10/09/16 — Mt. Olive Pickle booth at State Fair to move

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Mt. Olive Pickle booth at State Fair to move

By From staff reports
Published in News on October 9, 2016 1:45 AM

RALEIGH -- After almost 30 years in the same location at the N.C. State Fair, Mt. Olive Pickle Co. will move to a new spot this year.

The company's booth, where fair-goers can purchase a pickle for 50 cents, will be located in The Marketplace, a new, large tent holding a number of commercial vendors.

The Marketplace can be found across from the Rabbit Barn and next door to the N.C. State Howling Cow ice cream stand.

The N.C. State Fair opens Thursday, Oct. 13, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 23, at the fairgrounds in Raleigh.

"We've been in our same location -- the Commercial Building -- we think for almost 30 years, and thousands of Mt. Olive Pickle fans visit us there every year," said Lynn Williams, company spokesperson. "We are excited about our new location, because it puts us squarely in the middle of the fairgrounds, and we are looking forward to engaging even more folks who love Mt. Olive pickles.

"The challenge is to get the word out to let our traditional fans know where to find us."

Mt. Olive Pickle is one of the state fair's longest running commercial vendors -- it has had a presence at the fair since the early 1950s. The booth offers free scratch 'n' sniff pickle stickers, plus a guessing game where fair goers can enter their best guess at the number of pickles in a 2.5 gallon jar. After the fair is over, the company sends a gift box of pickles to each daily winner.

"A stop at the pickle booth is just a tradition for many folks who attend the N.C. State Fair -- they came as children and now they are bringing their children and grandchildren," Mrs. Williams said. "It's wonderful for our employees working the booth to interact with some of our biggest and best fans, and for our fans to meet and talk with the people who actually make their favorite pickles."

In business since 1926, Mt. Olive Pickle Co. manufactures the best-selling brand of pickles, peppers and relishes in U.S. grocery stores.

Its operations encompass 1 million square feet of production and warehouse space spread over 150 acres in Mount Olive, located about 70 miles southeast of Raleigh.

The company is observing its 90th anniversary in 2016.