Happy New Year from the staff of the WNC Ag Center, home of the N.C. Mountain State Fair. We're excited about 2009 with new construction projects that will greatly improve our facility and add to the fair and other events on the grounds.

The new Arts and Crafts Building is under construction with footings poured and foundation work underway. This beautiful log building is going up adjacent to NC 280 and will be a great facility to showcase the mountain crafts during the fair. During non-fair times this 4,615 square-foot building will be available for rent for meetings, weddings and receptions, family reunions and more. The building should be ready just in time for the 2009 fair.

Also in the lower portion of the fairgrounds look for the new Expo Building which will house numerous livestock shows and events. This building will be erected just below the hill in the current gravel parking lot. We'll eventually move Barns E and F to this area to consolidate livestock operations and improve parking for the Davis Arena.

And speaking of the Davis Arena, we're in the planning phase of major renovations to this building which will include enclosing the open sides, adding office space and more. If this isn't good enough news, look for a facelift to the McGough Arena with improved seating, restrooms, sound and ventilation.

Contact Robin Singleton at the WNC Ag Center at (828) 687-1414 x200 if you're looking for commercial rental space with loads of free parking easily accessible from I-26, I-40 and just across the road from the Asheville Airport.

NC Mountain State Fair 2009 info

Mark your calendars for the 2009 N.C. Mountain State Fair, coming to the beautiful WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC. Our fair dates for 2009 are September 11-20. This 10-day fair is the third largest fair in North Carolina and celebrates the heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including agriculture, music, crafts, art, food and more.

Bookmark the fair website, http://www.mountainfair.org/, to make sure you keep abreast of the entertainment and other announcements, or simply check back to this blog on a regular basis.

We're in the process of booking our entertainers and the carnival provider for 2009, and we'll let you know when those decisions are made. We can promise you 10 days of fun, entertainment and music. Combine that with admission price of only $5 for adults, $2 for kids and seniors, free parking and $5 concerts, and it's the entertainment bargain of the year!

If you want to find us on the map, we're at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732. The fairgrounds is just off I-26 and about 8 miles from I-40. We're halfway between Asheville and Hendersonville, right across from the Asheville Airport.