YGuides Day at NC State Fair

Is anyone planning to go? I may be taking Red Wolf.

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Monday, October 19 is Y Guides & Princesses Day at the NC State Fair!

You get a really cool patch! Bring the whole Tribe!

Go to our home page and check out the Smoke Signals at the top left for how to to order tickets. Look carefully for the secret password. When you arrive at the fair, head to a main entrance gate and turn in your voucher for patches.

Our specially priced tickets are available for any day of the Fair but patches are only available on Monday, October 19.

What can I do at the fair, you say?! Well it is going to be a day of fun and excitement. Check out the day's schedule and make a plan for where you would like to go. There is also a fair map so check out how to find the places you want to explore.

Have a good look at the map because Moose, Brown Bear and Golden Otter are going to the Fair too! If you find them you will win a prize! Golden Otter will be updating our Twitter page throughout the day with hints on our location. You can sign up to receive updates on your mobile phone via texts.

You can also pick up a copy of the daily program and map at the entrances and information booths when you get to the Fair.

Also, there is an official NC State Fair Scavenger Hunt;

If you complete it you can get a ribbon. If you find the Moose, Brown Bear, or Golden Otter and show us your ribbon we will give you a special prize!

And, of course....there will be GIANT FIREBALLS and GOLDEN BRICKS hidden at the fair! Find a giant fireball or golden brick then bring it to Moose, Brown Bear, or Golden Otter to turn it in for your prize.

So, DO NOT MISS THIS GREAT NATION'S EVENT. Your patch is waiting for you at the fair along with fun rides and games, yummy fair food, friends to make and play with, lots and lots of things to see and learn. Kids, bring your BIG BRAVE to the Fair! The whole family is invited.

Reminders and Tips for a successful trip to the Fair:

You can bring a wagon for all of your things. Take note that everything is subject to search and there are certain things that are not allowed at the fair; glass containers, weapons, firewater, and NO PETS. Water bottles and bag lunches/dinners are allowed.

Family Restrooms are located in the Martin and Expo Buildings.

Your whole tribe can even eat together in the Murphy House, the Fair's on site restaurant. To ask about group meal discounts contact Johnny Sledge at the Murphy House at 919.497.2046.

We suggest that you think about bringing the following items:

• Camera
• Comfortable shoes
• Your Y Guides & Princesses Gear! Leave your vest at home but wear your logo t-shirts, hats, and any fun items that you can that will show your How-How SPIRIT!

Guides, Princesses and Braves as you plan your big day at the fair think about the following...

Some recommended exhibits:

• The Village of Yesteryear, where nearly 100 crafters make and sell traditional crafts. Crafters are usually demonstrating and are eager to explain what they are doing.

• GreenNC, an environmental exhibit where students can take a mini scavenger hunt and make "green" pledges to reduce their impact on the earth. Lots of interactive activities can be found here

• Field of Dreams, a display of various crops grown in the state. Students can also "harvest" some crops and "sell" them at a market in the exhibit. The exhibit features a new Kidz Zone with lots of fun activities, including a simulated cow-milking booth, bean bag toss and scarecrow-making.

• Livestock barns (Jim Graham Building, Expo Center, Kelley Building), where cattle, sheep, goat and hog shows are held daily except for Monday, Oct. 19. Junior grand champion cattle, sheep, hog and goat winners will be on display in the Expo Center daily throughout the State Fair.

• Heritage Circle, where a working tobacco barn, working blacksmith shop and wood turner can be seen. For the first time, artisan bread-making demonstrations by Neomonde Baking Company of Raleigh will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday each weekend. The one-room schoolhouse in Heritage Circle also houses the State Fair Museum.

• The Folk Festival provides a great place to sit, rest and enjoy dance and music. This event started 61 years ago to celebrate North Carolina's rich and diverse musical and dance heritage. Shows start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

• Education Building. As its name implies, this is a great place to see the handiwork of North Carolinians. Quilts, canned goods, 4-H displays and decorated cakes are among the items on display. Students can also step on the scales at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Standards Division exhibit and get a print-out of their official weight. Teachers' choice on whether to weigh before or after lunch!

• Arts and Photography (Kerr Scott Building). This area features adult entries and student art from all grade levels on display. Look for your school's art to be on display.

• Hobbies and Handicrafts Building - Adult and children's entries are on display, including entries in the Lego competition.

• Grist mill. Stop in to the working mill by the lake and see how corn was ground using the power of water. You can also pick up a free hush puppy sample.

**Most exhibits have people on hand that can answer questions and create an interactive learning experience for children.

Insider tips for unique educational experiences:

• The Flower and Garden Show holds daily workshops/seminars on various gardening topics. This year, pumpkin carver Tim Trudgeon returns to showcase his unique talent at creating pumpkin carvings with realistic looking faces. Check out the Flower and Garden Show schedule posted at the site.

• Try to find all the Farm Animal Frenzy animals scattered throughout the fairgrounds. This year, high school art classes will be creating "green/ecofriendly" animals using a 3-foot sawhorse base and recycled materials. Check out the various fruit and vegetable entries, including the largest pumpkin and the largest watermelon, in the Expo Center. There is a photo-op site near these giants. One of the most interesting categories is for unusual shaped vegetables.

• Check out the "buzz" at the Bee and Honey competition area. Beekeepers are on hand to talk about beekeeping and the critical role bees play in producing our food. The exhibit in the Expo Center features a screened cage with an active beehive.

• Smokey the Bear and forestry exhibit. By the lake and up the hill from Heritage Circle, be sure to check out the 21-foot-tall Smokey the Bear and learn about trees and how to prevent forest fires.

• Steam-powered sawmill. Also up from Heritage Circle is a working steam powered sawmill. Volunteers are on hand to explain how the engine works and show how it was used to turn timber into boards.

• Stroll through the Old Farm Machinery exhibit near the Children's Barnyard and see a collection of vintage tractors and horse-drawn equipment on display.Volunteers are on hand to answer questions and explain how equipment was used.

• See how tobacco leaves were cured in a traditional flue-cured tobacco barn in Heritage Circle. On Friday, Oct. 16, a tobacco-stringing contest will be held at 2p.m. and then the working barn will be loaded with tobacco. Once the barn is loaded, a fire will be started to begin the curing process. A mock tobacco auction will be held in the Expo Center on Friday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m.

• Check out the Steve Trash green magic show, where gives will get tips on being green. Steve Trash performs daily at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. in the Kiddieland Fun Park, except for Oct. 15, when he will only have a 5 p.m. show.

Where kids can see other kids competing or participating in the Fair:

• Livestock barns and shows. Many youngsters participate in livestock shows, some barely taller than the animals they are showing. In the Expo Center, students can even milk a cow at the N.C. State University Animal Science Club's Milking Booth for a nominal fee.

• Folk Festival. This event features kids of all ages competing in dance and singing.

• Arts and crafts. School work for grades K-12 is on display in the Kerr Scott Building.

• Poultry tent. There is a variety of birds to see in this tent, but one of the highlights for many people visiting the Fair is holding a baby chick. N.C. State University Animal Science students oversee this popular display.

• 4-H displays in the Education Building features scenes created by 4-H groups in the state.

• County Fair Exhibit (Commercial & Education Building), where adult and junior Best of Show winning entries from fairs across the state are displayed.

Other activity ideas:

• Take a picture of yourself at as many photo-op spots as you can find on the fairgrounds. These are located in the GreenNC exhibit, Field of Dreams exhibit, Expo Center, Flower Show area, inside Dorton Arena and Kiddieland Fun Park.

• Decide which agricultural heritage activity you found most interesting on the fairgrounds (blacksmith, boat making, craft-making, growing large horticultural crops, cutting flowers, raising and showing livestock, making clothes, etc.), then write a short essay or story, or draw a picture about it. Email them to Brown Bear so we can add the very best ones to the Arapahoe Nation Website.

• Try to name as many crops, animals, pieces of machinery and crafts as you can in alphabetical order.

• Visit the State Fair history exhibit in the old school house. Tell the story of when and why the Fair was started. What years DIDN'T the Fair take place and why?