Fall Fun: NC State Fair and Cooke Street Carnival!
This coming weekend promises to be one of the most fun and food filled of the year! The annual Cooke Street Carnival – a “house party in the street” – as well as the opening weekend of the NC State Fair, always a great showcase of NC traditions, music, and food, kick off fall right with tons of activities and yummy things to eat.
Cooke Street Carnival
Happening on Saturday from 1:00 – 6:00pm, Cooke Street Carnival is a community-focused event organized by local neighborhood residents. Some of the highlights of this year include live bands, a pickle eating contest, and a drum circle. About a dozen food vendors and a handful of local beer brewers will be on hand to satiate whatever you are in the mood for, from dumplings (Chirba Chirba) to grilled cheese (American Meltdown) to the biggest and best chocolate chip cookies (Monster Cookies).
About 25 art vendors will also be on hand selling a variety of creative goods. There are activities to keep the kids entertained as well and this year’s event is partnered with the non-profit children’s organization Learning Together, an inclusive preschool in the neighborhood with lots of peer to peer learning. A great way to support the local community, Cooke Street is always a fun-filled day for all ages!
NC State Fair
For a lot of people, the first thing people want to know about the Fair is – ‘what are the new food items this year?’ For 2013 attendees have some great items to look forward to – summed up on the NC State Fair’s own Deep Fried Blog here. The egg roll style southern BBQ sounds particularly scrumptious while the Double-Decker Doozy (two caramel apples on top of each other, dipped in white and dark chocolate, covered with marshmallow fluff, M&Ms, various mini candy bars, gummy worms and turtle candies) sounds like a great way to make the dentist your best friend.
Tickets are already on sale and today is opening day! The fair will run from October 17 – 27, and tickets are available online through October 17th. There are always tons of things to see and do at the fair –pig races, motorcycle shows, pony rides for the kids, the agricultural contests, traditional crafts, the midway. It’s a great way to celebrate the heritage of North Carolina and the great traditions of this state!
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