North Carolina’s largest agriculture celebration, the N.C. State Fair was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus. Thankfully for fans of the popular event, State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced Wednesday, February 24, that the show will go on, and the fair will take place October 14-24. Troxler boasted plans for a large attendance, encouraging North Carolinians to get the vaccine. Jacob Pucci reports for The Fayetteville Observer:
Not only does Troxler want this year’s state fair to be the best one yet, but he also wants it to be the biggest. Troxler encouraged everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to make such an attendance feat possible.
“I think we all have a duty to take this vaccination,” he said.
The event is one of strong sentimental value to many North Carolinians. Personally, my heart broke when the fair was canceled in 2020, and you can imagine the disappointment for the John Locke Foundation’s multiple blue-ribbon winning cook, Becki Gray. However, it’s not just feelings that took a toll when the fair was canceled r. Troxler stated in his address that the cancellation of the 2020 state fair contributed to the $9.2 million loss the fairgrounds incurred last year.
Hopefully, the fair can be held safely and successfully in 2021 – giving North Carolinians a chance to celebrate our farmers and agricultural sector workers… and maybe hand out a few more blue ribbons.
For more updates on the fair, you can follow the N.C. State Fair on Twitter and Facebook.