Author: Rollercoaster

"Life is short, so do the things you love with the people you love." Rollercoaster is the fair-themed nickname for Taylor Parrish, an information and communications specialist in the Public Affairs Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. An alumni of N.C. State University and former Marketing and Sales Assistant with Scott Farms, a sixth-generation family farm out of Lucama, NC, she is no stranger to the world of agriculture. Football and singing are her biggest passions. While at the fair, her "must do" items are a pineapple smoothie from Tropical Delight and a ride on the Fireball.

Purchase from Farrell Farms & impact future generations

One North Carolina business in the Got to Be N.C. tent at the N.C. State Fair is helping make lives better for kids in Bolivia. Proceeds from the sale of their pecans, peanuts and snack mixes support their efforts at the KW Methodist Children’s Home in La Paz, Bolivia. Thirteen thousand feet up in the Andes Mountains, kids in Bolivia suffer from homelessness, cold and hunger. “Most kids live in situations where they have been abused and abandoned,” says Frank Farrell, “and come from homes where drug and alcohol abuse are prevalent.” According to Farrell, these children get up early…

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Fun at the Fair: Fudge Family Tradition

“Hey Grandma!” That is the greeting Wanda Loudermilk looks forward to each year at the fair. In 1962, at 31 years old, Wanda drove her station wagon into the fairgrounds and sold Amish fudge and cheese. With a recipe passed down through many generations, Wanda was unaware of the lasting impression she would carry 58 years later. “The first fair I ever attended as a vendor was the N.C. State Fair”, Wanda said, “and I loved it.” According to her daughter Rhonda, she would even cook lunch for the other vendors in her area throughout the duration of the fair….

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