Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
The seventh annual Got to Be NC Festival takes place this weekend at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, and as usual, there’s plenty to see and do.
The lineup brings back many festival favorites, including the Food, Wine and Beer Expo, the Carolina Pig Jig barbecue cook-off, lots of antique farm equipment and the daily tractor parade, tractor pulls, food, carnival rides and a bluegrass band competition. There are some new additions this year, including fireworks on Friday and Saturday at 9:15 p.m., and daily lumberjack shows.
The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show will take place near Dorton Arena. World champion lumberjacks will demonstrate a variety of sawing techniques in a humorous and educational way.
Admission and parking for the festival are free.
Following are a few of the other festival attractions:
- On Friday, Gator Wars will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. in Dorton Arena. Six high school FFA teams from across the state will try to figure out how to get a new John Deere Gator running. Each Gator has been disabled and requires the same fixes to get it started. The first team to figure out the fixes, get the Gator started and pass inspection will win.
- Friday, visitors can enjoy dog demonstrations from the Wake County Sheriff’s Canine Unit at 1 and 5 p.m. and the Dog Gone Fast Flyball Group at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.
- Also on Friday, riders from Carousel Farms will perform a patriotic flag presentation on horseback at 4 and 8 p.m.
- At lunchtime Saturday, you can get your fill of barbecue at the Carolina Pig Jig. This barbecue contest raises money for the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. About 40 Masonic chapters will compete for awards. The barbecue will be sold to the public beginning at 11 a.m. Cost is $15 for ages 12 and up, $5 for kids ages 7-11, and free for kids 6 and under.
- Saturday, massive antique tractors will compete to see who can pull the most weight in the antique tractor pull competition from 2 to 8 p.m. in the Walmart Grandstand.
- Saturday and Sunday, Dorton Arena will be the site of the expanded Trans Jam BMX contest. Organized by N.C. State Fair favorite Keith King, the contest will feature amateur and professional BMX bikers competing in park, street, flatland and jumping contests. Park and flatland contests will be held Saturday; street and jumping contests will take place Sunday.
- Sunday, more than 100 customized trucks will join the lineup. The lifted-truck drive-in is organized by Lifted Trucks USA. Trucks will be on display from noon to 6 p.m.
- Also on Sunday, visitors can enjoy garden tractor and lawnmower pulls from 2 to 7 p.m. in the grandstand.
Click on the audio player below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss the Got to Be NC Festival. And click here for festival details.
[Audio:http://info.ncagr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_5-13.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for May 13]
Southern Farm Network is a division of Curtis Media Group.