FLETCHER – If you are planning to attend the 2024 N.C. Mountain State Fair sponsored by Ingles Markets Sept.
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Following is a list of winners in the N.C. Mountain State Fair livestock shows held Sept. 12-17:Llama Performance Champions Show – Sept. 12Sub-Junior PerformanceChampion – Kimber Abendroth, Henderson CountyJunior Performance Champion – Emmalyn Munsey, Henderson CountyIntermediate Performance Champion – Aniyah Bechdel, Henderson CountySenior Performance Champion – Randi Mae Eatmon, Transylvania CountyYouth Poultry Show – Sept. 14
Sharon Gates of Leicester continued to impress judges during the final week of the Mountain State Fair, winning the N.C. Blueberry Council’s From Scratch Contest and $200 for her blueberry mousse recipe. This victory was in addition to Gates’ wins in the Tomato Growers Association’s Fresh Tomatoes Contest and the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Classic Comfort Food Contest earlier in the Mountain State Fair.
Following is a list of winners in the livestock shows held during the first weekend of the N.C. Mountain State Fair, Sept. 8-10:ARBA Youth Rabbit Show
Local winners took home $900 in prize money for winning recipes in contests sponsored by the N.C. Egg Association and N.C. Dairy Producers Association at the Mountain State Fair.Amy Braman (pictured above left) of Pisgah Forest earned first-place honors and $200 with her elote (Mexican street corn) frittata recipe, finishing ahead of Sharon Gates of Leicester who took home $150 and second place for her deluxe pizza frittata recipe. Jennifer Currie of Clyde earned $100 and third place for her Dear Me, This is Gouda breakfast frittata recipe.
The N.C. Mountain State Fair wrapped up a successful run with a total attendance of 147,278.“We measure success in many different ways and by every measure it was a great fair,” said fair general manager Sean McKeon. “We saw a lot of smiles and happy faces, we saw strong numbers in our youth participating in general competitions and livestock shows, we helped give back to the community through our community days and special competitions and the fair helped families create lifelong memories.
WHAT:Bring five cans or dried goods to the N.C. Mountain State Fair tomorrow and gain free entry to the fair. All donations are collected and distributed by Manna FoodBank.WHEN:Wednesday, Sept. 13, 3 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.WHERE:WNC Agricultural Center 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, FletcherMORE INFO:
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted two couples into the N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame during the fair’s opening weekend. Troxler recognized Buddy and Janice Cochran of Waynesville and Tim and Sonia Worley of Leicester for their longtime support to the fair and the livestock industry in Western North Carolina.
Sharon Gates of Leicester took home two top prizes and a total of $300 in prize money in the N.C. Tomato Growers Association’s Fresh Tomatoes Contest and the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Classic Comfort Food Contest. Her winning recipes were Is That Really A Tomato Cake? and Buncombe’s Best Beefed Up Chili. Jennifer Currie of Clyde earned first-place honors and $200 for her Trout Chowder recipe in the N.C. Mountain Trout Cook-Off. Both contests were held during the opening weekend of the Mountain State Fair.
Fairgoers still have time to save money on admission to the 2023 N.C. Mountain State Fair with advance tickets. Discounted admission tickets are available online only at mountainfair.org.“Planning ahead and buying tickets now is the best way to save money,” said fair manager Sean McKeon. “Once the fair begins on September 8, you can still buy tickets online to save yourself some time when you get to the fair, but tickets will be regular price once the fair opens.”