My name is Brady West, AKA Yesteryear, and I’m the new State Fair public relations intern here at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Every year at the State Fair, after a long day of looking at exhibits and eating lots of fried foods, my family and I would always end our journey … Read more
About a dozen years ago, Chris Morgan made his first appearance at the Village of Yesteryear at the North Carolina State Fair—and it was an unforgettable experience. At the time, Chris was a teacher, and taking two weeks off at the start of the school year wasn’t easy. But the chance to share his passion … Read more
Dana Minette Pierce has been turning colorful pieces of glass into art for nearly three decades, creating small, vibrant stained-glass pieces that are both beautiful and accessible. “I’ve always liked stained glass, but I could never afford it. You know, you’d see the big panels, and they were so expensive, and when I started doing … Read more
Art has always been a significant part of Jay Pfeil’s life. She grew up with her mother as an artist who encouraged Pfeil to experiment and work with different mediums early in life. From drawing to painting to sculpting, the 72-year-old Black Mountain artist does it all. Over the last fifty years, you can find … Read more
Hollywood’s portrayal of fierce Viking warriors in movies and T.V. shows during the middle ages has increased the world’s fascination with these Scandinavian Norsemen in the last decade. Vikings, with their ornate carved shields, terrorized and colonized England for more than three centuries before their demise in 1066. When you think of a Viking, you … Read more
Opening day of the N.C. State Fair is days away, and artisans participating in this year’s Village of Yesteryear exhibit are preparing to educate fair-goers in the State’s largest hands-on classroom. Primitive Naturalist, Jeffrey Gottlieb, will be making the trip to Raleigh from Whittier, N.C., to teach the public how to make Southeastern style moccasins, … Read more
Artist Ken Sims began collecting coins at an early age. His hobby developed out of his love for traveling. He would return from a trip with currency in his pocket and want to keep the coins, whether shiny or dull, to remember his travels, especially foreign currency. “I was in awe of some of the … Read more
You may never know when you will accidentally stumble upon your artwork when you are an artist. Linda Payne, a Fuquay-Varina resident who is very modest about her beautiful jewelry designs, will never forget that one time she stepped into a local Chinese take-out restaurant in the Raleigh area. “I paid for my food, turned … Read more
One of the most popular exhibits at the N.C. State Fair is the Village of Yesteryear. More than 75 crafters dressed in period clothing will spend eleven-hour exciting days educating fair visitors in this “working-artist” interactive exhibit that features traditional heritage handcrafts. Jeanette Egan, who specializes in pyrography and woodburning, will make her Village of … Read more
Yolanda Prince has been to the N.C. State Fair twice, once with her school group and then once in 2015. This year, Prince will spend everyday at the fair as one of the craftsman in the Village of Yesteryear. “It is my first year in the Village, however, I learned my craft from the late … Read more