Duty calls county officials at the Oct. 15-25 N.C. State Fair

The North Carolina State Fair might not seem like the ideal place to learn about county government, but the NCACC staff team charged with implementing the strategic goal to “educate the public and media about the role of county government” thinks otherwise.

Since 2006, the Association has sponsored a booth on county government at the N.C. State Fair, which is held every October at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. This year’s fair will be held Oct. 15-25.

At the booth, Association staff teams with commissioners and county staff from across the state to disseminate information about services provided by county governments. During the first two years, county government staff from as far away as Ashe and McDowell counties to the west and New Hanover County to the east have helped man the booth.

County commissioners, county managers, Emergency Medical Services personnel, librarians, tax collectors and others have all spent time in the booth to discuss their roles and responsibilities with fairgoers. Thousands of citizens from across the state have been educated about county government services and have played the “County Match Game” developed by the Association’s Information Technology staff. The game challenges contestants to match county names with their location on a state map that is blank except for county border lines. In two years, only a handful of people have correctly identified the location of all 100 counties.

The Association is once again seeking county commissioners and staff to volunteer for the booth. If you are interested in spending a few hours in the booth talking about county government, contact Terry Chance at strategicplangoal#1@ncacc.org or (919) 715-2893.

The Association booth is open each day of the fair from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. The County Government Booth is located in the Education Building at the corner of Hillsborough Street and Blue Ridge Road. Each day is divided into three shifts – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 to 5:30 p.m., and 5:30 to 9:45 p.m.

The Association will provide gate passes for volunteers, who can ride the CAT (Capital Area Transit) bus to the State Fairgrounds. Volunteers can park at the Albert Coates Local Government Center or at the Quorum Center and catch the bus to the fair right across the street at Edenton Street United Methodist Church. The bus drops you off right at the Education Building, making it the most convenient way to access the County Government Booth.

Come before your shift or stay afterward and enjoy the sights and sounds of the State Fair. Volunteers will be eligible to win one of three prize packages from the NCACC.