State Fair Brings New Chef Competition, Special Tribute Sculpture

The smell of fried chicken, funnel cakes and the petting zoo are filling the air in Columbia. 

The 124th annual South Carolina State Fair opens its doors today at 3 p.m. and runs through Oct. 23. This year's theme is "Find Your Happy."

The fair will feature the usual rides, from the Fireball and Gravitron to the bumper cars and the ferris wheel.  

on the Pepsi Grandstand stage features a wider variety of performances at lower prices. Fair-goers can enjoy everything from the 80s rock band Styx to country singer Trace Adkins. 

New this year is the "Famously Hot Chef Showdown," an Iron Chef-style competition between chefs from three Columbia restaurants. Former White House Chef Walter Scheib will be the master of ceremonies. The showdown will take place on the WIS-TV stage at 5 p.m. Oct. 18. 

The State Fair is also celebrating the 225th anniversary of the City of Columbia. Sandscapes sculpture artists will mold 75 tons of sand into the shape of the Statehouse.

Artists will work on the sculpture during the fair's 12-day run. Visitors can view it in the Ellison building. 

Also new this year is State Fair Radio, a station that provides listeners with traffic conditions, emergencies and closings. The station will broadcast on 1610 AM within about a three-mile radius of the fair grounds.  

Find the State Fair on Facebook and Twitter for more information and special deals. For ticket information, click here.