Warming up the audience was fellow Christian rock outfit Tenth Avenue North.

Jeremy Camp’s performance was one out of three shows that sold out at Dorton Arena during this year’s State Fair.

This year’s schedule featured a lineup with a heavy emphasis on country and Christian artists. However Fair organizers also gave a well-deserved nod to North Carolina’s expansive repertoire of musicians with Albemarle’s Kellie Pickler, Chapel Hill’s Anoop Desai, Youngsville’s Jason Michael Carroll and Granite Falls-native Eric Church.

A familiar face to “American Idol” fans belted tunes Thursday night at the State Fair.

Chapel Hill native Anoop Desai took the stage at Dorton Area to perform some of his more familiar hits.

Courtesy: MMI Public Relations

Among all the fried food at the State Fair, you can find a few stands that offer ice cream. But R&R’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream makes their frozen dessert in a unique way.

The Sanford, N.C. based company makes homemade ice cream using vintage John Deere engines! Three 1937 hit-and-miss engines can churn up to 30 gallons of ice cream every 18 minutes for fair goers and the booth offers three flavors daily.

Available flavors include vanilla, strawberry, cookies and cream, banana split, chocolate, butter pecan, cherry vanilla, orange pineapple, pineapple, peanut butter, Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, and Butterfinger.

Robert Fulton owns the company with his brother Ronnie Turner and says having a booth at the fair is about giving back to an event he’s enjoyed since he was a kid.

“I have been coming to the N.C. State Fair since I was 4 years old, and I have only missed one fair since then,” said Fulton. “I always enjoy being able to give back to the fair.”

The ice cream booth is located in Heritage Circle, near the pond.

Despite the bad economy and cool temperatures, the North Carolina State Fair saw 37,000 people on its opening day.

Despite the poor economy, organizers hope to see even more as the second day of the Fair winds down.

“We’re all making adjustment, but the value of the State Fair is worth what they charge,” fairgoer Dan Davis explained.

However some vendors said they noticed people are being careful how they spend their money.

Fair Manager Wesley Wyatt says the weather is more a factor in people showing up to the fair than the economy.

“Much of what we have at the Fair is free or very inexpensive,” Wyatt said.

On the flip side, Wyatt says it brings people to the area and helps the local economy.

Through good times and bad, there is one thing that many people say is worth every penny — the delicious Fair food.This year, organizers are predicting they will see more than 800,000 people walk through the gates.

Organizers, however, offer a handful of fun indoor activities for those eager fairgoers who want to get out of the rain.

In addition to crafts, giant produce, animals and artwork, The Dazzling Mills Family will perform in the Expo Center at 3:30 and 5 p.m. And the highlight of opening day: a performance from the Triangle’s own country music star, Jason Michael Carroll.

Coming off the release of his highly anticipated sophomore album Growing Up Is Getting Old, the Franklin County native performs in Dorton Arena at 7:30. Tickets to the show are $5.

Sessions At Studio B With Jason Michael Carroll

For a complete schedule of Fair activities, head to the State Fair Web page.

By Laura Barron, NBC17

If you’re on the fence about heading to opening night of the State Fair, organizers insist there’s plenty you can do indoors.

Brian Long, who works for the Department of Agriculture and State Fair, admits the weather forecast isn’t ideal.

“I’m thinking we should have given Mother Nature some free tickets,” Long joked.

Long says a rainy evening is the perfect time to check out prize worthy animals, giant pumpkins and watermelons as well as other foods and vendors from across the state.

“You can go and watch [vendors] demonstrate their products,” Long said.

If you’re looking for a musical attraction, tickets are still available for Jason Michael Carroll’s performance at Dorton Arena on Thursday evening for $5.

Toymaker Greg Strebel thinks it will already be a busy year because of the economy, and the rain couldn’t hurt sales on his favorite hobby.

“Nobody wants to see it rain at the State Fair; luckily we’re inside — it’s [going to] hurt the vendors outside,” Strebel said.

But rain or shine, Horace Johnson at the Apex Lions Club food booth says there’s one thing you can always do at the State Fair.

“Eat! It’s what the Fair is all about,” Johnson said.

The Employment Security Commission says it is still taking job applications for the State Fair. Typically, those 400 to 500 jobs are not filled until a week or so into the Fair when vendors need help, an ESC representative said. If you interested in applying, just visit the Raleigh or Cary ESC locations.

Click here to view a large PDF map of the State Fair

The shuttles will operate every 20 to 30 minutes from North Raleigh, the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary and along a Hillsborough Street.

Passengers can expect to can expect to pay $4 for round-trip service and will be dropped off at Gate No. 1 at the Fairgrounds. Children under 40 inches tall can ride free with a paying adult. Discounts will be available for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Exact change is required to ride the shuttle.

The Hillsborough Street service will run from 7 a.m. until midnight, except on Thursday when the service begins at 1 p.m. The shuttle will run from Wilmington and Morgan Streets and travel to the Fairgrounds along Edenton and Hillsborough Streets.

Due to construction, the route will detour at St. Mary’s Street to Peace Street, take a left on Clark Avenue, another left on Brooks Avenue and then resume onto Hillsborough Street.

Stops will be made at areas designated by a blue State Fair sign. Free park-and-ride lots will be available on Saturdays and Sundays during the Fair in the state government parking lots bounded by Edenton, Wilmington, Jones and Blount Streets.

The North Raleigh shuttle is a non-stop service that will run from 8:30 a.m. until midnight, except on Thursday when the service begins at 1 p.m. The shuttle picks up at 2912 Wake Forest Road, one block south of the I-440 Beltline.

The WakeMed Soccer Park shuttle is also a non-stop service and will run from 8:30 a.m. to midnight, except on Thursday when the service begins at 1 p.m. The shuttle picks up at 201 Soccer Park Drive off of Chatham Street in Cary.

View a map of the 2009 State Fair CAT Hillsborough Street Service.

Passengers can expect to can expect to pay $5 for round-trip service for individuals over the age of 12. Persons with disabilities are expected to pay $2.50 round-trip.

On Saturdays, buses will depart on the hour from Eubanks Road Park-and-Ride between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and at 30 minutes past the hour from the Triangle Transit RTC between 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Buses will return from the State Fairgrounds on the hour between noon and 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

On Sundays, Express buses will depart on the hour from Eubanks Road Park-and-Ride between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and at 30 minutes past the hour from the Triangle Transit RTC between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Buses will return from the State Fairgrounds on the hour between noon and 6 p.m. on Sundays

For additional information, call the GoTriangle Regional Call Center at (919) 485-7433.

The Durham Area Transit Authority will offer shuttles from the downtown Durham Station located at 515 W. Pettigrew Street on the hour from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, except Sundays when service will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The final bus will leave Durham at 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Last pick-up from the Fair is 7 p.m. on Sunday and 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

[ PDF ] View a schedule of pick-up and drop-off times

Passengers can expect to can expect to pay $2 for round-trip service. While TRANSPASS and GoPass agreements do not include State Fair service, discounted round-trip fare is available for riders with a DATA ID or Medicare card. Senior citizens ages 65 and older and children ages 12 and younger and under 60 inches tall ride free.

DATA will drop off and pick up near Gate 10 of Carter-Finley Stadium.