Annie Wetzel, a junior studying animal science, shows 8-year-old Charlie Tucker the proper way to milk a cow at the NC State Fair on Saturday. Wetzel is member of the Animal Science Club, which hosts a cow milking event at the fair each year. The event will run through the entirety of the fair until Sunday." />
Will Skinner
Annie Wetzel, a junior studying animal science, shows 8-year-old Charlie Tucker the proper way to milk a cow at the NC State Fair on Saturday. Wetzel is member of the Animal Science Club, which hosts a cow milking event at the fair each year. The event will run through the entirety of the fair until Sunday.
This year’s North Carolina State Fair is using the slogan “Nothing Could Be Finer” — and if anything could, it would be the glorious weather that fairgoers enjoyed on Thursday, “preview day” of the fair. In the early afternoon, preparations were still underway. Lydia Titus, 14, of Bandys High School, described a full day and a half of transporting and settling 26 cattle and 15 turkeys from Catawba, North Carolina, with her Future Farmers of America group. The livestock is owned by area farms, or “borrowed,” by the FFA, as Titus put it.
Although the State Fair boasts many cows, those closest to the hearts of NC State students, the Howling Cow dairy cows, are a must-see. The milking booth offers fairgoers a chance to try their hand at milking a cow, for the modest fee of $2, which includes a carton of milk afterward. Better yet, the Food Science Club sponsors the Dairy Bar, which serves up delicious Howling Cow ice cream. When asked about the greatest challenge for the fundraiser this year, Food Science Club President Kristen Saniga replied with a chuckle.
“Well, we don’t have a building anymore,” said Saniga, a graduate student studying food science. “This is the first time in 50 years that we’ve been in a tent.”
Another challenge the Food Science Club faces is finances.
“This is our only fundraiser,” said Morgan Caudill, a Dairy Bar chair and also a graduate student studying food science. “We minimize expenses as much as possible.”
Even with the challenges, though, Caudill and Saniga, who have been involved with the entirely student-run Dairy Bar for five years, love the experience.
“We’ve been doing it forever, and it’s awesome ice cream — I wouldn’t want to stop,” Saniga said.
With a cone of this year’s new Howling Cow flavor, apple crisp, firmly in hand, there’s still a lot of ground left to cover for the fairgoers who are pouring in as the afternoon progresses. A great way to get a bird’s eye view and map a route is to take a ride on the Carolina Flyer, a brand new ride similar to a ski lift that takes riders along the length of the central midway (rides are $5 one way or round-trip for $8).
After descending from the height of the Carolina Flyer, riders are again immersed in the bustling clamor and salty smells of the midway. Shooting games, rides and vendors offering a variety of fair-only delicacies, including fried lard and massive turkey legs, flank the pathways.
After an hour or two on the crowded and noisy midway, those interested in a break and the historical roots of the fair would enjoy a turn through the Village of Yesteryear, which features handicrafts by local artisans. The building is filled with a pleasant aroma of wood and spices, and costumed craftspeople display a variety of wares, from hand-woven fabrics to blown-glass ornaments to leather journals.
If the Village of Yesteryear isn’t enough historical craft, Heritage Forge is just a stone’s throw away. In a small building made of rough-hewn logs, master blacksmiths forge glowing metal into various items, and explain their methods to observers.
While the fair does pay homage to historical trades and crafts, it also features much contemporary creative work. Professionals, amateurs and local schools submit dozens of paintings, drawings and photographs to the fine arts competitions. Another must see for those with creative or culinary inclinations is the cake decorating competition. This year’s entries include a cake shaped like a mobile home and another that splits to reveal a geode.
To fully round out the cultural experience, many free concerts occur at various times and locations throughout the fair. For opening night, the bluesy tunes of Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos wafted past the fountain outside Dorton Arena, and several high-school choruses came together for a competition and performed inside the arena. Performers yet to come include Lud (indie rock), Tellico (Appalachian folk) and Wailin’ Storms (metal/punk), among many others.
While perhaps lacking in the homegrown Southern flavor that the NC State Fair proudly displays, the Chinese Imperial Acrobats are not to be missed. Demonstrating several traditional Chinese performing arts, including the lion dance and vase balancing, as well as contortionism, the daring members of the troupe delighted the late crowd on opening night.
After the last acrobatics demonstration of the night is the perfect time to meander up and down the midways, where the energy level increases dramatically as the evening goes on. After a few rides and some cotton candy, the fireworks begin, and the display enchants the crowd as gamesters hawk their wares in the background. A ride on the Ferris wheel, providing a view of the brightly colored lights of the fair from high above, is a perfect ending to an exciting day.