Each year, fairgoers gather inside Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fair to witness live cooking demonstrations that highlight North Carolina chefs and locally sourced ingredients. This year, the list of chefs from across the state participating in the cooking demos is elite. The chefs will share delicious recipes and offer tips from grilling the perfect piece of protein to baking sweet treats to mixing up the perfect drink to pair with your meal.
At the start of each cooking demonstration, five to six people are randomly selected from the crowd to have a seat at the Chef’s Table. A seat at the Chef’s Table provides you with a front row seat for the action, the chance to sample the meal that is prepared during the cooking demonstration and a taste of the finest of N.C. wines with each dish. Those in the audience can expect trivia throughout the demos with prizes.
Food and Travel Writer Heidi Bilotto, with Heidi Bilotto Foods, is the daily host for the cooking demonstrations.
For some of the chefs, the stage at Dorton Arena marks their first time cooking at the State Fair.
“As a first-time chef on the demo stage, I feel truly honored to be included in such a vibrant celebration of North Carolina’s food culture,” said Bobby McFarland, of Glasshouse Kitchen in Durham. “I’m most excited to share my passion for local ingredients and to connect with fairgoers in a way that highlights the incredible diversity of our state’s food scene. My hope is that people walk away inspired—not just by the dishes themselves, but by the sense of community and creativity that makes North Carolina food so special.”
Demonstrations on the Got to Be NC Cooking Stage run for the duration of the fair, with a rotating lineup of chefs and local guests. There are daily opportunities to get in on the action and take home a delicious new recipe or cooking tip for your own kitchen.
Check out the full schedule below:
Friday, Oct. 17
3 p.m. – Winner Winner, THE BEST Fried Chicken Dinner
Chef: Captain John Mallette of Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville
5 p.m. – Keeping it Local, Chopped Got to Be NC-Style
Chefs: Adé Carrena of Dounou Cuisine in Raleigh and Nicholas Chavez of Dram Yard in Wilmington
Featuring Celebrity Chef Ken Smith of WRAL
Saturday, Oct. 18
1 p.m. – Spice & Simmer: Indian Home Cooking, Carolina Style
Chef: Preeti Waas of Cheeni in Durham
3 p.m. – Chocolate and Caramel Treats with N.C. apples
Chef: Justin Fry of JF Chocolat in Charlotte
5 p.m. – Cooking for Company
Chef: Andres Prussing of Marriott Charlotte City Center in Charlotte
Sunday, Oct. 19
1 p.m. – Cooking from the Carolina Coast
Chef: Jamie Davis of The Hackney in Washington
3 p.m. – The Flavors of Local Fungi: Cooking with Mushrooms
Chef: Bobby McFarland of Glasshouse Kitchen in Durham
5 p.m. – Carolina Gold:
Chef: Jamie Davis of The Hackney in Washington cooking with Tidewater Grain Company in Oriental
Monday, Oct. 20
3 p.m. –The Sweeter Side of Eating Locally
Pastry Chef: Emily Parker of Sweet Violets in Greenville
5 p.m. – Cooking with NC Sweetpotatoes
Pastry Chef: Emily Parker of Sweet Violets in Greenville
Tuesday, Oct. 21
1 p.m. – Homemade Pasta with a N.C. Twist
Chef: Taylor Halley of The Wine Feed in Durham
3 p.m. – Easy Fall Desserts
Chef: Tie Whitaker of Buttermilk Boutique in Clayton
5 p.m. – A Got to Be NC Chopped-style Competition
Chefs: Tie Whitaker of Buttermilk Boutique in Clayton and Sera Cuni of Café Root Cellar in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro
Wednesday, Oct. 22
1 p.m. – The Spices of Caribbean Cuisine
Chef: Lemar Farrington of Triangle’s Amalieä Dining & Events
3 p.m. – The Flavors of North Carolina
Chef: Daniel Murray of Cypress Hall in New Bern
5 p.m. – Drinking Seasonally: Fall Cocktails and Mocktails
Mixologist: Shannon Healy of Alley 26 In Durham
Thursday, Oct. 23
1 p.m. – A Taste of Raleigh
Chefs: Jake Wolfand Greg Poole, Jr.of Empire Eats in Raleigh
3 p.m. – Gustu Peruano!
Chef: Mauricio Huarcaya of Gustu Peruano Food truck in Wilmington
5 p.m. – Cooking with Cast Iron
Chef: Luke Owen of Native Fine Diner and Julep Contemporary Kitchen in Greenville and Jason Allen of Carolina Cooker
Friday, Oct. 24
1 p.m. – The Flavors of Saltbox Seafood
Chef: Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood in Durham
3 p.m. – Everything You Need to Know About North Carolina Tuna
Captainand Chef: John Mallette of Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville
5 p.m. – How to Cook Local Seafood
Chefs: Bobby McFarland of Glasshouse Kitchen in Durham and John Mallette of Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville
Saturday, Oct. 25
1 p.m. – Rice, Beans and N.C. Beef
Chef: Andres Prussing of Marriott Charlotte City Center in Charlotte
3 p.m. – It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere: Shaking and Stirring Local Spirits
Mixologist: David Bowenof Easy Talk and Ginger Fox in Winston Salem
5 p.m. — My Mom and Me: Handing Down West African Cooking
Chef: Adé Carrena of Dounou Cuisine in Raleigh NC and her mom!
Sunday, Oct. 26
1 p.m. – Cooking with N.C. Seafood
Chef: Keith Rhodes of Catch Seafood in Wilmington
3 p.m. – Farm to Table Dinner
Chef: Keith Rhodes of Catch Seafood in Wilmington
5 p.m. – Cooking with North Carolina Pork
Chef: Kevin Ruiz of CUYA Cocina Latina in Raleigh
