Online Fair, going green, torn-up parking lots, and more...

I must say, looking at the North Carolina Fair's online properties is showing me a whole new dimension of the Fair. The blog, Deep Fried @ the North Carolina State Fair, includes stories about ironing Kenny Rogers' clothing, a look at the new tie-dye t-shirt (never managed to snag one of those last year), interviews with performers, and even a blog post about scrap booking.

Buried in a story about some new rides from Powers was also a mention of the new LED lighting systems that will light up some of the rides and concessions this year. That energy conservation goes hand in hand with the new GreenNC exhibit. Unfortunately there's not too much to tell you about that as the Web site isn't finished yet.

One thing the Deep Fried blog doesn't mention is the big construction project taking place in the parking area between Dorton Arena and the Grandstand -- sort of in front of the Expo Building. There will be new electrical and water hookups there, and a new seating area so you can sit down and enjoy your ham biscuit.

You can get details about the new construction projects and a few other new things for 2008 in a press release that came out August 21. Hey, there's only 51 days left!

Can't stand the wait? I had such a good time last year I'm thinking about hitting the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem again this year -- that starts October 3rd. And of course, Mule Days starts September 25th!