The 2012 Got to be NC Festival comes to the N.C. State Fair on Friday, May 18 and ends on Sunday night, May 20. The three-day event celebrates the goodness that grows in North Carolina, showcasing modern and historic agriculture. Gate admission and parking are free, but there are charges for some of the events within the festival. Visit the Food and Wine Expo in the Expo Building ($2 adults) where more than 100 booths of NC companies will be sampling and selling their yummy goodies.

Photo Credit: ???

Don't miss the Carolina FiberFest in the Graham Building (free) where fiber arts and artists will be displayed and offered for sale. Classes, demonstrations and fiber animal exhibits round out the FiberFest. Also in the Graham Building check out the commercial exhibits and the Got to be NC Stage with cooking and gardening mini-seminars.

Looking for the carnival? You won't have to go far to find a 30 plus ride carnival and games and great "fair" food. Add in pony rides for the kids and there's something for everyone. Special wristband days on Friday (noon to 5p) and Sunday (10a to 10p) offer great value for riders! And a parent can accompany a child on the carousel or slides without buying an extra ticket everyday.

Music? A major concert in Dorton Arena on Friday night by Christian group Third Day ($22 and up) will add variety to the music mix. Listen to Leon Jacobs Jr. on the Mattress Firm Outdoor Stage each day, and catch the 2012 Bluegrass Band Competition on that stage near the waterfall Saturday from 11-3.

Food? Oh boy, do we have food! Independent concession vendors will be preparing North Carolina foods for you to buy, along with the carnival food vendors. The Shriners will be fixing NC seafood each day, and the Masons are coming back with the Pig Jig on Saturday from 11-2 with over 40 teams cooking "Q".

Horsepower? We have it in several versions in the Walmart Grandstand! Catch the draft horse pull on Friday night, the tractor pull on Saturday and the garden tractor pull on Sunday. And they're all free! We'll also have classic cars cruising in on Friday night, Harleys roaring in Saturday at 1 p.m., and human "horsepower" in Dorton Arena on Saturday with the Carolina Rollergirls ($10 all day pass) and the BMX Trans Jam Tournament on Sunday in Dorton (free). And don't forget the daily tractor parade of the hundreds of antique tractors gathered at the fairgrounds for the festival. (Fri 1 p; Sat and Sun 11a)

Animals? We've got a petting zoo for kids of all ages (free), pig races (free), a barnyard animal demonstration (free), Rocky the Trick Mule (free), fiber animals (free) and bee keeping. Kids can also milk a life-size replica cow in the Kidz Corral in the Agri-Plaza between Graham and Expo Buildings. There are pony rides for the kids (paid) and a mechanical bull for all ages!

Check out the festival website at www.ncagfest.com for a complete schedule and more information!