LUMBERTON — “Everything is interesting. Everything is unique,” said Coble Wilson, President Emeritus of the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair’s Executive Board.
He was speaking of the fair itself, but his statement could easily apply to the fair’s food.
On the evening of Oct 3 Wilson enjoyed powdered mini donuts as he maneuvered his golf cart between the throngs of fairgoers and food stands. Food and eating is at the center of this inaugural installment of this series showcasing the highlights of the fair.
Fair food is among the main draws to any fair and the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair is no exception.
Food and eating is at the center of this inaugural installment of this series showcasing the highlights of the fair.
Walking down the densely travelled avenues at the fair the sense of smell can be overwhelmed by the plenitude of contrasting aromas wafting from the food stands.
The range of food is hardly limited. Though some chain restaurants like Dominoes Pizza and Sweet Frog have dispatched miniature outposts of their nationwide fares to the Fair, the overall character of the edible attractions is, true to the fair’s name, much more regional.
Bryan Coker makes elephant ears for the fair. His family moved to Lumberton in 1984, and at the time they made elephant ears by hand. At the Collard Coop, the most popular offering of the stand at their second year at the Agricultural Fair is the collard sandwich.
Fairgoers can dine on foods from Santillo’s, where the owner said people have gone crazy over the loaded fries, or sample a helping of handmade Lumbee Bloomin’ Onions, such as the most popular cheese steak bloomin’ onions. Lumbee Bloomin’ Onions are prepared using a pair of proprietary recipes, a secret spice called Dat-Der, and a secret sauce, Lum-Yum.
DayDay’s BBQ takes three hours to prepare. Though his slogan for his BBQ sauce is to try it on everything, he suggested trying it on ribs, but not on french fries. Always at the same corner at the fair for so long he’s forgotten, DayDay’s ribs and other BBQ comes with this a strong recommendation- he ran out on Saturday.
Copeland Jacobs can be reached at 910-416-5165