There are 46 different categories of competitions for adults and kids at the N.C. Mountain State Fair, including an ice cream eating contest you can enter on Sept. 15, the day of the event. Deadlines to enter are Aug. 14 and Aug. 28.
To find out general information, specific rules and deadlines for the competitions, go online at wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair/exhibitors to start your search.
Links on the page connect contestants to information on livestock shows and general competitions, with additional links to register for the competitions.
The deadline for cooking competitions and gospel singing contest is Aug. 14, the deadline for the clogging competition is Aug. 21 and the deadline for general competitions and livestock shows is Aug. 28. Exhibitors are encouraged to make their entries early, as popular categories can fill up before the deadline dates.
Registration must be completed online using ShoWorks, an online registration system that is used at fairs across the country, including the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh.
All general exhibit competitions are free to enter and open to North Carolina residents. For exhibitors in outlying Western N.C. counties, the Mountain State Fair partners with local cooperative extension offices to provide the Pony Express Service option. This service allows general exhibitors to drop off their entries at their local county extension office for delivery to the fair. Please check the fair website at wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefairfor a list of participating counties and the drop-off deadline for this service.
The 2025 Mountain State Fair runs Sept. 11-20 at the Western N.C. Ag Center in Fletcher. For more information, go to wncagcenter.org.