FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, DEC. 10, 2007

Got to Be NC Festival coming to State Fairgrounds in June 2008

RALEIGH—A four-day festival celebrating the agricultural bounty of North Carolina will debut at the State Fairgrounds June 5-8, 2008.

The Got to Be NC festival will feature a food trade show, antique tractors, draft horse and antique tractor pulls, the official state barbecue cooking championship, carnival rides, live music and more.

“We’re excited to be able to show off what’s new in agriculture in North Carolina with dozens of N.C. food companies sampling and offering delicious foods for sale,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “In addition, this could be the largest gathering of antique farm equipment in North Carolina based on the response we’ve gotten. Mix in the N.C. Barbecue Championship and other components and this will be a great event.”

Festival activities will take place in the Exposition, Martin and Holshouser buildings, in Heritage Circle and on the midway area near the Sam Rand Grandstand. Regular fairgrounds activities, including the Flea Market, will continue during the festival.

“What will make this event unique is there will be no admission charges except for the grandstand shows, so folks can stroll through the festival while attending other events at the fairgrounds,” said Jim Knight, an NCDA&CS marketing specialist who will head up the event.

A midway with games, food and a mix of 25 rides will be set up beside the Scott Building. Visitors will also find concession vendors serving N.C. food products.

“North Carolina farmers raise everything from apples to zucchini, and this event will be a great way to showcase the variety of N.C. foods,” Troxler said. “It’s important to understand how much of our food can be sourced locally, and this festival will highlight that.”

Nightly concerts will be held in the grandstand, and a draft horse pull will take place on Friday evening, June 6. A series of antique tractor pulls will take place in the grandstand area on Saturday and Sunday. A bluegrass music stage in Heritage Village will feature bands daily.

The N.C. Pork Council will sponsor the official N.C. Barbecue Cooking Championship beginning Friday, June 6, and ending Saturday with awards and selling of barbecue.

Festival information, including schedules, events, registration forms and applications, can be found online at www.ncagfest.com. A limited number of concession vendors will be accepted for the festival, with preference given to those serving specialty foods from North Carolina.

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