RALEIGH — The N.C. State Fair is underway in Raleigh and will run through Oct. 22. The fair kicked off with the opening of a new attraction for the state’s craft beer and wine industry called the Public House, and the first days have featured blue-ribbon competitions in traditional agricultural categories. Highlights of the first week include:
Five inducted into N.C. State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted the following new members into the N.C. State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame:
- Casey Armstrong of Enfield was inducted for her decades of service to the horse industry and support of N.C. State Fair horse shows.
- Jean Fish of Fuquay-Varina was a fixture for more than 30 years at the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association’s fair booth in the Jim Graham Building.
- Carol Turner of Raleigh retired from the N.C. State Fair Livestock Office in 2010, but comes back each year to assist with the N.C. State Fair Special Awards Show.
- Mike Smith of Madison, who has Down syndrome, became the first and only exhibitor in the N.C. State Fair Special Awards in 1997. The next year, Smith brought a friend, who also had Down syndrome. Twenty years later, the show has grown to include hundreds of special needs youth and adults over two weekends.
- Wesley Looper has been an exhibitor and supporter of the N.C. State Fair swine shows for more than 25 years. Looper and his family have exhibited champion swine in every division of the N.C. State Fair over the years including Junior Market Barrow, Open Market Barrow and Performance Market Hog.
Since 1980, the Livestock Hall of Fame has served to recognize and honor outstanding supporters of the fair’s livestock shows. Candidates can be producers of livestock who have exhibited and promoted livestock shows at the fair, a person who has served as a fair employee or volunteer, and representatives of business, extension workers or others from agricultural organizations.
COMPETITION RESULTS
Wineries in Hendersonville, Mount Airy take top honors
The 2017 N.C. State Fair Wine Competition, sponsored by the N.C. Wine and Grape Growers Council, featured 397 total entries in commercial and amateur categories. Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards in Hendersonville earned Best of Show in two categories. Its white wine blend, Laurel Hill, won Best of Show in the Bunch Grape category. The winery also earned Best of Show in the Fruit/Honey category for its blackberry dessert wine, Chestnut Gap Cottage, which is made from blackberries grown in Henderson County. Old North State Winery won Best of Show in the Muscadine category for its Fish Hippie Seersucker Social White. The Mount Airy winery has been making wine since 2002. In the amateur competition, Clyde Mendenhall of Greensboro won Best of Show (Bunch Grape) for his cabernet sauvignon. Ron Powell of Mocksville won Best of Show (Muscadine) for his Carlos muscadine wine. Stephen Macon of Holly Springs won Best of Show (Fruit/Honey) for his strawberry wine, Ruby Slippers.
Pumpkin and watermelon break State Fair records
A 1,458.5-pound pumpkin grown by Elijah Meck of Randleman and a watermelon weighing 316 pounds grown by Todd Dawson of Garner took the top prizes in Thursday’s Great Pumpkin and Watermelon Weigh-Off at the N.C. State Fair. Both entries shattered the previous state records of 1,404 pounds for a pumpkin and 262.5 pounds for a watermelon, according to contest officials.
Tobacco tying contest winners
The defending champion Looping Fools of Maple Hill repeated as the winner’s circle of the N.C. State Fair Tobacco Stringing Contest, notching the team’s fifth title. Team members Sandy and Ken Jones of Maple Hill in Pender County and Michael Sunday of Holly Ridge in Onslow County took home $250, a blue ribbon and a plaque. Sandy Jones looped the stick of tobacco in 51.67 seconds.
The second-place team was the Golden Girls with Benson residents Nancy Stewart and Susie Allen, and Peggy Norris of Dunn. They took home $150, a ribbon and a plaque. Stewart looped the stick in 59.58 seconds.
The third-place team was the Brown Stringers of June Bodenhamer of Rural Hall, Faye Macemore of Hamptonville and Debbie Grocer of Ronda. They took home $100, a ribbon and a plaque. Bodenhamer’s stringing time was 1:01.38.
Judging was based on a combination of stringing time and stick quality, including bundle size, evenness of leaf heads, 36-38 bundles on a stick, tightness, evenness, neatness and holding ability. All three teams were close in quality points and the winner was determined by time.
Raleigh resident wins State Fair sweet potato recipe contest
Beth Matheson of Raleigh won first place and $250 in the N.C. Sweet Potato Commission’s Sweet Potato Tailgating contest for her Spicy Smoky BBQ Sweet Potato Salad Saturday at the N.C. State Fair.
Kellie Williams of Cary earned second-place honors and $175 for her Sweet Potato Egg Nog recipe. Third place and $125 went to Virginia Thompson of Durham for a Sweet Potato and Chorizo Burrito recipe. Honorable mention and $75 went to Kristen Frybort of Raleigh for her Yummy Sweet Potato Quiche.
All recipes had to include at least 1 ½ cups of fresh sweet potatoes and entries were judged based on taste, most creative use of sweet potatoes and preparation time.
The winning recipe follows:
Spicy Smoky BBQ Sweet Potato Salad
For the salad:
2 pounds of sweet potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno diced
For the dressing:
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons BBQ sauce
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice of half a lime
Directions:
- Combine first four ingredients in bowl and spoon onto large sheet pans covered with parchment paper.
- Roast at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes then flip them on the pan.
- Continue to roast the sweet potatoes for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until desired doneness is achieved.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Dice red onion, celery, cilantro and jalapeno. Combine in a large bowl.
- Add cooled sweet potatoes to the vegetable mixture.
- Prepare dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Spoon dressing over vegetable mixture. Toss to coat or stir.
- Garnish if desired.
Garnish options:
Chopped bacon
Green onion
Extra sprinkling of smoked paprika
Extra sprinkling of chopped cilantro