Cakes and crafts and watermelons, oh my

The new Expo Building was buzzing yesterday as last-minute competitors brought in cakes, crafts, flowers, vegetables and more. Here's a few that caught my eye, but you can check out all of the handicrafts and baked goods when the Fair kicks off tomorrow.

Setup really begins to pick up...

Here is picture number two of my fair transformation experiment. This photo was taken around 7 pm today, almost 24 hours after yesterday's first photo. You can see the midway has really started to fill up with rides and vendors. Just to the right of the Ferris wheel you can see a crane setting up a ride brought in today. You can't tell from the photo, but the chairlift was in operation when I took the shot as well. Off in the distance, you can see some ominous clouds looming. Yesterday's shot had a similar background. We've had quite a few showers these past couple of days, and today we were hit hard by some of the storms that blew across western NC. One of the trees outside our office was even struck lightning. It was the loudest and shortest boom I've ever heard, and the light that came through the blinds was "electric". Pardon the pun. Check back for tomorrow's picture.

Watch the fair take shape...

After riding through the fairgrounds yesterday afternoon and seeing some of the rides, food vendors, and tents take their places, I had the idea to take a picture of the grounds from the same spot over the next three days in order to see the transformation that takes place in the next 72 hours. Here is the first one. You can see some of the rides, such as the Ferris wheel, are already assembled and in place. Others are still mounted on the trailers that brought them, waiting their turn. I wish I could have taken a picture a week or two earlier so that you would be able to see the grounds before any rides or tents had been erected, but this shot along with the ones to follow should be able to give you a good idea of just how much of change takes place in the days leading up to the fair.

Handicraft, veggie entries pour in for judging

The Fair doesn't start until Friday (although tickets are on sale now), but things are already hopping in the new Exposition Building. That's where artists, quilters, bakers, gardeners and crafters are dropping off their competitive entries to be judged. Check out a few behind-the-scenes shots below, and be sure to stop by this huge display during the Fair.

Marshall Mike returns to the Mountain State Fair

Marshall Mike has fired up his trusty "Quarter Horse" and ridden back into the picture for the 2009 NC Mountain State Fair. Look for Marshall Mike around the fairgrounds all 10 days of the fair. And look for his trusty steed to be corralled in the new Expo Building. You can see all of Marshall Mike's TV commercials on the fair's website under the Media tab. Thanks Marshall Mike!!!

T minus one week and counting!!!

The 2009 NC Mountain State Fair opens next Friday, Sept. 11---got your tickets??? You can buy discounted advance gate and ride tickets at all western NC Ingles stores (and a few in the Upstate)and at the WNC Ag Center and WNC Farmers Market offices through Thursday, 9/10. Save 50% on ride tickets in advance, and save on gate tickets, too. Check out www.mountainfair.org for a complete schedule!

Going "Dutch" at the Mountain State Fair

When was the last time you dragged out the cast iron Dutch oven and cooked in it? How about took it camping and baked biscuits or apple cobbler in a campfire? Come get a lesson on Dutch oven cooking from Rusty, the Chuckwagon cowboy each day of the fair. Rusty will three or four presentations each day on the cowboy way of life from his chuckwagon, and one of those will be a Dutch oven cooking class. Maybe you can convince the "griller" in your family to come find out how to cook more than meat on the grill.