CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WLOS) — It takes a lot of people to make it to the North Carolina Mountain State Fair every year.
It’s been hard at times, but mostly it’s been great. There have been lots of families and smiles, says David Nash, who runs the skylift.
For 10 days, there will be rides, food, arts and games, and lots of fun.
John Roten, the host of the Mountain Music Festival, said, “You can’t go anywhere and not hear some kind of music.”
Jim Drew is in charge of Midway. He said that his family has been taking part in fairs since the Great Depression.
“My grandfather was doing everything he could to make ends meet, like picking cotton and raking yards. One day, this kind of equipment was pulled through town by a train.” “He asked the guys on the train for work and got it,” Drew said.
Drew says that the Mountain State Fair is his favorite of all the shows his family has worked at across the country.
“It’s just so picturesque and the beauty and the temperature,” he noted.
Drew did say, though, what he thinks makes this fair unique.
“That’s something super special about this fair is the focus is on agriculture,” he told us.
Will Thompson is in charge of the fair’s animals.
“Animals have always been seen as the most important part of the fair.” “They are the salt of the earth; people who raise animals are hard workers,” Thompson said.
Thompson has been in charge of the animals at the fair for many years. He said it was amazing to see people who used to be exhibitors now bring their families.
“And seeing their kids come through, that tells me that it’s special to them and they want to have their children involved and watch them grow up in it,” said he.
People are dancing to the sound of music just down the road from the animals.
“We have a great time with bluegrass, old-time music, and southern Appalachian dance.” Roten said, “Of course, we’ve been putting that on this stage for all these years.”
Nash has worked on the skylift for 20 years and says that the people are what make it all worth it.
“The smiles are what drive me to do what I do.”I’m sorry, but seeing all the happy families makes me cry. I’ve seen war heroes. He said, “I’ve seen disabled people whose smiles I couldn’t believe when I helped them get on the rides.”