Racing and swimming pigs, splashing sea lions and a swirling and spinning new spectacular ride are a few of the new attractions planned for the 2023 N.C. Mountain State Fair Sept. 8-17 at the Western NC Ag Center.
In addition, food lovers can sample and buy some of the tastiest North Carolina products at the debut of the Got to Be NC Pavilion in the Chevrolet Davis Event Center.
“We look at the entertainment lineup every year and work to bring in new and exciting shows, rides and activities for fairgoers, to pair with our heritage crafters, livestock events, competition exhibits, musical stages and agricultural exhibits,” said Sean McKeon, Mountain State Fair manager. “It’s shaping up to be a great fair.”
Each Chase’s Racing and Swimming Pigs show features four races where petite piggies zip around the track to take home the winner’s checkered flag, bragging rights and a cookie. Two of the races feature a water obstacle where the piglet’s make a big splash.
Sea Lion Splash is a fun and educational show that demonstrates trained and natural behaviors of these enchanting marine mammals.
On the midway, Sub Zero makes its scream-inducing debut, where it will join nearly 40 rides that range in intensity from kiddie level to thrill-seeker.
Keep an eye out for a baby male dragon or a juvenile female dragon accompanied by a dragon master. MythiCreatures is an interactive strolling act that creates unique selfies for dragon lovers.
RETURNING ACTS
Popular returning acts include chainsaw artist Joey Rowe, the Human Canon Ball – David “The Bullet” Smith, a clogging competition, mountain music, comedy hypnotist Brad Matchett and an agricultural magic show.
During the week, the fair will host a series of Caring for our Community Days to raise awareness of local groups serving veterans, kids, seniors and those who are food insecure. Salute to Service will be Monday, Sept. 11; Caring for our Kids Day will be Tuesday, Sept. 23; We CAN Fight Hunger Day sponsored by Ingles is Wednesday, Sept. 13; and Caring for Seniors Day sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is Thursday, Sept. 14. More information on each of these days can be found online at this WEBSITE.
Make your plans to attend the 2023 Mountain State Fair, which runs Sept. 8-17 at the Western N.C. Ag Center in Fletcher. Discount tickets are now on sale at www.wncagcenter.org.
Do kids belong at breweries? Personally, I don’t have a problem with it, but I respect the opinions of those that do. Luckily, there are lots of options out there for all of us. If you like a brewery that offers family fun, have I got a spot for you! Whistle Hop Brewing Co has it all: train theme, mini golf, mini soccer field, a slide (more on that follows), and space to run around.
A corrugated plastic culvert pipe serves as a hillside slide. That’d be rough, I thought, but kids were going down it over and over, laughing and making noise as they went down – you know, that kind of bumpy noise. I was also happy to encounter only one “screen” instead of dozens. When we stopped in, a loop was playing of traveling down train tracks from the perspective of the Engineer.
Unlike many breweries/taprooms, Whistle Hop isn’t “in town”. No uban feel here, rather it’s between Hwy 74 and Old US Hwy 74, with a just shy of “in the middle of nowhere” feel. Luckily, it’s easier and more convenient to get to than actually in the middle of nowhere.
Approach Whistle Hop from the upper or lower level, but know there are few parking spots up top and a spacious parking lot down below. Food Trucks park up top, right next to the train car, caboose, and seating. Super convenient.
This post is AKA “Fairview Safari – Part 3: Whistle Hop Brewing Co
Looking for espresso and coffee in Fairview? Check out Daymoon Doffeebar. They’ve got it all: good coffee, good service, cozy ambiance, comfortable seating for work (tables) or chillin’ (cushy chairs and sofas), nice outdoor seating, drive-through, and convenient location.
If you have some extra time, browse the Signs for Hope Global Marketplace gift shop next door. They’re a non-profit that facilitates care of deaf orphans and coordinates adoption of those children around the world.
Daymoon Coffee Bar
828-338-0550
381 Old Charlotte Hwy
Fairview, NC 28730
“Rich in Taste”, “Rich in Tradition” – Troyer’s Country Amish Blatz in Fairview, NC is an island of culinary discovery & delight. You can find this Blatz (translates to place or farmstead) tucked into a clearing up Bonn E Lane – a gravel drive off of Old Fort Road, about 2 miles north of “business” Fairview.
After ordering lunch from their deli – read all the posted notes before filling in your sandwich order slip – we explored every nook & cranny of the shop. It was like being in a candy shop, but the candy was a half dozen or more types of flour – organic and not; rows & rows of preserved fruits, vegetables, pickles, jams & marmelades; spices & seasonings; grains & seeds; chocolates, and even hand made leather belts.
I know you’re thinking. That’s all good, but what about the sandwiches and sides? They were delicious and hearty! Two layers of meat, two layers of cheese, and more. Like a double sandwich.
Where does the meat and cheese in their case come from? It’s an Amish family business started in 1959 by Jonas Troyer in Holmes County Ohio.
Company Website: http://www.troyercheese.com/index.html
Company History: http://www.troyercheese.com/history.html
You should also know that their family makes famously top quality Amish furniture you can buy.
Announcing Daytime Disco Sundays through August
& Boozy Brunch Pitchers at Taco Boy West Asheville
Beginning Aug. 29, Taco Boy West Asheville brings crowd-pleasing 64 oz. boozy pitchers of Casa Margaritas and Frozen Screwdrivers to its weekend brunch menu—served every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm. The pitchers are $42 and hold 6 to 8 glasses (regularly $9 each). It’s a welcome addition that’s great for crowds.
The other exciting crowd-pleaser is a Daytime Disco Sunday Brunch, happening Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 10am to 2pm. Dr. Get Right will be spinning pool party-style disco grooves a la contemporary bands like Poolside and Franc Moody. Shows will be held on the outdoor kid- and pet-friendly patio unless impacted by weather or extreme heat. What’s more, Taco Boy West Asheville now takes reservations (via Resy and by phone), including for brunch, so no excuse not to rally the whole crew for a fun time and shared boozy pitchers.
Frozen Screwdriver Photo by Savannah Copeland
Casa Margarita Photo by Savannah Copeland
Viva la Brunch at Taco Boy!
Taco Boy began serving brunch at its three Charleston-area locations last summer (2022). The menu delivers an array of scrambled egg breakfast tacos, including smoked brisket, carnitas, chicken tinga, chorizo, and a veggie option. Fiesta Favorites include Chilaquiles, lightly fried tortilla chips, chicken tinga, queso fresco, sunny-side-up egg and a mess of delicious toppings; Huevos Rancheros with black beans, chorizo, sunny-side-up egg, and other great toppings; Churro French Toast with a cinnamon sugar cornflake-crust and spicy maple syrup; and a Croque Senor Quesadilla, a savory-sweet-spicy pocket of fried chicken, Monterey jack, jalapeno-lime mayo, and spicy maple syrup. Many items can be ordered meat-free.
Taco Boy serves Charleston-based OneNation coffee, with the optional add-ons of whipped cream and shots of Kahlua, tequila, and mezcal. A special treat is the Carajillo, a popular spiked coffee drink served in Mexico and Spain with Liquor 43 and coffee. Taco Boy’s incarnation adds tequila for an extra kick. Bloody Marys and Marias (with tequila), Mimosas (classic orange and hibiscus), nonalcoholic juices, and of course, the new Brunch Pitchers round out the menu. The Casa Margaritas are crafted with tequila blanco, triple sec, fresh-squeezed lime and orange juices, a splash of simple syrup, and salt, and the Frozen Screwdrivers are a Taco Boy classic, with vodka and fresh orange juice. Find menus, locations, hours, and more at TacoBoy.net.
Breakfast Tacos Platter Photo by Savannah CopelandChiquiles Photo by Savannah Copeland
ABOUT TACO BOY
Founded on South Carolina’s Folly Beach in 2006, Taco Boy is an independently owned neighborhood taqueria on a mission to use the power of tacos to cultivate people, activate fun, inspire action, and build community. The taqueria serves scratch-made signature tacos and other Mexican-inspired eats and drinks for lunch and dinner daily, plus Latin-infused beverages and margaritas, and a Tequila Menu that includes a variety of 100% agave tequilas, mezcals, and cristalinos offered individually or as a flight. Brunch is served Saturday and Sundays. The family of taquerias currently has four distinct locations: the flagship restaurant on Folly and others in downtown Charleston (2009), Summerville, SC (2019), and West Asheville, NC (Dec. 2022). Taco Boy is opening locations in Biltmore Park, Asheville, NC, Greenville, SC, and Charlotte, NC, later this year. Find the menu and more details at tacoboy.net.
SO HAPPY that Cognative Brew House, owned by Austin & Andrea Bankert, opened today at the main Horse Shoe intersection of Brevard Rd/Hwy 64 and South Rugby Road!
“Brew” refers to beer on tap and craft espresso/coffee drinks. I also spotted a few bottles of wine. They just got their ABC license, so wine and beer should be available any time now. Wine’s available by the glass and bottle.
Check out the Menu Image. They’re offering a number of items in addition to coffee, like pastries, avocado toast, tea, and smoothies.
When I stopped in today, Austin (assumption) was on a support call for their bean grinder. It seemed to be settled by the time I got my order at the counter. Later Andrea mentioned that Austin was setting up Wi-Fi as we spoke. So if you go anytime soon, the lesson here is to have patience, they’ve JUST opened and are working intensely to fine tune everything.
As I chatted with Andrea, it was obvious they’ve been working so intensely, they hadn’t had time to stop and take a breath.
I then relayed (along with my praises) to Andrea, what I’d overheard a woman saying about the shop – that she loved the interior, it felt spacious, seats weren’t on top of each other, yet it felt cozy. It just felt good. And that the accessible ramp, which she needed, was perfect.
I could see Andrea starting to tear up. She explaining she’d been so busy, she hadn’t had time to slow down and observe how the shop was being received. So sweet.
The Brew House is a sister business to Cognative MTB (https://cognativemtb.com/), a lifestyle and performance apparel company for bike/mountain bike/bicycle riders. It’s operated out of another section of the building. Of note, they donate 2% of all gear sales to “For the Trails Campaign”.
Metro Wines presents a new, convenient way to deliver wine to your home or work by just texting us “wine please.” This fast and easy service is an Asheville first that combines selection, service and convenience. Text two words, just two, and your case of wine shows up at your door!
It’s easy to use. First, set up your account at MetroWinesAsheville.com/wine-please. In the profile, tell us the price and style of wine you prefer. As always, Metro Wines offers a 15% discount on case purchases. There are some delivery and service fees involved, so read the details on their website.
Now, order your wine any time by just texting us “wine please” at 828-575-9525. Our team of wine professionals will select wines that match your preferences at the average bottle price you want. And we’ll deliver it to your door within 24 hours. It’s that easy!
Why “wine please”? “We understand the changing landscape,” says Zach Eidson, General Manager of Metro Wines. “Convenience is king. This service works for customers who prefer to shop online, customers who are too busy, too tired or just want someone to shop for them! Our driver, Lou, will carry the wine in and even fill your wine rack if you wish. That’s more convenient than Amazon,” Eidson says.
This annual competition is designed to promote and spotlight the talent of chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists across North Carolina.
“Chef Showdown has become the place to showcase the incredible talent of the North Carolina hospitality industry” said Lynn Minges, President & CEO of NCRLA.
“Our seventh annual event will feature more North Carolina chefs, bartenders and distilleries than any year prior. These innovative chefs will all work with local NC products; as will the incredibly creative bartenders who will craft cocktails and mocktails as they represent distilleries from across the state,” she added.
Presented by Got To Be NC, the NC Department of Agriculture, the Chef Showdown features culinary and mixology competitors who will showcase North Carolina proteins, produce and products on competition plates and in competition craft cocktails.
New for 2023: A trio of “Undeniably Dairy Awards” to be awarded at the Chef Showdown Grand Finale to the chef, pastry chef and bartender who showcased the best use of NC dairy products in the savory and sweet plates and in the cocktails, they present to judges during the season. Competitors are not required to use dairy products in their competition dishes and cocktails, but if they do, they are eligible to be considered for this trio of additional Grand Finale accolades presented by the Dairy Alliance.
The 2023 preliminary rounds of culinary competition will feature 76 talented chefs and pastry chefs from across the state who have been selected to cook their way through the first rounds of competition on the road to the 2023 win.
In July, only 15 savory chefs and five pastry chefs will move on, based on judges preliminary round scoring, to compete in one of two regional culinary rounds of competition. The same 20 chefs move on to cook for the public and a chance at People’s Choice Award honors, made possible this year by the NC Sweetpotato Commission, at the Aug 14 Grand Finale.
At stake, the coveted titles of NCRLA Chef of the Year and NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year, to be awarded at the competition’s Grand Finale on August 14, 2023, at The Pavilion at Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC.
In addition to the culinary competition in which chefs start in one of five preliminary rounds held across the state and then, if selected, move on to compete in one of two regional rounds, there is also a mixology component to the annual competition.
This year 18 individual NC bartenders, have each teamed with a North Carolina distillery, and are preparing to shake and stir things up in one of two regional rounds of mixology competition to be held in July 2023. Each bartender will craft two cocktails and a mocktail for a panel of judges to consider, as they vie for one of six spots in the 2023 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale on August 14.
In the end, one team will be named the NCRLA Bartender of the Year and the NCRLA Distillery of the Year.
The action all starts with five individual preliminary rounds of the 2023 NCRLA Chef Showdown series. All preliminary and regional rounds of competition are private events open only to competitors, judges, media, and invited guests. The public is invited to follow along on the NCRLA Chef Showdown social media feeds.
The NCRLA is proud to compete at some of North Carolina’s finest community college culinary schools throughout this competition, each one serving to teach and inspire the North Carolina hospitality industry of tomorrow.
This national level mountain biking championship is expected to bring some 800 event competitors to the region, along with their coaches and teammates. Many of these athletes will visit Henderson County for practice leading up to the competition, as well as for the event week in July. Additionally, the event will draw spectators, vendors, USA Cycling staff, volunteers and many people interested in mountain biking to the region.
Why is this event a big deal for us in Henderson County?
Hosting a USA Cycling National Championship event will bring mountain bike enthusiasts to Ride Rock Creek and Henderson County all year long. Portions of the Ride Rock Creek bike park facility were designed and built as a training ground for US downhill mountain bike athletes seeking the experience they need to compete on the global level. The results are already being recognized throughout the country, and this helps to further cement Henderson County as a destination for mountain biking at all levels.
This is the first national sports competition championship ever held in Henderson County, NC.
How will this event impact the roads around Henderson County?
This is a mountain biking event, not a road cycling event, so it will not impact our roads any more than normal visitor traffic. The Visitor Center are hoping to help secure shuttles for event participants, USA Cycling Staff and volunteers, media, and spectators to further reduce any additional car traffic on our roads during this event.
What is USA Cycling?
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States at all levels and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists from enthusiasts just beginning in the sport to seasoned professionals.
USA Cycling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation which funds it operations from a combination of member generated revenue, sponsorship, US Olympic Committee funding, and donations from the USA Cycling Foundation.
What is Ride Rock Creek?
Opened in 2022, Ride Rock Creek is a brand new, premier downhill mountain biking destination founded by world-class downhill racer, Neko Mulally. With business partner and lifelong rider, investor, and entrepreneur Dave LaMond, the park was built on a 300-acre plot of privately-owned land that backs up to DuPont State Forest. Ride Rock Creek currently has 6 downhill-specific trails with a variety of skill levels and a shuttle to take riders to the top of the course. It has quickly become recognized as an elite downhill mountain biking destination.
This event will truly put this new mountain biking venue on the map for mountain bikers of all skill levels.
Big Buck Racing (https://bigbuckracing.com/) isn’t something I’d normally cover on Carolina Epicurean, but the event was so impressive, it was held on a dear friends South Carolina farm property, and hey, there were some awesome food trucks on site.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
My interest in bikes (motorcycles) goes back as far as I can remember. For a time my much older brother raced dirt bikes professionally. For practice he’d sometimes put me on the back of his bike for added weight (and fun) while he rode up and down hills and around obstacles in our yard. Then he chose a bike, based on it’s center of gravity and weight, for my post college great cross-country adventure. It was perfect, and my only transportation for a couple years while I lived in CA.
BIG BUCK, THE FARM
Our friend’s Union, SC multi-hundred acre farm has been in his family since the 1970’s. The name came about after years of he and his son hunting on the property. The ultimate goal being bringing home the “big buck”.
The “farm” property has lots of fields – and lots of woods – that the bikes ride through at high speed on mostly narrow trails. People come from all over, including other countries, to participate and watch the official GNCC (Grand National Cross Country) races. Rows and rows of huge RV’s, vans, and tents fill fields.
One of the problems with events like this is that they’re often in rural locations and lack Wi-Fi coverage. Big Buck solved the problem with WOW– Wide Open Wi-Fi. It worked great for me everywhere I went on the property.
Plans are in the works for opening up the property to other types of events, including music festivals. The property includes a natural amphitheater, which would be perfect!
THE FOOD
So much great food! Where to start? More importantly, when to STOP! All the trucks/vendors were new to me, so that was fun. Fifi’s Hibachi Burrito, Tilley’s Tennessee BBQ, Down South Water Ice, and others. As always, be sure to click gallery images for descriptive captions.
THE HILL CLIMB!
Probably the most popular spot on the course for watching riders is at the steep hill climb. Lots of people walk out to watch the action from great viewing spots. Some riders make it to the top. Some don’t. Some skip it altogether! If riders make the climb, they take some time off their circuit.
THE RACES, PROS, GEAR & MERCH
The next GNCC race at Big Buck is just days away, on April 1st. Just like the event I went to, this race will include ATV’s and Motorcycles. There are multiple categories of racers – Pro, Amateur, Youth, and more. And there are different rules for some of the groups, pro vs amateur for instance.
Racers line up at the start according to engine size (2 stroke, 4 stroke, cc’s), pro vs amateur, and rank. Each category/row begins from a “dead start”, meaning engines off until flagged to start.
There were quite a few Pro Riders and their support teams at this race. The support teams were serious with com head sets, white boards to hold up with info for their rider, backpacks full of emergency gear, water, etc. Most of them rode trail/mountain bikes to whatever key spots of the thirteen mile course they needed to be at for their rider. The Pros do the 13 mile circuit five times, making it a three hour race for them!
This particular race was the 2023 season opener. Quite a few pros were there, including the number one team from Japan! Honestly, I had no idea that some Pro cross country racers can make six figures a year. It’s a big deal.
Also a surprise to me were the rows of semi’s that opened up the sides of their trucks, exposing shops selling parts, tires, all kinds of gear, and merchandise. There was even one selling e-bikes.
If you’ve never seen an event like this, you’ll be amazed. It’s very family friendly. Even if you’re not into cross country racing, it’s a great way to spend time outside, checking out something that might be completely outside your wheel house. Get tickets for the April 1st, 2023 race HERE.
