Watch pig races and goat milkings at the Got to be NC Festival

I’m a sucker for a fair. Having grown up in southern Illinois, I’ve been to many 4-H fairs, carnivals, state fairs and the like. So when I found out the “Got to be NC Festival” was free and in full swing at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, I had to go check it out. The festival kicked off last night and runs through Sunday, June 8.

I was surprised and disappointed to see the fairgrounds sparsely populated last night. By 8 p.m. (when I arrived) there was a decent breeze stirring up the steamy day, so it walking around wasn’t too bad. I wonder whether it was the weather or a lack of promotion that kept families at bay. The festival is put on by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, I’d definitely endorse going. Fireworks will dance in the sky at 9:45 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and assuming the display is anything like last night’s show, then it’s worth going for the fireworks alone. The show lasted about 15 minutes. If you want to watch them shoot up to the sky from the island where they’re shot off of, try parking along Trinity Road near the pond on the state fairgrounds. Here is a 360 degree spin of what you might see:

If your children haven’t had much exposure to farm life, this is an awesome opportunity to let them sample it. I’d suggest taking them to the pig races, where there are multiple shows each day, according to the brochure I was handed when I entered the gates. Watch last night’s pot belly pig race here:

You can also check out rows of antique farm equipment, the BBQ competition, dairy goats milking demonstrations and, of course, a petting zoo and plenty of carnival rides.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen at a state fair? Certainly someone out there has seen a cow give birth or a crazy butter sculpture or something else that’s a little bizarre.