State Fair Braces for Ugly Weather Wednesday

State Fair officials braced for bad weather Wednesday. Strong winds whipped flags at the state fairgrounds in Little Rock, and dark clouds rolled over the area.

But artist J.R. Norman wasn't worried about the potential thunderstorm.

"We work with the weather," Norman said. "That's how it is."

The Florida native is kind of a free spirit, living his life as fluidly as the brilliant brush strokes on his canvas.

So Norman didn't seem to mind the dark clouds gathering over the fair Wednesday morning, saying he'd go wherever the wind blew him.

"You really don't get worried in this line of business," Norman said. "You just decide it's time to shut down, and take a break, maybe."

But some vendors didn't wait for the weather to turn. It was up, up, and away for a helicopter giving rides. The pilot decided to take his craft back to the hangar ahead of the storm.

It's not exactly their first rodeo, storm speaking, says Fair Director Ralph Shoptaw.

"Everybody out here is tuned to the weather. These folks are in the weather all year long," Shoptaw said of the vendors. "They've been through storms and tornadoes, and wind and hail."

Shoptaw said fair folk were expecting some bad weather late in the afternoon, and he wouldn't hesitate to shut it all down if things get ugly.

"People's safety is the number one thing on our mind," Shoptaw said. "We just don't want it to get to the point folks, patrons, are in an unsafe situation."

Norman says he'll pack it in if has to. But it's going to take more than a little rain to wash the colors off his canvas.

"This is nothing, actually," Norman said, gesturing the winds flipping flags across the fair. "Itts really beautiful weather today, you know?"