RALEIGH, N.C.— The North Carolina State Fair first came to Raleigh in the 1850s. Back then, dazzling lights, fireworks, giant stuffed animals and wacky fair foods weren't yet on the menu.

With nostrils 100 times more sensitive than ours, imagine the whiffs WNC’s furry neighbors are getting this spring, as they come out of hibernation — basically all that our region has to offer ...