Winners picked in the Heritage Tobacco Harvest Competition

Winning hands of tobacco are on display in Heritage Circle at the Tobacco Pavilion throughout the State Fair.

Winning hands of tobacco are on display in Heritage Circle at the Tobacco Pavilion throughout the State Fair.

Tobacco is a tradition in North Carolina, and you will find plenty of examples of this cash crop on display at the State Fair.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, teams of three will compete in the annual tobacco stringing contest for bragging rights and cash prizes. All that tobacco plus many more sticks will fill the antique tobacco barn, where the leaves will be cured by heat during the week. On Friday, Oct. 20, there will be a mock auction simulating the old way of buying and selling stacks of tobacco bundled onto burlap sheets.

You can also find winning hands of tobacco on display in cases in the Tobacco Pavilion.

Edward Newton of Henderson was the Commissioner’s Award winner in the Heritage Tobacco Harvest Competition, denoting the best of all the first-place-winning hand-tied tobacco entries.

Edward Newton of Henderson took home the Commissioner's Award, the top honor in the Heritage Tobacco Harvest Competition.

Edward Newton of Henderson took home the Commissioner’s Award, the top honor in the Heritage Tobacco Harvest Competition.

Newton entered tobacco tips in the contest.

Other first-place winners were Robert Dickerson of Oxford for lugs, Clay Strickland of Salemburg for cutters and leaves, and J.G. and George Clayton of Oxford for their organic tobacco.

 

About Merrie Go Round

Merrie Go Round is the midway alter-ego of Andrea Ashby, who has officially spent 252 days during the past 24 years at the N.C. State Fair. That's perfect attendance in case you were wondering. In addition to promoting the Fair, looking for untold Fair stories and working on various special events, I also spend a great deal of time roaming the grounds taking photos for the Website and State Fair publications. I like to keep my eyes and ears posted for the unusual and different things that make the State Fair such a great celebration of North Carolina people, traditions and history. I look forward to sharing with you the things I come across on my journey.

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