Benson Nites Wins State Fair Tobacco Stringing Contest
The team secured the top prize at the North Carolina State Fair competition with a time of one minute and four seconds.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Agriculture
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Twelve teams competed in the annual tobacco stringing contest at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. The Benson Nites team claimed the first place prize of $250 by successfully stringing bundles in 64 seconds.
Why it matters
The event honors the historical tradition of manual tobacco harvesting, a practice that remains deeply rooted in the agricultural identity of North Carolina. Despite modern mechanization, the competition celebrates the manual skills once required to prepare the state's significant tobacco crop.
The Benson Nites team won with a time of 1 minute and 4 seconds, surpassing the requirement of 36 bundles per stick. The event featured contestants ranging in age from 12 to 97 years old.
The players
Benson Nites
This team was the first-place winner of the annual tobacco stringing competition at the North Carolina State Fair.
North Carolina State Fair
This is an annual agricultural exposition held in Raleigh that highlights the history and economic importance of the state's farming sector.
Oxford Tobacco Research Station
This facility is dedicated to agricultural research and provided the tobacco leaves used by all contestants during the event.
The details
Handers gathered leaf clumps and passed them to stringers who wrapped twine around the stems and wooden sticks. Participants had to ensure that no leaves fell when the stick was shaken to qualify for the competition.
Timeline
The competition took place on October 16, 2026.
Market Landscape
While North Carolina remains the largest tobacco producer in the United States with over 248 million pounds produced last year, this contest pays tribute to the manual legacy of the industry. It contrasts the traditional hand-stringing process with the highly automated methods currently used in the state's tobacco sector.
For residents in Raleigh, the event serves as an educational bridge to understanding the historical labor behind a crop that generated $546 million in value last year. Visitors to the fair can observe these traditional techniques firsthand, providing context for the state's massive agricultural output.
The takeaway
The competition showcases how local communities preserve historical farming skills despite the industrialization of agriculture. These traditions provide a tangible link to the state's economic past while engaging participants across generations.
Further reading
Learn more about the state's farming traditions in our Agriculture section.
Live Poll
Is it important for communities to keep historical agricultural traditions alive through public contests?
