The NC State Fair

The first North Carolina State Fair, held in 1853, was conceived by the State Agriculutural Society as a way of getting farmers to come together and learn about “scientific” farming methods. Fairs were suspended during the Civil War but resumed in 1869. Around the turn of the century, the modern midway was added to the fair, and it became entertainment as well as education — but it also became much more expensive to operate. In 1925 the Agricultural Society went bankrupt, and there was no fair for two years. In 1928, the state legislature made the State Fair a state agency under the control of the Department of Agriculture and reopened the fair at its current home.

This year’s dates are October 13th to the 23rd and will include all the usual reasons to attend. The fair’s agricultural heritage remains in the competitions for the coveted blue ribbons for best animals, crafts, and desserts. The midway offers a selection of rides from the tame to the terrifying. But for many people, the food is the best part of the fair.

According to a recent article in the Charlotte Observer, new entries on this year’s deep-fried menu include such delicacies as deep-fried Kool-Aid, deep-fried brownies, deep-fried bubblegum, deep-fried chicken pot pie and deep-fried candy apples.  Other nutritionally indefensible treats include cupcakes shaped like hot dogs, a red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese drizzle, and a pumpkin spice funnel cake.

What’s not to like?