The 2017 Mountain State Fair opened for its 23rd year on Friday, Sept. 8, at the WNC Agricultural Center. Despite concerns about the track of Hurricane Irma (then churning in the Caribbean), the weather was sunny and mild throughout the fair’s first weekend. On Saturday morning, crowds turned out early and continued to show up, with 26,355 fairgoers attending that the day. Fair-goers were treated to a colorful sunset on Sunday evening. Popular attractions included the Moo-ternity Ward, BoJangles Sea Lion Splash, The Dixie Starlight Express, local arts and crafts competitions and the garden show in the Expo Center. Of course, the Davis Exposition midway remained a big draw with rides, games and fair food. From the livestock show to the puppet show — and everything in between — this year’s fair is all about where farm meets fun.
Scheduled to run through Sunday, Sept. 17, the fair was closed on Monday, Sept. 11 due to inclement weather associated with Tropical Storm Irma. Fair officials announced Tuesday that it would reopen at 3 p.m. On its website, the fair reported:
Monday’s closure did affect some competitions on the fairgrounds. The Open Brahman and Open All Breed Heifer shows were canceled. The pork cooking contest, originally scheduled for Monday night, has been moved to Wednesday. Participants can drop off their pork dishes for judging between 6 and 7 p.m. Even though the fair was closed, life continued at the fairgrounds Monday – two calves were born in the Moo-ternity Ward before the storm.
Photo Gallery by Cindy Kunst
