It’s that time of year again — The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is soon opening the 172nd annual State Fair.

Starting on October 16 and ending on October 26, the 10-day, 344-acre event, held at the State Fairgrounds and Carter-Finley Stadium, will feature games, vendors, rides, food, and agricultural attractions. 

The NC State Fair has something for everyone. There are games, rides, agricultural attractions, and a plethora of food options.

History

The NC State Fair began in 1853, when the State Agricultural Society held its first event. It lasted 4 days and attracted 4,000 people. Horse races, political orations, military parades, and agricultural exhibits like prize-winning livestock, crops, and handmade crafts were all a part of the first NC State Fair. 

From 1861-1868, the NC State Fair was not held due to the Civil War and Reconstruction Era.  

Since 1928, the fair has been held at the Carter Finley Stadium and the State Fair Grounds. 

Then in 1942, the fair closed due to World War 2, and reopened in 1946 with a total of 400,000 people.

In 1961, the fair timeline was extended from 4 days to 6 days. In 1969, the fair timeline was extended from 6 days to 9 days.

In 2020, for the first time since World War II, the fair was closed due to COVID-19. A website was developed that offered a drive-through food event for the community to still enjoy the fair food while social distancing. 

In 2021, after COVID, the fair opened back up with a total of 824,328 attendees. 

In 2024, a total of 998,926 visitors attended, making it the sixth-largest attendance in the fair’s history. The fair ran for 11 days, from October 17 to October 27, 2024. 

The estimated number of attendees for the 2025 NC State Fair is approximately 926,425. 

Rides

There are over 100 rides at the NC State Fair

This includes thrill rides, family rides, and kiddie rides. 

The most popular and iconic ride at the NC State Fair is the State Fair SkyGazer. It is a 155-foot-tall Ferris wheel that can hold up to 200 people at a time — showing fantastic views of the fairgrounds to all riders. The SkyGazer is the largest Ferris wheel in the USA and is a must-do ride at the NC State Fair. 

The most popular thrill ride at the NC State Fair is the Street Fighter 360 — with a swinging arm that rotates 360 degrees all at once. 

Etain Bernat, junior, said, “I like that adrenaline feel you get in your stomach when you go on the tall rides.”

Another must-do ride at the NC State Fair is the State Fair Flyer — a permanent ski-lift-style ride that carries people over the middle of the fair.

There are two ways to ride these fun attractions: with tickets or unlimited wristbands. 

Tickets are a pay-per-ride option where each ride costs a certain number of tickets. The unlimited ride wristbands allow one person access to all eligible rides for the entire day. 

You can buy both in advance online or in person at various kiosks around the fair campus.

Food

The iconic fair food is something that all fairgoers look forward to, and sometimes, the only reason they go. 

There are over 150 food vendors located throughout the Fair, offering a variety of sweet treats, hearty/savory options, and frozen foods/drinks. 

A very popular, iconic fair food is anything “fried”. A lot of vendors fry butter, ice cream, Coca-Cola, jelly beans… just about anything. 

Etain Bernat said, “deep-fried Oreos are a go-to.”

Juan Herrera, a junior at Leesville, is very involved in the NC State Fair. He works for his family’s stand, where they sell the Colombian dish, Arepas. 

Herrera said, “We do get a lot of customers, and most of the time it’s just people that want to try new stuff and go to the fair to experience new cultures.”

Agriculture

To showcase the state’s agriculture, there is a various amount of crops, livestock, and new technology being presented by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Events like hog races, goose races, tractor races, and barrel races are all exciting things fairgoers can watch.

Different competitions revolve around baking, art, poultry, and homegrown vegetables. 

Some competitions that aren’t as popular, but still extremely relevant, revolve around tobacco, needlecraft, flowers, essays, and canning. 

The fair’s deep dedication to agriculture is for the state’s citizens to learn about agriculture through educational and competitive exhibits in the areas of livestock, horticulture, cooking, and folk art.

Overall, the NC State Fair has something for everyone across the state. 

Mark your calendars, October 16 through October 26, buy your tickets/wristbands, and enjoy all the fried food.