Tag: vendors

Basnight’s is back with more local seafood

Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café made its fair debut with a bang in 2017 featuring menu items such as jumbo lump crab dip, bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp and grits. But for Caroline Basnight, the spotlight shines on local fishermen. “We try to use ingredients grown in North Carolina for everything we serve,” Basnight said, “but there’s never been a day we’ve served anything but local seafood. Her parents opened the Nags Head restaurant in 1995, and since her mother came from a background of commercial fishing, there was never a doubt that the family would use local seafood. At Basnight’s fair…

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It’s “farm-to-fair” at Al’s Fries

Al’s French Fries has been around since 1959 as one of the oldest and longest-standing vendors at the fair. Its menu is simple: a heaping portion of hot, delicious french fries with condiments of your choosing. But what you might not expect from this fry stand is that Al’s features locally sourced ingredients straight from North Carolina farmers. For Debbie Anderson, it’s all about honoring her father’s legacy. “We’ve never strayed from what Daddy did,” Anderson said. “We still buy potatoes from Ford’s Produce, we always fry in peanut oil and we still serve Coke products.” Anderson’s father, Al Beckwith,…

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Vendor space applications now available

One of my favorite things to do at the N.C. State Fair is peruse the products for sample and sale from the wide variety of vendors exhibiting around the fairgrounds. I also enjoy comparing the food concessionaire menus to find that perfect tasty treat. With more than 850,000 attendees just as curious (and hungry) as me, the  Fair offers an excellent opportunity to bolster your business or brand. Think you might have a Deep Fried bestseller? Visit the vendors section of our Web site to download an application and information. But don’t wait — applications are due by July 1. Indoor and outdoor spaces are available, with a minimum of 8…

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