Get a jump start on N.C. Mountain State Fair competitions

FLETCHER – If winning a blue ribbon is on your bucket list, now is a great time to start planning what you want to enter and get started on those entries before the Aug. 14 and Aug. 28 deadlines for the N.C. Mountain State Fair competitions. 

There are 46 different categories of competitions for adults and kids, including an ice cream eating contest you can enter on Sept. 15, the day of the event.

“The Mountain State Fair competitions showcase the incredible talent and skill that we have in North Carolina and across the state,” said Brooke Johnson, who heads up the Mountain State Fair competitions. “Whether it’s a tasty recipe, a crafty creation, colorful canned goods, beautiful ag products or plants, prized photographs, a favorite gospel song, dynamic clogging routine or top livestock, it is exciting to see the variety of entries each year.” 

Not surprisingly, the Ice Cream Eating Contest has quickly established itself as a popular event. The contest is limited to the first 20 contestants to sign up in each of the following age classes: Ages 5-7, ages 8-12, ages 13-17 and adults ages 18 and up. The first one to eat the designated amount of ice cream will be the winner and receive a trophy. Ribbons will also be awarded to second- and third-place winners. The contest is sponsored by Got to Be NC Agriculture.

To find out general information, specific rules and deadlines for the competitions, go online at https://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair/exhibitors to start your search. 

Links on the page connect contestants to information on livestock shows and general competitions, with additional links to register for the competitions. 

The deadline for cooking competitions and gospel singing contest is Aug. 14, the deadline for the clogging competition is Aug. 21, and the deadline for general competitions and livestock shows is Aug. 28. Exhibitors are encouraged to make their entries early as popular categories can fill up before the deadline dates.

Registration must be completed online using ShoWorks, an online registration system that is used at fairs across the country including the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh. 

All general exhibit competitions are free to enter and open to North Carolina residents. For exhibitors in outlying Western N.C. counties, the Mountain State Fair partners with local cooperative extension offices to provide the Pony Express Service option. This service allows general exhibitors to drop off their entries at their local county extension office for delivery to the fair. Please check the fair website at https://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair for a list of participating counties and the drop-off deadline for this service.

Livestock competitions include various categories for cattle, swine, goat, sheep, poultry, rabbits and llamas. Registration for youth shows is free, with a fee for open shows. Please check the website for rules and documentation required for each category.

More information about this year’s competitions can be found at https://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair/exhibitors. 

Following is a list of all entry deadlines for competitions at the 2023 Fair.

Gospel Singing Contest          Aug. 14

Cooking Competitions            Aug. 14

Clogging Championship        Aug. 21

Livestock Contests                 Aug. 28

General Exhibits                     Aug. 28

Ice Cream Eating Contest       Sept. 15 by 6:15 pm

            The 2025 Mountain State Fair runs Sept. 11-20 at the Western N.C. Ag Center in Fletcher. For more information, go to www.wncagcenter.org. 

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