a new home in the Flower and Garden Show. Workers first noticed the female duck in the area a couple of weeks ago. The hen soon made a nest out of a nearby hanging basket and has been living there ever since. Veterinarians have examined the duck, and she appears to be healthy and preparing to lay eggs. We’ve…

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…

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…

Shop and win State Fair prizes

Bearded Lady October 19 October 19

Thursday, Oct. 21, is Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the State Fair. The annual event, where donating four cans of food gets you free admission to the Fair, is one of the largest single-day food drives in the state. All collected goods are donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which serves 34 surrounding counties. Because of the growing need in our area, the Food Bank is encouraging everyone to help stuff the warehouse this year, and we’d like to offer some encouragement. On Wednesday, we’ll be out and about hiding State Fair prize packs…

Fan-selected press office challenge: Let the games begin

Bearded Lady October 11 October 9

Last year, Firecracker issued a press office challenge for our staff to try something new at the Fair. We rose to the challenge and each of us did something we’d never done before at the Fair like visit the wildlife tent, tie tobacco, watch a pig race, sing a song and race down a giant slide. This year, we want your help. Do you have a favorite exhibit or competition we’ve never mentioned on the blog? Is there new food you’d like us to review before you come to the Fair? Do you want to make sure a certain ride…

Don’t miss your chance to win the Great Fair-A-Thon Challenge

Bearded Lady September 27 September 27

In case you missed the big announcement, we’re partnering with Subway during this year’s State Fair to offer a free trip for two to New York City. After Pants Dance Revolution and the $5 Footlong Song Challenge, we decided it was time to take things to another level. That’s why we recently announced the Great Fair-A-Thon Challenge. The contest has three stages of competition, but if you make it to the finish line you can win a two-day trip to New York City to watch Jared Fogle, the Subway guy, compete in the New York City Marathon. The first stage of the race, a…

Picking pics for prize packs

Bearded Lady June 23 June 22

Each year, the Deep Fried crew takes thousands of photographs during the Fair. While our collection is large, some of the best photographs come from fairgoers just like you. You do a great job of capturing the excitement of the Midway, the serenity of the Flower Show, the tasty satisfaction of deep-fried food and the joy on fairgoers’ faces. Show us what you think is great by uploading your State Fair pics from previous years to the N.C. State Fair fan page. Throughout the summer, we’ll select some of our favorites to share on the Deep Fried blog, and if we pick your pics, we’ll send you a…

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