THE BALLOON MAN

Mountain State Fair opens 19th edition
Rides and music, yes, but rodeo and human cannonball among new attractions

 

There's always plenty to eat at the N.C. Mountain State Fair. / Special to the Citizen-Times
from:  citizen-times.com
Written by Tony Kiss
Sep 4, 2012 
FLETCHER — The North Carolina Mountain State Fair returns Friday with a mix of longtime attractions and a couple of new spins: a lively wild west rodeo and the human cannonball from this summer’s London Olympics.

The fair has a 10-day run, through Sept. 16, at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center near Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher. Last year’s fair pulled 180,531 through the gates, spokesman Ron Stamey said.

The midway carnival always gets the most attention, and longtime ride provider Drew Expositions of Augusta, Ga., will bring about 40 attractions, including the chairlift that sweeps across the length of the fairgrounds, company president Jim Drew IV said.

The stunning Seattle Wheel, out of action last year, will be back, he said. The wheel was first installed in 1965 at the Seattle World’s Fair and has long been part of the Drew lineup.
And Drew Expositions has added a new powerhouse to its portfolio: a Dutch-made ride known as the X Factory, which can carry up to 18 passengers on a revolving, dizzying experience that includes spraying water jets.

The rides all get a thorough inspection when they’re installed and will be checked each day, Drew said.

 

Big-name premium ticketed concerts are out, and instead the Mountain State Fair will be focus on local entertainment on the Bojangles stage, Stamey said.
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