We couldn't let this year's fair end without talking about one of our favorite things -- the decorated cakes.

This year's entries are some of the most creative ever. A giant, spooky haunted house. An intricate Asian silk pattern. An overflowing toy box. 

There's even a cake designed to look exactly look a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We understand there are actual donuts inside. We'll have to take the word of fair officials -- they won't let us get too close to the cakes. (Likely with good reason!)

Still, our favorite was the cake designed to look just like Duff and the gang from Charm City Cakes, as seen on the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes." Just ponder that for a second -- a specially designed cake that honors the real cake decorators who are featured on a reality TV show all about creating specially designed cakes. Kind of makes your head spin, huh?

Looking at the animals is always a highlight of the State Fair. But some of this year's most memorable cows, chickens and horses aren't straight from the farm — they are art projects from Triangle high schools.

The "Farm Animal Frenzy" competition pitted high school art students from Wake and Durham counties to see who could decorate the best barnyard beast.

Apex High School's "Murial, the Dairy Queen," above, took home first place and the
$1,000 grand prize.

"Javier at the Fair," a chicken decorated by Fuquay-Varina High students, won second place and $750 cash. "Ms. Moo," a cow designed by Sanderson High in Raleigh, won third place and $500. Both are shown below.

Fair judges also selected "Corny Carney Carl" by Wakefield High, "Playin' Hooky" by Garner High and an unnamed horse by N.C. School of Math and Science students as honorable mentions.

Wilmington student Evan Real, 17, danced his way to victory Wednesday at the fair's “Pants Dance Revolution” contest. Now, we hope he's hungry for some Subway sandwiches.

The dance event, sponsored by Triangle Subway restaurants, brought together Evan and four other groups of finalists from across North Carolina to dance in front of a crowd on the fair's Waterfall Stage. The finalists were selected from state residents who posted videos of themselves dancing on YouTube.

After he was judged best dancer of the finalists, Evan won a year’s supply of Subway sandwiches, a Nintendo Wii, a Wii Fit and a pair of 60-inch-waist pants signed by Subway spokesman Jared Fogle.

Fogle, who was at the fair, wears much smaller pants these days, after famously losing more than 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches and exercising.

The other dance finalists were Nicholas Springer, 4, of Raleigh; Devin Bazemore, 17, of Wake Forest; Austin Ward, 16, and Bobby Demoss, 17, both of Knightdale; and Sterling C. Franklin, 25, of Cary.

Our one question: Just what will Evan do with those giant pants? Think there's a market for them on eBay?

In what may be the quietest nook of the State Fair, a walled-off corner of the Jim Graham Building, sit 24 squares of hay, each with a prize ribbon.

Who knew that hay can be superlative? Heck, who knew there were different kinds?

Hay seems like a timeless crop, one that would change — if at all — at a Darwinian pace. There’s hot news from the hay front, though: There is a growing locavore movement for, uh, herbivores.

North Carolina can produce fabulous hay, and people rally should try to buy local, said Sue Ellen Johnson, a forage specialist with the Department of Crop Science at N.C. State University, one of the two contest judges.

The N.C. Cooperative Extension and the North Carolina Forage and Grassland Council — which sponsor the contest — are promoting the growth of high-quality hay in the state. Indeed, the winning entries at the fair are often used for demonstrations. The sponsors also are hoping to persuade more horse owners and cattle farmers to buy local hay.

There are nine potential types of hay that can be entered — though only entries in eight categories this year. They are graded on a range of qualities. Weeks before the fair, entrants have to submit samples of their hay for analysis in a lab. It’s checked for protein and fiber content — less fiber means more useful mass — and nitrates, which can be harmful.

Early on the first day of the fair, the judges examined each entry again and again, checking for impurities such as rocks, mustiness that would signify mold, leafiness and “excessive leaf shatter” — meaning leaves that are so dry they are likely to crumble and fall away as the hay is handled.

If the cows and horses knew about the contest, they might well break out of their pens. Some of this stuff — the best alfalfa entries for example — smell almost good enough for a human to eat.

Forget Napa, Bordeaux and other famed wine-growing regions. We've got some winning wines right here in the Tar Heel State.

The State Fair's Ninth Annual Wine Competition had 307 competitors submitted by 41 North Carolina wineries.

Childress Vineyards took home the N.C. Winegrowers Cup and Best of Show honors with its 2006 Cabernet Franc. Childress also led the medal count with 33 awards. Old Stone Winery’s Sweet Muscadine took the N.C. Muscadine Cup for best Muscadine wine.

Three panels of professional judges evaluated wines and awarded 24 double gold, 29 gold, 97 silver and 94 bronze medals. Double gold medals are awarded for unanimous decisions from the judges.

Other top honors were:

Best Red Vinifera: Childress Winery, Barrel Select Cabernet Franc 2006
Best White Vinifera: Shelton Vineyards, Yadkin Valley Riesling 2007
Best Fruit Wine: Buck Shoals Vineyard, Apple Mead
Best Sparkling Wine: Biltmore Winery, Ch. Reserve Blanc de Blanc NC 2006
Best White Native American: Old Stone Vineyards, Sweet Muscadine
Best Red Native American: Cypress Bend Vineyards, Autumn

For a complete list of winners, please visit www.nccommerce.com/wine.