RALEIGH, NC (LOOTPRESS) – The Got to Be NC Festival has added even more family friendly activities to its lineup this year, making the festival a can’t miss event May 19-21 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. New activities include a Butterfly Barn, Lil Ducky Water Racing game, a guest appearance by Chocolate and Chip the White House pardoned turkeys from North Carolina, a cast iron skillet skee ball competition presented by Carolina Cooker, egg candling demonstrations and new food vendors.
The festival will also include an expanded Got to Be NC Homegrown Music Stage featuring local performers, more agricultural exhibits in AgriPlaza in the Jim Graham Building, and a beefed-up Action Alley on Sunday, May 21, featuring heavy equipment including a trash truck, fire-fighting equipment, bulldozers, tractors and other large work vehicles.
The festival wouldn’t be the festival without its daily tractor parade, carnival rides, the Food Lion Local Goodness Marketplace featuring North Carolina food and beverage companies offering samples and products for sale, and the annual Carolina Pig Jig BBQ Cook-off on Saturday, May 20, benefitting the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.
“The Got to Be NC Festival is all about showcasing our state’s agriculture and agribusiness industry. Each day offers different events, so be sure to check the schedule before planning your visit or just plan to attend each day since admission and parking is free,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The whole weekend is packed from start to finish with activities for the whole family.”
The Butterfly Barn will offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the butterfly life cycles and migration patterns of native butterflies. In addition, kids will find free crafting activities making a coffee-filter butterfly or a garden in a glove, or they can pick up an official coloring sheet all of which can be entered into the 2023 State Fair. Egg candling demonstrations will show festival goers how eggs can be checked to monitor the growth of chicks. Both are offered daily in the Jim Graham Building.
At the Lil Ducky Water races, competitors will use a hand pump to get water and their duck moving down a chute. The first one to the end wins all the bragging rights. This free activity is inside the Kids Corral at the Graham Building.
A partial listing of one-day events follow:
–Friday: Demonstrations by the NCDA&CS Spotted Lanternfly Detection Dog presented by Doubletree by Hilton Raleigh Crabtree Valley at 12:30, 2, 3:30 and 5 p.m.
— Saturday: Carolina Pig Jig, 11 a.m. until BBQ is sold out; All you can eat – $20 for adults 11 and up, $10 for kids 5-10 and free for kids 4 and under
— Saturday: Dinah Gore Healthy Foods Challenge is a junior cooking competition with a specified list of ingredients. Winner will go on to compete at the national competition. Event is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Graham Building Hall of Fame Room.
— Saturday: Kids Tractor Pull, 1 p.m in the Grandstand.
— Saturday: Antique Tractor Pull presented by the NC Education Lottery, 2-8 p.m. in the Grandstand
— Sunday: Heritage Church Service by The Master’s Men, 9 a.m.
— Sunday: Action Alley, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
— Friday and Sunday: Ride-all-day-for-one-price wristband special ($30)
— Saturday and Sunday: N.C. K-9 Working Dog Demonstrations presented by Doubletree by Hilton Raleigh Crabtree Valley featuring K-9 Officers from the Wake and Durham County Sheriff’s offices. Times both days are 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
— Saturday and Sunday: Carolina Cooker Skillet Skee Ball Competition. First 25 competitors in each category will compete for a cast iron skillet. Competitors will register at 11 a.m. with the competition starting at noon. Categories: Women 18 and up, Men 18 and up, and Youth 13-17.
The Got to Be NC Festival is a family-friendly event that highlights the best of North Carolina agriculture. Visitors can roam through the antique farm equipment, sample and purchase locally made products at the Food Lion Local Goodness Marketplace, enjoy the excitement of the carnival and related to live music on an outdoor stage.
