Contributed
RALEIGH – The 2022 N.C. State Fair ended its 11-day run Sunday on a high note, with attendance returning to pre-pandemic levels, a new auction record set for the Livestock Sale of Champions, and strong participation for Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day and competitive entries.
“We were blessed with good weather and we made the most of it, with a total of 960,172 people attending the State Fair this year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “It truly was a celebration of our state’s $92.9 billion agriculture industry, from the daily farm families highlighted, the mock tobacco auction, livestock competitions and horse shows to the horticultural displays, Got to Be NC Agriculture Pavilion and soil and forestry exhibits.”
The N.C. State Fair Livestock Sale of Champions drew a record $212,500 in bids, breaking the previous record by over $15,000. Monies from the sale go into a scholarship fund that all competitors are eligible to apply for and to the grand and reserve grand champion exhibitors.
Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day saw fairgoers donate 214,010 pounds of canned goods combined with 500,000 servings of protein from Smithfield Foods for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Around 6.1 million pounds of food have been collected since the hunger relief partnership started in 1993.
“These combined hunger relief efforts will provide 364,100 meals to help North Carolinians who struggle with food insecurity,” Troxler said. “We are grateful to everyone who donated and to Smithfield Foods for its generous gift of protein.”
The 2023 State Fair is scheduled Oct. 12-22.
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