In this issue:

SC State Fair

• Video Commercial Contest - Win $250 Cash and Great Fair Prizes

• PEPSI® Grandstand Entertainment

• Internet & Phone Ticket Sales Begin Tuesday, July 1

• Purchase Discount Gate & Ride Tickets Online, By Phone, or In Person
• Commercial Exhibitor and Concessionaire Applications
• Carolinas Mounted Patrol Association Exhibition

• SC Donkey and Mule Association to Host Donkey/Mule Show & Fun Day

• Competitive Exhibitors Remain Strong at SC State Fair

• Important Changes for 2008 Competitive Exhibitors

Scholarships

• 2008-2009 "The Ride of Your Life" Scholarship Winners

Year Around

• SC State Fair Employee Receives CFE Status
• Summer Vacation? Be Safe...View the Fair Safety Video

• Monthly Calendar of Events

• RV/Camper Parking for Year-Round Events

• 2008 USC Football Fans - Reserved Parking in all Lots

• e-Newsletter

VIDEO COMMERCIAL CONTEST

WIN $250 CASH & GREAT FAIR PRIZES

(Hurry...Commercial must be submitted by July 11)

What excites you about the Fair? The food, the rides, the music, the livestock, the exhibits, the people? Now is your chance to create a Fair commercial to create excitement in the weeks leading up to the SC State Fair and a chance to win $250 and an incredible "Fair Prize Package".

Just read the following rules and regulations, then hurry, you have until July 11 to submit your video commercial to YouTube.

GUIDELINES:

• Applicant must be current resident of SC or attending a school in SC.
• Applicants under age 18 must be registered by parent or legal guardian.
• If a group of individuals is submitting a video together, one person must be designated as a contact person.
• Commercial must be titled.
• Commercial length must be a minimum of 15 seconds and maximum of 30 seconds.
• Registration form must be complete.

JUDGING:       

• Judges will select 10 finalists who will then be voted on by the public to pick the Grand Prize Winner.*

• 9 Finalists: Each finalist wins 10 Single Admission Passes, 10 “POP” Ride Coupons, & 4 PEPSI® Grandstand concert tickets to show of your choice.

• 1 Grand Prize: Grand Prize winner wins 50 Single Admission Passes, 10 “POP” Ride Coupons, 2 Fair Gala Invitations, 4 PEPSI® Grandstand Concert Tickets to show of your choice with Backstage/“Meet & Greet” Passes**, and $250 Cash.

What You Need To Enter

A video camera, a YouTube account (membership is FREE!), and creativity and originality.

Video Judging Criteria

All eligible entries received during the Video Submission Period (May 1 - July 11) will be judged based on the following judging criteria, each given equal weight.

• Creativity and originality including use of required elements
• “Well-Rounded”—meaning that your commercial has effectively displayed the different aspects of the Fair that makes it like no other event
• Quality of video
• Overall impression

Based on the Judge’s scores the top ten entries will be posted on the SC State Fair’s website during the Public Voting Period to determine a Grand Prize winner.

So go ahead, get those creative juices flowing and have some "reel" fun this summer! Be sure to stay tuned to www.scstatefair.org for an opportunity to vote on your favorite video commercial from August 2 - September 2.

*If, after 10 days the judges cannot make contact with a selected finalist, they reserve the right to disqualify the applicant's video entry and select another video, thereby releasing the original finalist from all prize winning opportunities.

**Pending artist's approval.

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

TICKET SALES BEGIN TUESDAY, JULY 1 AT 9:00 AM

PEPSI® GRANDSTAND CONCERTS AND DISCOUNT GATE & RIDE TICKETS

All concert events are reserved seating.

PEPSI® Grandstand tickets do not include admission to the Fair.

INTERNET & PHONE TICKET SALES ONLY

 (Tickets will not be sold through the Fair Office)

www.scstatefair.org or 1-800-514-3849 (toll-free)

Outstanding acts spanning genres from country to blues to rock to contemporary Christian will take the stage at the 2008 PEPSI® Grandstand.

Check out the PEPSI® Grandstand Entertainment page for bios of all the artists below:

PEPSI® GRANDSTAND TICKET POLICY  All 5,000 PEPSI® Grandstand Concert seats are reserved and require a ticket, with exception of child (3 feet or less in height) when sitting in lap of ticket holder. Please refer to Gate Admission Fees for children. PEPSI® Grandstand Concert tickets DO NOT INCLUDE gate admission to the Fair. Beginning July 1, PEPSI® Grandstand Concert tickets will be available on the Internet at www.scstatefair.org or by phone (toll-free) at 1-800-514-3849. Limited Handicap seating may be available by calling 1-800-514-3849. PEPSI® Grandstand Concert tickets are not available at grocery outlets. Once on the E-tix page, patrons may click on their desired seating section (Floor, East, West, North) and receive the "best available" seats in that section at time of purchase. Grandstand Floor East Bleachers West Bleachers North Bleachers PEPSI® Grandstand Concert tickets may be purchased ONLINE (as available) throughout the twelve (12) days of the Fair. The PEPSI® Grandstand will open 1 hour (60 minutes) prior to start of each concert. No Re-Entry to the PEPSI® Grandstand...concessions, rest rooms & first aid personnel located inside Pepsi® Grandstand for each concert. No umbrellas, video cameras or recording devices allowed. No rushing the stage; Fire Code mandates the aisles be kept clear in front of the Pepsi® Grandstand stage and the floor level seating area; only floor level ticket holders allowed in this area. Photographs - Only floor level ticket holders allowed to take photos within the floor level seating area. Outside the floor level seating area, photos may be taken only from your seat. No exchange or refund of concert tickets. Please respect your neighbors space for an enjoyable experience for everyone. GATE ADMISSION Opening Day Special Wednesday, October 8 ONLY $1.00 Admission for Everyone Gates open at 3:00 PM - Opening Day Ticket sold only at Gate October 9 - 19 *Discount Price Price During Fair Regular (ages 6 - 54) $5 $8 Senior (ages 55 and over) $5 $5 Child (ages 2 - 5) $2 $2 Child (under 2) Free Free *Best Value when purchased by October 7 (prior to Opening Day of Fair , October 8, 2008) DISCOUNT RIDE VOUCHERS (Only sold in advance of Fair) Discount Price Discount Ride Voucher (only sold in advance of Fair) $20.00 *Ride Vouchers may be exchanged at any Carnival Ticket Kiosk during the Fair for POP wristband when attending on a POP Ride Day. When attending on a non-POP Day, the ride voucher may be exchanged for 32 ride coupons. DURING THE FAIR - RIDE TICKET KIOSKS - CASH ONLY Please note, CASH ONLY accepted at Carnival Ticket Kiosks during Fair...NO CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS. ATM's conveniently located throughout the fairgrounds. Ride Coupons (only sold during Fair) 1 for $1   22 for $20   55 for $50 PAY-ONE-PRICE (POP) DAYS **Discount Price Price During Fair *Ride Voucher $20.00 $23.00   POP DAYS Wednesday, October 8 Thursday, October 9 Friday, October 10 Monday, October 13 Tuesday, October 14 Wednesday, October 15 Thursday, October 16 *Ride voucher may be exchanged at any Carnival Ticket Kiosk for a POP wristband when attending the Fair on any POP Day. **When purchased in Advance of Fair, Ride voucher may be exchanged at any Carnival Ticket Kiosk during the Fair for 32 ride coupons if attending on a day other than POP Ride Day . POP Ride Voucher does not include Gate Admission.

PURCHASE PEPSI® GRANDSTAND TICKETS BY PHONE Beginning July 1 (9:00 am) through Saturday, October 18, 2008 (12 Noon) Toll Free — 1-800-514-3849 PLEASE NOTE: PEPSI® Grandstand Tickets for orders placed after October 1, 2008 may be claimed only at WILL CALL, now located inside South Gate entrance. PEPSI® Grandstand Tickets do not include gate admission to the Fair.

PURCHASE DISCOUNT GATE & RIDE TICKETS BY PHONE Tuesday, July 1 through Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Monday — Friday 9:00 AM — 4:00 PM MasterCard or Visa Only Columbia Area — 256-2941 or Toll Free — 1-888-444-3247 PLEASE NOTE: Discount Gate Admission tickets will not be held at WILL CALL (as it is now located inside South Gate entrance).

Interested in being a 2008 SC State Fair Commercial Exhibitor or Concessionaire? The South Carolina State Fair, in operation since 1869, has attendance levels well over 500,000 people. The Fair is the ideal event for businesses and non-profit organizations alike to reach a large and diverse group of people.

Current exhibitors range from various retail businesses to non-profit organizations to local, county and state agencies. Commercial & non-commercial exhibits are housed in two exhibit halls that total 40,000 square feet. Exhibitors selected to participate in the Fair are expected to display their products or services in an attractive and professional manner in the assigned booth area.

The Fair attempts to select exhibitors who will complement the other products & services booked in the exhibit halls. These selections depend on the products/services already booked & the products/services Fair management believes will appeal to the Fair attendee.

All new applicants must complete an application available for downloading on the web site.

The South Carolina State Fair is committed to the education of South Carolina's young adults. In the past decade, the South Carolina State Fair has returned over $3 million to the community through scholarship endowments and grants to non-profit organizations. Scholarship applicants are judged on overall performance and involvement, need, communication skills, and an aptitude for completion of the application.

Congratulations to the fifty (50) winners of a 2008 South Carolina State Fair $2,000 scholarship for the 2008-2009 school year. Additionally, these scholarship recipients will be contacted in May 2009 to apply for one of ten $2,500 scholarships to be paid prior to the fall semester of their sophomore year.

>>>>>  LINK TO 2008 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS  <<<<<

CAROLINAS MOUNTED PATROL ASSOCIATION

Formation Riding, Crowd Control, Tools, Teaching Demos & Posse Polo

Mark your calendar for Wednesday and Thursday, October 15-16 and don't miss this exciting two-days only exhibit at the 2008 SC State Fair in the Abernathy Arena. The Carolinas Mounted Patrol Association is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to set a standard of performance and training for Law Enforcement Departments using Mounted Patrol Units to enforce the laws of their cities, towns and states. CMPA currently has members in the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. These members consist of Certified Officers and Sheriff Deputies as well as Sheriff Posse Groups. CMPA also offers law Enforcement Departments assistance in starting units, selecting Mounts as well as Officers for the Unit.

SC DONKEY & MULE ASSOCIATION TO HOST DONKEY / MULE SHOW

The SC Donkey & Mule Association will host a two-day Donkey/Mule show on Friday and Saturday, October 17-18 during the 2008 SC State Fair. To register for the Donkey & Mule Show, visit www.myscdma.com or you may contact Lesley Bruce at lesleybruce@bellsouth.net or 803-432-7918.

SC DONKEY & MULE ASSOCIATION TO HOST DONKEY / MULE "FUN DAY"

Following the Donkey & Mule Show, you'll want to horse around again on Sunday, October 19 for the Donkey & Mule "Fun Day" hosted by The SC Donkey & Mule Association. They will have games such as a Mutton Busting, Goat/Calf Chase, Wild Cow Milking, Stick Horse Race, Weinner Bite, Rider Switch, Barrel Crawl, Egg & Spoon, Barrel Race, Wheel Barrow Race, Shovel Race, Drink Race, Potato Race, Texas Barrels, Run-Ride-Lead, Cowboy Poker and much, much more.

Other scheduled horse events during the 2008 SC State Fair include the Paso Fino exhibition on Thursday, October 9 and the Youth and Open Horse Show on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12.

COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS TRADITION STRONG AT SC STATE FAIR

Each year over $215,000 are awarded to competitive exhibitors in premiums alone, as well as ribbons, rosettes, banners, etc. The competitions at the SC State Fair are a great way to show your talents in the arts, agriculture, food, livestock, 4-H and FFA.

Interested in being a 2008 SC State Fair Exhibitor? Now is the time to get ready. Become familiar with the Online Premium Guide at http://www.scstatefair.org/competitive-exhibits/.   On this page you will find links to all the competitive exhibit departments: Fine Art, Student Art, Agriculture, Flowers, Home & Craft, Beef & Dairy Cattle, Dairy Goats, Sheep, Small Stock, Swine, Youth & Open Horse, and Youth Wether Goat. Be sure to view the state-of-the-art Online Entry Tutorial which will guide you through the online entry process.

2008 Open Entry Registration begins August 1. You may register your exhibits using either (1) the Online Entry System or (2) print an official entry registration form for the appropriate department and mail to the address listed on the entry form or (3) deliver entry form in person to the SC State Fair Dowling Administrative Building during regular office hours (Monday-Friday) 7:30am - 4:00pm. 2008 Open Entry Registration closes at 4:00 pm on August 31, 2008.

***Please be advised the fairground gates will be closed to the general public on Thursday, August 28 due to a USC football game and reserved parking on the fairgrounds. Register early in August and avoid the last minute rush to register your entries.

CHANGES FOR 2008 COMPETITIVE EXHIBITORS

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON ENTRY FORMS NOW AN OPTION - As a 501-C(3) charitable organization, the SC State Fair is responsible for reporting certain financial criteria to the Internal Revenue Service, including Social Security numbers of anyone who receives a premium check from the SC State Fair. In recent years the fear of "Identity Theft" has prevented many persons from exhibiting at the Fair. We have addressed this issue and now have an option for those persons who would like to exhibit without releasing this personal information. The Social Security Number Policy reads: No prize money will be awarded unless a valid social security or tax identification number is provided. If you do not wish to provide your Social Security number, write "REFUSED" in the SS# field. You may still participate as a competitive exhibitor and be eligible for awards such as ribbons, rosettes, etc.; however, any prize monies will be forfeited.

ENTRY FORMS - Downloadable 2008 entry forms in Agriculture, Flowers, Home & Craft, Dairy Goat, and Small Stock will require the exhibitor to add the Division Code along with the Section and Class numbers and Class description. The Online Entry System was built to ask for the Division, then Section, then Class. The addition of the Division code will hasten the entry process by the Entry Office personnel. These codes have been added to the Premium Guide.

DAIRY GOAT - A popular breed of Dairy Goat, the Nigerian Dwarf, has been added to the Junior Doe and Senior Doe shows (October 18-19) in 2008. The Nigerian Dwarf is a miniature goat of West African origin and is enjoying a rise in popularity due to their small size and colorful markings. Their small stature means they do not require as much space as their larger dairy goat counterparts and their gentle and friendly personalties make them good companion pets. They are easy to handle; even small children can be at ease with these little goats. Nigerian Dwarfs are considered rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also approved the Nigerian Dwarf Goat as a livestock dairy goat, which makes them eligible for youth 4H and FFA projects. A healthy Nigerian Dwarf doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her small size - up to two quarts per day. In addition, Nigerian Dwarf milk is higher in butterfat (6-10%) and higher in protein than milk from most dairy goat breeds. However, many Nigerian Dwarf owners do not raise their goats for milk but for the pleasure and companionship these little caprines bring to their lives.

SMALL STOCK - Small Stock Entry Fees will remain the same as in previous years from August 1-15 but will DOUBLE for entries received from August 16-31. Small Stock Superintendent Clint Attaway hopes this change will encourage Small Stock exhibitors to register during the early part of August instead of the majority of entries being received the last two or three days of the Open Entry Registration Period. Rabbits are judged pre-Fair in September which makes it mandatory for all Small Stock entries to be received by August 31.

SC STATE FAIR EMPLOYEE RECEIVES CFE STATUS  

Steve Felsberg, CFE, SC State Fair Director of Safety & Parking, was presented the Certified Fair Executive (CFE) award on Sunday, April 27, 2008 by the International Association of Fairs & Expos during the IAFE Spring Managers Conference in Salt Lake City, UT.

Certification requires the recipient to fulfill prescribed standards for the profession and a high level of achievement. The award was presented during the annual CFE Luncheon by IAFE Chair, Rick Frenette, CFE, of the Utah State Fair.

Other active SC State Fair Staff having previously received this prestigious award are:

Gary L. Goodman, CFE (1991) General Manager

Nancy L. Smith, CFE (2006) Assistant Manager

Judy B. Heise, CFE (2007) Director of Computer Operations

SUMMER VACATION? BE SAFE...

VIEW THE FAIR SAFETY VIDEO

Planning a trip to an amusement park during the Summer? If so, check out the Fair Safety Video, "Safe Fun at the Carnival", compliments of our affiliate Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA). This informative and entertaining video can be found at http://www.scstatefair.org/state-fair/video/ .

The SC State Fairgrounds is an ideal setting for many public and private events throughout the year with exception of September and October when we set up for the SC State Fair. Following is a list of public events scheduled at this time through August, 2008:

2	Wild Summers Nite Auction SC Wildlife Federation	Ellison Building	Angela Viney 803-256-0670
15 - 17	Fall Home & Decorating Show Home Builders Association of Columbia	Americraft-Cantey Building	Earle McLeod 803-256-6238

Log on to http://www.scstatefair.org/calendar/ for an up-to-date Year-Round Calendar of Events along with Event Promoter contact information.

Facility Rental details may be found at http://www.scstatefair.org/throughout-the-year/facility-rentals/index.php. To schedule an event at the fairgrounds, e-mail Tim Wilson or telephone 803.799.3387 ext. 11.

Online applications for RV/Camper parking reservations for events held throughout the year are available at http://www.scstatefair.org/throughout-the-year/rv_information.php. Or click on the Throughout the Year menu tab, and follow the drop-down menu.

For more information e-mail Steve Felsberg or telephone 803.799.3387 ext. 22.

NEW IN 2008

USC Football Fans - Reserved Parking in all Lots

There will be no General Admission parking on the fairgrounds in 2008.

All football parking on the fairgrounds beginning in 2008 will be RESERVED PARKING ONLY.

NEW 2008 USC FOOTBALL PARKING APPLICATIONS are available on the SC State Fair web site at http://www.scstatefair.org/throughout-the-year/usc-reserved-parking.php.

E-mail Steve Felsberg or telephone 803.799.3387 ext. 22 for more information. GO GAMECOCKS!!!

The SC State Fair e-Newsletter is published four times a year; Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall (FAIR issue). To receive a BLAST reminding you of this quarterly publication, sign up on our home page at www.scstatefair.org by adding your e-mail address in the e-newsletter box. You will be directed to create a User Profile and your name will be added to the databases of your interest, i.e. General Newsletter, Commercial Exhibitor, Football Parking, Scholarships, one of our Competitive Exhibit departments, etc..

Be sure to add our e-mail address, geninfo@scstatefair.org, to your Address Book to insure our e-mail to you is delivered to your Inbox.

Have a great summer and we'll see you at the 2008 SC State Fair in October!