The Got to Be NC Festival offers a variety of fun activities and games for friends and families to enjoy, including Carolina Cooker Skillet Skee-Ball! Presented by Agri Supply Company, this game takes place on Saturday and Sunday of festival weekend inside the Jim Graham Building. This year, we saw all ages of competitors come out to enjoy the healthy competition and challenge their loved ones to see who could take away the grand prize of a Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Skillet.
So, what exactly is Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Skillet Skee-Ball? It is a game that requires participants to throw fabricated fried eggs into cast iron skillets from varying distances away. The closest cast iron skillet awards the player 100 points and the skillet furthest away earns 400 points. “Skillet Skee-Ball is a great game for the festival because it brings families, friends, and employees together for a fun, friendly competition,” said Felicia Little, Business Office Assistant for the N.C. State Fairgrounds. “The energy and laughter from everyone trying to outscore each other really makes it special, especially for the kids when they out do their parent!” This year, the competition saw about 45 adults and 35 children competing for the grand prize.
On Saturday, May 16th, and Sunday, May 17th, interested individuals signed up to compete in the game starting at 11 a.m. The first 25 people to sign up for each division were selected to play against each other for the top prizes of Carolina Cooker cast iron cookware at noon. First-place winners for both days received a 15-inch cast iron skillet. Second place winners received a 10.5-inch cast iron skillet. Third-place winners received a 6-inch cast iron skillet.
The competition is broken up into three divisions that compete each day: men, women and youth. The youth category is for teenagers aged 13 to 17. Each person receives three tries for regular points and a bonus golden egg for double points. “It was fun to watch each person’s strategy when it came to winning the game,” said Felicia. “Some people played it safe and aimed for the 100-point skillet every time, and others reached for the higher targets with a greater twist of the wrist.” Out of all the competitors over the two-day competition, ten were awarded prizes of cast iron cookware.
All of the winners can be seen in detail below, but Felicia recalls one winner who specifically touched her heart this year. “One young lady named Angela was hesitant to play in the competition even though her entire family was playing,” she said. “I encouraged her to play as well by telling her she might be the winner. Eventually she decided to play and ended up taking third place!” From whooping and jumping around to running circles around the skillets, the competitors and winners of the competition this year brought the energy and made lifelong memories together. “My favorite part was seeing the kids compete. The joy they showed when playing was remarkable,” Felicia said. “Even after not scoring, no one was upset and everyone left in good spirits.”
Check out the full list of winners below and plan to play Carolina Cooker Skillet Skee-Ball next year at the Got to Be NC Festival. You might even be one of the lucky winners to take home some cast-iron cookware! Even if you don’t win, you are guaranteed to have a great time making core memories with friends and family.
2026 Carolina Cooker Skillet Skee-Ball Winners
Saturday, May 16th:
Adult Division (18+)
First Place: Christy
Second Place: Burt
Youth Division (13-17)
First Place: Carlos
Second Place: Long
**Note: On Saturday, only first and second place were awarded due to a shortage of prizes available.**
Sunday, May 17th:
Adult Division (18+)
First Place: Zac
Second Place: Victoria
Third Place: Angela
Youth Division (13-17)
First Place: Katheryn
Second Place: Conner
Third Place: Spencer
