BEARS, PUPPETS, ROBOTS AND ICONIC MUSICIANS HEADLINE THE CAROLINA CLASSIC FAIR’S TOP ENTERTAINMENT
Winston-Salem, N.C. (August 27, 2021) — Acrobatic spectaculars, grizzly bears, robotic vehicles, enormous puppets and musical chart-toppers headline this year’s spectacles and events at the Carolina Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, NC, from October 1 to 10. All Grandstand and Clock Tower events are free with paid Gate Admission to the Fair. All seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Advance discounted tickets are now on sale through September 30 to save up to 40 percent off of day-of admission and rides at Ticketmaster, the Fair’s website https://carolinaclassicfair.com/, the Fair’s ticket office (414 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem) Monday – Saturday from 10AM to 5PM); or Winston-Salem Dash Team Store at Truist Stadium, 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem.
At the age of 3, Shane Hansen joined his parent’s acrobatic roller skating act. Today, he has created a heart-stopping variety act with juggling, trampoline stunts, magic, fire, balancing maneuvers and more in Circus Shane’s Rock-N-Circus. Shane works hand-inhand with a nationwide addiction program and helps provide information to millions of people who need help.
It was 1926 in Trondheim, Norway, where Johnny Johnsen Welde had a fascination with bears. His love for the animals became a reality when he ran away, joined the circus and put together his first trained bear act. In 1948, he made his American debut with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus for the 1947-1948 seasons. Today, third generation Animal Trainer, Johnny D. Welde, continues the tradition of training bears and educating about the importance of habitat preservation and conservation for all bears. When the bears are not performing or appearing in movies, commercials and advertising, they live on bucolic Bearadise Ranch.
One minute, unique, brightly colored, life-size cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors cruise down the road; then they suddenly transform into robots during presentations by Robocars Entertainment. Operator driven, these vehicles walk and drive creating, endless interactive excitement for spectators.
San Diego-based artists, Bridget Rountree and Iain Gunn, are Animal Cracker Conspiracy, a contemporary collaborative hybrid puppet company invested in peering under the surface of things and pushing the boundaries of live kinetic performance. Mixing and mingling styles of puppetry, with masks, circus and visual arts, Animal Cracker Conspiracy will bring their unique live street performance/theater to the Fair. Their nationally and internationally acclaimed work has received grants from the Jim Henson Foundation, Heather Beth Henson Fund, San Diego Foundation, and the Puffin Foundation.
LIVE GRANDSTAND MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
Taking the Grandstand at 7:30PM on October 4 will be Color Me Badd with Tag Team for a night of contemporary R&B and hip hop presented by WQMG-FM. Color Me Badd was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, OK, by Bryan Abrams, tenor Mark Calderon, second tenor Sam Watters and baritone Kevin Thornton. Color Me Badd broke up in 1998 before reuniting in 2010, with various lineups since. Best known for their singles “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love”, the group has sold over 12 million records worldwide, had two number 1 hit singles, nine Top 40 hits and a triple-platinum album. Iconic old school hip hop duo, Tag Team from Atlanta, GA, is best known for their 1993 single “Whoomp! (There It Is)”, which has been featured in a number of advertisements, films, and TV shows. The duo is made up of Cecil Glenn (DC the Brain Supreme) and Steve Gibson (Steve Rolln) have become pop culture icons and ambassadors across every continent bringing worldwide attention to booty shake music from the south. Other highlight songs include “U Go Girl,” “Here It Is, Bam,” and “Funkey Situation,” among others.
On October 5 at 7:30PM get ready for country music with Walker Hayes and Cooper Alan presented by 93.1 WPAW-FM The Wolf. American pop country singer Walker Hayes has charted four singles on Hot Country Songs and has released two albums. Hayes has recorded for both Capitol Records and Monument Records, with his breakthrough song being “You Broke Up with Me” from his 2017 album Boom, as well his biggest hit, “Fancy Like”, a number one from July 2021 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Cooper Alan is an American pop country singer from Winston-Salem, NC. A graduate of UNC Chapel, Hill he now resides in Nashville writing songs with incredible co-writers like Rivers Rutherford, Gary Burr, Seth Mosley, Leslie Satcher, Will Robinson, Kent Blazy, James Dean Hicks, Lee Thomas Miller, and of course, Victoria Shaw. His hit singles include “Climate Change,” “15 to 12,” “Colt 45 (Country Remix),”and more. With more than 4 million followers on TikTok, Alan’s latest single, “New Normal,” shot straight to the top the moment it was released, hitting #1 on the iTunes country chart and #6 on the all genres chart.
Don’t miss Andrew Ripp with Baylor Wilson at 7:30PM on October 6. Baylor Wilson is a 26-year old who has already lived a life most people only dream about – excelling at competitive cheerleading, starring in Season 29 of CBS’s Survivor, scoring a country music publishing deal – all before graduating from Belmont University. After a friend invited her to a worship service being held at an auto body car shop, Baylor could concentrate on little else but her newfound love for Jesus. Baylor’s country-leaning vocals sparkle with her conviction, belting out how every part of her life’s been changed, sounding every bit like a country artist who got saved. Andrew Ripp creates music that pushes the boundaries of genre stereotypes, blending the energetic beats with the groove of soul music. With his first two albums, Fifty Miles to Chicago (2008) and She Remains The Same (2010) debuting at #1 on the Singer/Songwriter chart on iTunes, Ripp proved that he could create a song and share it with emotion and instrumentation. He began as a songwriter with a song on the Billboard 100 charts recorded by Ryan Cabrera, and other songs featured on American Idol, One Tree Hill, and Live To Dance. Won’t Let Go (2013, debuted at #3 on the Singer-Songwriter chart) blends the work of Ripp in all his roles with many other award-winning musicians and songwriters. Ripp has made a stripped down acoustic album entitled Simple that features acoustic versions of ten tracks from Won’t Let Go, as well as a cover of Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors. He has toured with the likes of with Jon Foreman, needtobreathe, Will Hoge and Robert Randolph, Andy Grammer, Sara Bareilles, Parachute, LeAnn Rimes and Plain White T’s.
Other performances around the Fair include a range of music at the Clock Tower stage, including Hispanic Heritage Night presented by La Ley and the Hispanic League on October 1; Gospelfest sponsored by The Chronicle on October 3 & 10; and Jazzfest on October 10.
NEW SPORTS ZONE
The Carolina Classic Fair Sports Zone will feature local and regional athletic teams including Wake Forest Athletics, Winston-Salem Dash, WSSU Athletics, and the Carolina Thunderbirds. Stop by the Sports Zone to learn more about our local teams, meet special guests, and even participate in interactive activities and giveaways.
Celebrating its 139th year in 2021, the Carolina Classic Fair is owned and operated by the City of Winston-Salem after being donated to the City by the WinstonSalem Foundation in 1969. The 10-day annual Fair features nationally renowned musical entertainment, delicious food and beverages, exhibits for livestock, poultry, fine arts and crafts, a world-class carnival with numerous rides and games, and many more activities. The Carolina Classic Fair at the time of opening day will follow all state and local health and safety protocols. For more information on the Carolina Classic Fair, please visit CarolinaClassicFair.com.