Beautiful weather and family-friendly entertainment drew large crowds to the N.C. Mountain State Fair at the WNC Agricultural Center. The fair hosted 190,327 people during its 10-day run.
“We had the second-largest attendance in fair history, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the way this year’s fair has turned out,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The N.C. Mountain State Fair is a great way to start the fall season and celebrate the best that Western North Carolina has to offer.”
The 2015 edition of the N.C. Mountain State Fair featured more than 75 food vendors, nearly 40 carnival rides and 4,000 animals on display. New attractions included Hansen’s Spectacular Acrobatic Sensations, Rowdy Rooster, Galaxy Girl and Southland Dairy Farmers’ Mobile Dairy Classroom. The fair also expanded the Mountain Heritage Circle with 51 crafters and artisans educating the public on their heritage crafts.
The Mooternity Ward saw 19 calves born during the fair. In the livestock shows, both youth and adults competed in beef cattle, dairy cattle, goat, llama, rabbit, sheep and swine contests. More than $50,000 in prize and sponsorship money was awarded to livestock winners.
The fair also held 11 cooking contests, including a new tomato contest and the first-ever Mast General Store and Lodge Dutch Oven Cook-Off. Thirteen-year-old Nate Worley of Leicester was a big winner in the cooking contests. He placed in eight of 11 contests, and took home blue ribbons in four of them.
On Wednesday, the fair set an attendance record with 14,882 people for its annual Ingles Day. Fairgoers who brought five cans of food received free gate admission that day. Nearly 21,000 pounds of food was collected and donated to MANNA Food Bank.
Plans are already under way for the 2016 N.C. Mountain State Fair, which will be held Sept. 9-18 at the WNC Agricultural Center.