State Fair vendors prep for cold start

“We know that the people here in Raleigh and around the great state of North Carolina will come out and have fun anyway. They don’t let the weather dampen their spirits around here,” games vendor Kate Floyd said Wednesday.

The fair opens at 3 p.m. Thursday. The forecast high for Thursday is 51 degrees and some fair-goers could see some drizzles.

“I have yet to understand the mentality of how you can bring, like a gaggle of small children in the pouring rain and ride rides like this, but they absolutely love it,” said games vendor Zach Crites.

Fortunately for those who make their living at the fair, there's more to it than rides.

Greg Willard, of Willard’s Fast Foods, said the conditions will be perfect weather for fair-goers to enjoy his bread bowls filled with hot soup.

“Usually it’s been hot and the bread bowls haven’t done that good, but with the cold weather I think they’ll do better,” Willard said.

The cold is also fine with Dean Elliott, who has traveled from Massachusetts to serve Jack’s Buns at the fair.

“I know some of the people don’t like it, but we do pretty well because we have the hot coffee and the hot chocolate,” Elliott said. “But our folks next door with the root beer floats, they don’t do so good.”