Saturday, you’re invited to come out to the fairgrounds and join the Triangle Area Chinese American Society of North Carolina as they usher in the Year of the Dragon. Now in its eighth year, the Chinese New Year celebration will feature performances, exhibits, traditional Chinese arts and crafts, and of course authentic Chinese food. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Expo Center. Admission is $8 at the door, or you can buy $5 tickets in advance here.

It's the Year of the Dragon! Join the NCTACAS for its Chinese New Year Celebration Saturday at the fairgrounds.

The Raleigh Indoor Winter I “A” horse show is already underway at the Hunt Horse Complex. Stop by this weekend for a series of shows featuring hunter and jumper competitions for all ages. Daily shows begin at 8 a.m. and admission is free.

In the Scott Building, nearly 70 exhibitors and 175 tables will be set up with sports memorabilia during the 86th Sports Card and Sports Memorabilia Show Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5 per day, or you can get a weekend pass for $7. Children under 16 are admitted free.

If you’re still looking for a reason to come to the fairgrounds this weekend, don’t forget about the Raleigh Flea Market. The market features hundreds of vendors and is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking and admission are always free.

See you at the fairgrounds!

Consignment sales, cheerleaders, horses and dogs are all part of the activities happening this weekend at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

If you have children and consider yourself a bit of a “frugalista,” make sure you come to the fairgrounds this weekend for the Kids Exchange Consignment Sale. The sale offers parents a chance to buy and sell gently used clothing, toys and other goods for their children, and is open to the public Friday to Sunday in the Graham Building and Expo Center. If you come early, don’t forget to come back on Sunday, when all items will be half-priced.

Dorton Arena will host another round of cheerleading competitions this weekend. The Champions of the East competition and All School Cheer and Dance Championship will be held Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Competitors ages 4 and up will be vying to win their age divisions and become a grand champion. Admission to the cheer event is $12, and spectators are welcome. It’s sure to be a high-flying good time.

Over in the Hunt Horse Complex, visitors can enjoy the NCHJA “C” Winter Indoors Hunter/Jumper Show, organized by Triangle Farms. The winter competition will feature a variety of shows Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8 a.m. each day. Admission is free, so stop by and sit awhile.

If you’re more of a dog person, then don’t miss the DogGoneFast Flyball Club Flyball Tournament in the Holshouser Building Saturday and Sunday. This fast paced dog sport combines relay races, hurdles and a tennis ball launched from a spring-loaded box. If you’re confused, you may want to check out the DogGoneFast website. Better yet, you can see it for yourself this weekend.

From cheerleading and consignment sales to dogs and horses, there’s plenty to do this weekend at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Plus, the Raleigh Flea Market will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stop by and see what you can find.

There's plenty to do this weekend at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

If you’re a serious collector of coins, toys, guns or automobiles, then you won’t want to miss this weekend at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Today is the opening day of the Piedmont Racing Expo and Auction, featuring more than 40 short-track motorsport vendors and more than 1,000 auction items up for grabs. The fun continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Raleigh Fairgrounds Racer’s Reunion. Visitors can meet and get autographs from the legendary drivers that raced at the Raleigh Fairgrounds Speedway.

In the Graham Building, outdoor lovers will be on hand for the Dixie Gun and Knife Classic. The event offers a chance for attendees to buy, sell and trade hunting and fishing equipment. The show is open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Antique to modern collectible toys will be available in the Scott Building Saturday and Sunday for the the 77th North State Toy & Hobby Show. The collectible showcase is open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Finally, the Holshouser Building will host the Carolina Coin and Stamp Show Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, and visitors will be able to purchase a variety of old stamps, postcards and currency. The show runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you’re not interested in collectibles, you may also want to check out some of the other events happening at the fairgrounds this weekend, including the Young Champions Tri-State Cheer Showcase on Saturday in Dorton Arena, the Carolina Piedmont Dog Agility competition, Saturday to Monday in the Hunt Horse Arena, and the ASAC Winter Tournament on Saturday in the Barn E Ring.

And, there’s also the Raleigh Flea Market, where you never know what you might find. The flea market is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Find everything for your fishing needs in the Graham and Expo buildings, Jan. 6-8. *Photo courtesy of the Raleigh Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo

Did you get a new boat for Christmas? No? Well, then buy yourself a New Year’s gift starting this Friday at 10 a.m. at the Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo in the Graham and Expo buildings!

This show for the serious fisherman features more than 175 booths offering everything from the latest lures, custom rods, apparel, knives, product sample booths, seminars, electronics and more. The N.C. Bass Federation will host a kid’s zone where youth anglers can cast at targets to gain points. The “G Man” Gerald Swindle, 2011 Elite Tour Champion, will be on hand Saturday and Sunday. And you can enter the Best Catch Facebook photo contest, sponsored by WQDR, for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Southland Outfitters of Atlantic Beach. Show hours are Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (60+) and $5 for Jr. Anglers (ages 6-12). Ages 5 and under are admitted for free.

On Saturday in Dorton Arena, NC FIRST Robotics will hold a 2012 kick-off event for the regional high school robotics tournament, to be held in Dorton Arena in April. Teams will be able to check out a sample playing field and work on building their robots to conquer the course. The public is welcome to watch the action from the stands.

In the Scott Building on Saturday and Sunday, you’ll find the Old North State Antique Gun & Military Collector Show. Buy, sell and trade guns, U.S. and foreign military arms and memorabilia from the Civil War, World War I and World War II. Relics, books, uniforms, insignias and free appraisals will also be a part of the show. Hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $1 for children 7 -12 and free for children age 6 and under.

And you’ll find new and antique goods of all sorts at the Raleigh Flea Market on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We hope you’ll spend the first full weekend of 2012 with us at the State Fairgrounds!

This year’s top blog posts included some expected favorites like our review of the latest deep-fried creation and a preview of the newest ride to hit the midway. But, the most surprising one to the make the list was also the most-viewed blog post of 2011. Scroll down to see if your favorite post made the list.

5. Deep Fried Triangle Tweetup: Bring your game face

The Deep Fried Tweetup, a collaboration with our good friends at Triangle Tweetup, is a chance for all of our social media friends to come together for an exclusive event just for our favorite followers. We’ll have samples of the latest deep-fried creation, a chance to interact with some of our amazing fair performers and exhibitors, and of course a sweet scavenger hunt of the fairgrounds.

4. Team Bubble Gum or Team Kool-Aid?

During today’s media lunch, reporters and guests were able to learn more about the new attractions at the fair. In addition to information about the latest exhibits, rides and entertainment, everyone was able to try three of the newest fair foods to hit the midway – deep-fried bubble gum, deep-fried Kool-Aid and lemon sticks.

3. Sky Diver is a whirlwind of fun

At first glance, the Sky Diver looks like a plain Ferris wheel. But when you get up close, you realize there is a lot more to this ride than meets the eye. The Sky Diver is based on a Ferris wheel design, but passengers sit in cages similar to the Zipper. The cages are mounted on an axle that allows the cars to spin like a barrel roll.

2. Advance tickets available Monday at 10 a.m.

As a first-time homeowner (and subsequently, first-time mortgage payer), I like to save a buck wherever I can. Trust me when I say the best way to save money on admission and ride tickets to the State Fair is buying your tickets early. And, if you’re looking for a front-row seat to one of the Dorton Arena concerts, you’re definitely going to want to be in front of a computer when tickets go on sale…

1. Announcing the 2011 N.C. State Fair theme

Each year, we are tasked with creating a theme and logo for the coming State Fair. This is done in conjunction with our advertising agency. It’s not easy to encapsulate in a few words the excitement, flavors, colors, people and traditions that are part of the Fair. It’s a process that takes several weeks, but we love this creative time and how it makes us think about the many things that make the State Fair special.

There you have it. The top five blog posts of 2011. The more I think about it, the more fitting it is that the theme announcement was the most-viewed blog post of the year. After all, it was also the first blog post to mention the 2011 N.C. State Fair. It’s rewarding to see that level of excitement and support from our social media fans. Thanks for another great year!

This weekend at the fairgrounds kicks off with the Raleigh Indoor Holiday Classic at the Hunt Horse Complex. The event is hosted by Triangle Farms and will primarily feature the hunter jumper style.

More than 250 cats representing a diversity of breeds will be shown at the 11th Annual “Meowing in the New Year” TICA Cat Show in the Holshouser Building. The event, which will be held Friday through Sunday, will also feature cats available for adoption and a variety of different vendors.

In addition, more than 600 vendors from across the Tarheel state will showcase their goods throughout the fairgrounds as part of the Raleigh Flea Market Saturday and Sunday.

On behalf of the N.C. State Fair, we’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year!

Thank you for making 2011 one of the best we’ve ever had. We look forward to more great times in 2012.

On behalf of all the staff at the N.C. State Fair, we’d like to wish you Happy Holidays!

(left to right, top to bottom: Merrie Go Round, Flying Bob, Tilt-A-Whirl, Bearded Lady, French Fry, Baby Goat, Blue Ribbon and Firecracker)

A few weeks ago, several N.C. State Fair staffers attended the International Association of Fairs & Expos Annual Convention in Las Vegas. The convention was an educational networking event where we met with our counterparts from fairs all over the world to share ideas and resources.

There were numerous workshops and roundtable discussions, and we participated in topics on everything from emergency preparedness and guest hospitality to fair-food concessions and unique ideas for agricultural competitions. In the trade show, vendors and entertainers demonstrated their products, and we kept an eye out for some new features to bring to the 2012 State Fair (more on that later).

The N.C. State Fair received four awards during the 2011 IAFE Convention in Las Vegas.

While there, we also snagged a few awards! In the agricultural awards division, we won first place for best video for Bearded Lady’s 2010 fan-selected Press Office challenge to milk a cow. We also tied for first place in the “Green Program” category for our 2010 Farm Animal Frenzy Competition. (In case you’re wondering, our fair takes place after the awards submission deadline, so in many categories we submit entries from the previous year’s fair.) In the printed material category of the agricultural division, we took third place for the 2011 County Fair brochure created by NCDA&CS graphic designer Amanda Morris. And our 2011 “Love A Fair” billboard received second place honors in the communications division.

A couple of other N.C. fairs took home awards this year as well, including the Cabarrus County Fair in Concord and the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem. Congratulations to them.

It’s always nice to be recognized for your efforts. Now that the N.C. State Fair has topped 1 million attendees for two years in a row, we are competing for awards against some of the biggest and best fairs in the industry. So, thanks again to all those who supported the fair this year!

A variety of vintage sports trading cards and sports memorabilia will be on display at the Sportscard and Sports Memorabilia 3-Day Show in the Scott Building. The event will feature nearly 100 merchants and will be open Friday through Sunday.

In the Graham Building, a variety of vendors will be selling guns, knives, ammo and hunting supplies during the Capital City Gun Show. The show will be held Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, the Showcase of the Stars Cheer Competition will feature the best cheerleaders from schools across the region showcasing their skills and competing for the top prize. The event will be held in Dorton Arena and, as with last week’s karate event, is designed to promote physical fitness, good sportsmanship, confidence and competitive spirit.

The winter holiday season is upon us. Stop by the Raleigh Flea Market Saturday and Sunday to pick up those last-minute gifts.

UPDATE: THE N.C. POTTERY FAIR HAS BEEN CANCELED THIS YEAR. More than 50 exhibitors from across the state will participate in the second annual N.C. Pottery Fair. Famous potters from Sanford and Seagrove will be among those present. The event will be held in the Holshouser Building Friday through Sunday and will also feature a wine tasting hosted by three N.C. wineries.

The N.C. Pottery Fair will be held Friday to Sunday in the Holshouser Building.

Carousel Farms of Raleigh will present Bulls, Bells & Barrels in the Hunt Horse Complex Friday and Saturday. Championship bull riding, barrel racing, equestrian-themed holiday shopping and live entertainment guarantee fun for the entire family.

Young martial arts students from around the region will showcase their skills Saturday as part of the Young Champions Karate Best of the Best in Dorton Arena. The event is designed to promote physical fitness, good sportsmanship, confidence and competitive spirit.

The Raleigh Flea Market will be open as usual Saturday and Sunday. Vendors from across the Tarheel state will be selling everything from afghans to wall hangings and much more.