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    N.C. State Fairgrounds

    3.8 (196 reviews)

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    Giant pumpkins!
    Peyton W.

    4 stars because of increased pricing, but as always I still manage to have a great time!

    Entertainment 10 out 10
    Tina S.

    This year's fair was great. Love how organized it was. I am not a ride person but we did ride the SkyGazer which is nice for views of the fairgrounds. The food choices are plenty but make sure you bring at least $100 and ziplock bags. We love Peachy's pretzels and donuts. The cookie bucket. Davis vegan corn dog and the stuffed turkey leg was my husband's favorite. Recommendations go early and avoid the weekend crowds and dress comfortably especially shoes

    Caleb M.

    We had the best time at the Pokémon convention at the North Carolina State fairgrounds. It was very well set up and there were so many vendors to choose from, the photos attached show what I bought and I'm so happy with. Highly recommend all of the fun events they have going on here.

    Falan E.

    I think the best thing going on here is the lunch passes and the state fair app which allow visitors to find things easily. The waiting in excessive lines for overpriced food is really a thing of the past that I don't care to partake in going forward. Cool running's is an old faithful. I've gone to the State Fair as far back as 2005 maybe even earlier and enjoyed their offerings. I also enjoy the bacon wrapped meatballs. All of the food I had I could easily be prepare at home. Was it worth a trip? Not at all. The parking could be a nightmare depending on the time of day.

    Tropicana mango peach pineapple smoothie
    Joy R.

    As always an amazing time at the N.C. Fair. The hubby & I get there very early in the morning to access the free parking lot for accessibility parking close to gate 10. The lot fills up very quickly as does workers & security arrive. Calling the main number- the representative of the power scooter business brought the paperwork & scooters to us which was a tremendous help as the entrance - security area can be a little dicey. On our way we passed lots of different food vendors - turkey legs - corn on the Cobb- fried veggies - breakfast &more! Games galore - the guy guessed my birthday but gave me a whistle anyway. We enjoyed a turkey leg- blooming onion - sinful corn on the Cobb dipped in butter- sausage dog - all which we shared. We thoroughly enjoyed the live stock - pigs - chickens- & more. There's hand sanitizer in different areas in the building for convenience & on to the building that house ms all kinds of chickens & turkeys- there was some much cackling- it was quite loud. There was a handwashing station outside the building.There was a huge crowd waiting for enormous doughnuts- I stood in line for a good hour but it was well worth the wait. Hubby & I had a ball. We were able to access the majority of the fair on our scooters - several hours later the crowd was getting thick & we made our way to turn in the scooters.It was quite chilly but it started warming up after awhile. There was so much to do for all ages -a lot of family fun - different rides- clean restrooms & clean areas. There were bands outside the Dorton Area - a lot of Police presence to assure safety - there's a Red Cross building where professionals can handle emergencies. Hubby & I love going to the N.C. StateFair every year we can- a great experience-

    Fried cheese curds
    Andrea A.

    Ugh I love the N.C. State Fair... I've gone every year for the past 4 years and it's always such a fun time. The food is indulgently good (albeit on the pricier side + hate the extra fee for credit card use)- with my annual staples being Peachey's donuts and fried Oreos. New food experiences for me this year were the fried pecan pie (absolutely yum), Thai green tea (could skip adding boba), and the $2(!) iced sweet tea (mid tea, great price). While I generally do not trust fair rides, I have tried and survived a Ferris wheel here lol. I park for free at the Dogwood lot and take the shuttle over- I will just say anticipate 2x the amount of time that you think it will take to get to the fair to actually get there. Also, trust the lines- if the line for food is long, it's probably good. And don't forget to visit all the veggies (the gigantic pumpkins are my fav) and animals. 10/10 would recommend!

    Soul food eggroll
    Britt J.

    I went for Peachey's and Peachey's only. The line was wrapped by the live stock however it went by fast !!

    Mike O.

    I have gone to a number of fairs, some big and some small. This to me was okay, but not great. The number of exhibits was just okay and I really would like to have seen more. We bought a ticket that included a beer or a wine along with it for $17.00 per person. The thing that really brought this rating down for me was the tremendous wait in queueing for EVERYTHING. The food selection was okay but I think a bit overpriced and just getting to it over the sea of people was not a good experience. Everyone was reasonable and cordial considering that every step you took was about a dozen people in front, back, or on each side of you.

    Peach Sundae. $10 from "Fun Rides and Events Inc" near Pitzer Heritage Circle. Card accepted.
    Daniel B.

    I thought the North Carolina State Fair was OK. I preface this review by saying fairs aren't really for me, similar to how I'm not the biggest fan of food festivals, food trucks, and pop-up restaurants. While I've had some amazing food from food trucks and I thought the food here was generally good, I prefer sit-down restaurants. I know the fair isn't all about food, but it's still a big aspect. I'm also not a huge fan of a lot of fair-type foods. Couple that with standing in line for said food and that's a big reason why fairs aren't my favorite events. I'll break this review down into pros, cons, and tips. *** Pros *** 1. The fair is visually appealing. We went this past Saturday night and the Ferris wheels, amusement rides, food vending stalls, and giant games with bright neon signs looked great under the night sky. I loved the retro look of the storefronts. There was definitely some charm and appeal there. My wife has been during the day and says the fair looks cooler at night. 2. The fair is huge and has a lot to offer. This fair is the biggest in the state. Second is the Carolina Classic Fair in Winston-Salem. If you want to maximize your experience at the NC State Fair, plan ahead. There's a lot to see, do, eat, and drink. 3. The price of admission seems reasonable. We paid $13 per person at the gate for admission this past Saturday. 4. The fair brings the community together. 5. Most parking is free. 6. It's good exercise. You'll be walking a lot. 7. Most of the food and drink ain't bad. I recommend the Peach Sundae ($10 total) from Fun Rides and Events Inc, by the Pitzer Heritage Circle, and a Gourmet Funnel Cake ($16.09 after tax) from the Gobblin' Gourmet (Iron Kitchen Holdings LLC), near the Field of Dreams and Gate 1. 8. Fireworks every night at 9:45pm, over the pond. *** Cons *** 1. Most of the food and drink are overpriced. The best example of this was the Bulkogi Gimbap from the Bulkogi food truck. It cost $18. After tax and tip, it was $20.70 for one deep-fried Korean beef roll. Gimbap isn't normally deep-fried, but Bulkogi did it to fit in with fair food tradition which perfectly segues to my next con... 2. Most of the food is unhealthy. This goes without saying, but that's just the way fair food is. Fried, greasy, sugary, loaded with carbs and cholesterol. It's great for heart health. Not. But hey, I love junk food too, even if it kills me. Enjoy your life! 3. The restroom situation isn't great. More restrooms and cleaner restrooms would be nice. Since you're touching a lot of rides and games and standing around eating a lot of messy food with your hands, you need places to wash your hands. I saw one handwashing station by the children's livestock barn, but that was it. My go-to restroom was near the pond. That restroom appeared to be staffed around the clock by a cleaning crew and it had soap and water. And a tip jar. The only other places I've seen a tip jar in the men's room weren't family-friendly, so that was a weird juxtaposition. 4. It's crowded. If you don't like large/dense crowds, try visiting during a non-peak time, if you can. 5. The cost of admission, food, drinks, rides, games, merchandise, and special event tickets can really add up. The fair isn't as affordable as some people think. 6. Not a lot of seating. I would've loved to have eaten a Butcher Boys London Broil Steak Sandwich ($15), but there was nowhere to sit down and enjoy it. Some vendors have dedicated seating, but most don't. Yeah yeah, I know this is a fair thing, hence the preface to my review. 7. The Dogwood parking lot was terrible. The Dogwood Lot is the park-and-ride lot at 4501 Reedy Creek Road. This past Saturday, it was a field of thick mud. We got mud/clay all over our shoes/boots, some on our jeans, and my car was a mess. My car looks like it went off-roading because, well, it did. I think it could be argued this lot was unfit and unsafe to park in given how wet and muddy it was. Even walking in it wasn't safe, especially with the limited lighting. It was slippery and unstable. If the other lots were in better shape, parking attendants should have directed fairgoers to those lots instead. There was no way a stroller was getting through all that mud. We saw one family struggling to help their elderly family member into their car because of how muddy it was. 8. Overflowing trash cans, lots of trash on the ground in some places. *** Tips *** 1. Bring cash. Many of the vendors are cash only. ATM machines are on-site. 2. Research your parking options. In 2023, the NC State Fair posted parking info here: https://bit.ly/48QTWS1 Parking at PNC Arena is paid on certain days. It may be worth it to pay since it's paved and you don't have to get on a shuttle. 3. Try the Food & Ride Finder: https://bit.ly/3M1wmbs 4. Wear comfortable shoes. 5. Buy tickets in advance to get a discount. You can buy tickets in advance as early as almost two months in advance, online or in person.

    Felicia C.

    I know. How does the fair get a 4? I've been several times spread out over my 25+ years being back in the triad. This particular year seemed off to me. Plenty of rides and games. The food we had at the Korean food truck was great! For me there want a lot to see and take in. To be fair it was a work outing in broad daylight. I've gone before during the day and walk the exhibits and such. This year seemed lackluster. Parking has gotten worse. Oooh weee! Some may say better thanks to electronic payment services. Now you can cash app money to that sweet old couple for parking in your yard vs having to have cash or worrying I you have correct change. I opted for the park and ride. Or should I say park and haul. Oooo wee! Free.99 so I am not complaining about that part. Trying to locate the lot? Thankful for my coworkers because uh ruhhh I was struggling. You travel on motor coaches. Nice cushy ride and no driving. Be prepared to walk always to get in but if you've ever been to a state fair or even a county fair this is par for the course. I wasn't expecting so many people on a Thursday morning! Wowza!

    Marie O.

    What a great state fair. I grew up going to LA county fairs and this one seemed grander! It had everything and I didn't even have time to see it all. You can see beautiful pigs, goats and cattle and more. You can eat Korean food on a stick to fried Oreos. You can see winners of best and largest produce too. There were rides and games galore. And oh my goodness.... juiciest street corn on a Cobb I ever tried. It was so fun. Warning... extremely crowded on weekends. We could barely walk around certain areas. Try to come during the week and book discounted tickets on line so you skip the ticket line to get in.

    Turkey legs are a must do !
    Marissa M.

    This was my 3rd year attending the NC State Fair. There is something for everyone to enjoy and the changes they have made each year are only getting better. While the fair is expensive with entrance admission, parking fees and food and rides to budget for, you can benefit from planning ahead. Purchase tickets online ahead of opening day or sign up to be a volunteer for free admission. I always park at Carter Finley stadium and take the shuttle to a gate entrance to avoid paying $40 on parking. You may have to wait for the shuttle depending on the time of day you're visiting. I always arrive early morning to get the most out of my day on a week day. I do not advise going during the weekend. If you must, arrive at opening to avoid massive crowds and long endless lines. My favorite things to enjoy are The Flower & Garden Show Competition winners, the cake decorating competition exhibit, animals, live shows and the variety of New Foods each year. This year my daughter enjoyed the winner Cool Runnings Jamaican's Jerk BBQ Mac bowl. Flavorful and fresh. Do plan to spend about $30-40 PP on your family when purchasing food and snacks for the day. We always enjoy the old school rides here. They never get old. The Mighty Mouse rollercoaster & Alpine Bob sleds are our favorite. We always ride the State Flyer to Gate 8 also. Al's Fries & Wisconsin Cheese nuggets are classic favorites you must try for under $15. I always leave with a caramel peanut coated Granny Smith apple. Check it out for yourself and bring cash money.

    Eat: Candy Apple
    Leslie H.

    Another NC State Fair in the books! This year we went on a Tuesday and enjoyed the seasonably warm temps for late October. Because of construction, we couldn't access our normal free street parking spot so found a home that charged $20 to park by Gate 6. We did pretty good playing our NC State Fair 'Deep Fried Bingo card' which we found a copy of it via X/Twitter. It's a fun way to experience things to do at the fair. Here's some of what we marked off our card: Eat a Candy Apple Ride State Fair Flyer See Field of Dreams Hear Heritage Music See Giant Pumpkin Meet At Skygazer Taste Roasted Corn Taste a Food ~the Fried Hazelnut Croissant La Farm Bakery is so yummy Taste Local ice cream Ride The Himalaya Snap A Selfie Which of these things have you done at the Fair?

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - N.C. State Fairgrounds

    What is the best Gate to park in this year ? How do I access the free parking areas ? Help please

    You can park at PNC arena for free. Walking across from there will allow you to enter at gate 8.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - N.C. State Fairgrounds

    Some of my favorites at the fair are the free samples of hush puppies and the loaded sweet potatoes.

    Mentioned in 100 reviews

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    Got To Be NC Festival - My fav iced cream Bruster's

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    I love this festival…read more The fact there is an NC based festival that focuses on local vendors and creators is such a wonderful idea! I went to the sip and shop area where you can get an alcoholic drink and wander around. I got to sample so many amazing local foods, sauces, and sweets. I walked out of that place work so much stuff! Then the agriculture center has livestock and learning experiences for the little ones. This festival is definitely a must try if you've never been!

    NC runs on agriculture and this festival is all about celebrating and educating on the state's…read moreagriculture. Got To Be NC is a smaller scale festival held on the same NC State fairgrounds. We enjoyed visiting for the first time this year. Parking was still a struggle despite it being free. We walked over from PNC's Wolfpack lot. Crowds were significantly less and admission is free. We enjoyed the food trucks offering plenty carnival fried foods and southern classics. We loved Bruster's Fresh Iced cream. The kids enjoyed the rides but prices could be more affordable given this is not the state fair. $30 a wristband really hits parents pockets when it's multiple children. The classic live shows are the reason I enjoy attending. We enjoyed the King BMX bike show and Lauryn Zepeda's pony trick show. The horses were beautiful and entertaining. The Graham Center housed all things agriculture. We fell in love with the baby pigs and it was enough to make me commit to being vegan. We ended the day with a ride on the state flyer and a 2 mile walk to our car. Until next year folks !

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    Southeast Crab Feast

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    I came across Southeast Crab Feast at the anniversary party of a local brewery. The Yelp listing…read morefor this business was for an All You Can Eat seafood festival, held by this same business, so a review for a two+ year old event didn't make sense. Yelp moderators may see it differently and that's okay. But for whatever it's worth, this place did a fantastic job. There was one truck and several pots of boiling seasoned water (a low country boil style) and a lot of people, adults and kids, walking away with plates of fresh cooked seafood. It was not an all you can eat event, unlike the annual festival, but each plate had a more-than-fair amount of seafood. According to their website, SECF is a non-profit entity supporting cancer research and treatment. I don't know if this brewery anniversary event was part of that, but if it was, it made the food taste even better. Despite the crowds, the crew working kept up with the orders for the most part and were nice enough, when they did get backed up, to deliver the food to people sitting at the tables. The food was boiled perfectly: The six jumbo shrimp had a light garlic butter sauce and were served with bite size pieces of potato. They shrimp were not overcooked and the potatoes were not undercooked. The crab legs came with a small ear of corn. While SECF had hot sauce and cocktail sauce available, they did not have the utensils to crack open the crab legs, so it required some ingenuity to make that happen. Sometimes the plastic fork, sometimes the original fork (aka fingers), and sometimes . . . well, sometimes just smashing it with something . . . . I'm not sure how well this type of food would work in an AYCE event, but for a single pay-per-plate, like any other food truck, it goes into the "win" column.

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    First Night Raleigh - One of the art display pieces

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    I am pleased that the city of Raleigh has a family friendly, alcohol free event on New Year's Eve…read more Over the years of the event, they have excelled in making it an interactive event with a great variety of arts and entertainment. The kids event start in the mid afternoon, and include the full New Year;s Eve countdown treatment at 7pm (12 midnight on Greenwich Mean Time) with the acorn drop and fireworks display. Ever wanted to be in a parade? You have your chance with the people's procession. Lots of paper mache animal heads and shapes are made available for use in the parade, or be one of the many walking the huge puppet named Rhea down the parade route. New for this year was a phone app that made it much easier to see what activities where happening at any particular time. Do be aware this is a popular event and can get VERY crowded, especially at the main stage for both the 7pm and midnight acorn drops. Traffic and parking can be quite difficult, especially for those not used to downtown parking. I have been many times since this event started iver 25 years ago. I have always found it to be an enjoyable way to bring in the new year.

    This place is hot, on a whole new level though. It's a bit off the beaten path from the usual…read moreRaleigh nightlife spots, but it's worth it. It's the best karaoke bar Raleigh has. Cheap drinks Diverse crowd Laid back Cheap eats Fun

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    World Beer Festival - My Brother & I, the 2nd year we went ? 2010 ?

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    4.0(14 reviews)
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    "I keep drinking because I don't quit. Quitters are losers."…read more Woah! World Beer Festival. Where to start?! Well, for me, it's the corner of Person St and Martin St. I am a stickler of order and rules, so I started out at table #1 and trek my way across the all the brewery. While everyone flipping through their big book of Beer Guide, generously produced and provided by ALL ABOUT BEER MAGAZINE for this year's festivity, I however had done my study. Days before I have compiled and made a checklist of all the confirmed breweries, in Evernote, for easy checking in later in UNTAPPD app. I enjoyed all the national and international breweries, and even though the NC brewery tent was packed from beginning to end, I somehow made it through twice, when there was literally no moving foot traffic. Half way through the evening, feeling the waves of lethargy overcoming me, I wisely hopped over to the food tents, and got myself some stomach padding. The Sloppy Goats with Tots was quite interesting. Helping out at the Yelp booth also gave me some new perspectives, had I kept drinking, how much of a blabbering fool would I look to others. In the end it was a tremendously fun event, which I would most likely return in the coming years. (UPDATE: the final count was 96 check-ins in Untappd)

    This was the first year I got a ticket and went to the World Beer Festival in Moore Square. All in…read moreall, I enjoyed it. I didn't stay the whole 6p-10p second session of the day but got to enjoy a lot of the flavor, both festival and beer, in what I did stay. Beer, beer, beer...it's a lot of beer. Greeted with your little clear plastic cup as you walk in, you get to have 2 oz. pours of whatever beers you choose to taste all during your session. And there had to be hundreds. Ciders as well, and actually they surprised me, I had a few I liked! Again, it cemented that I am just not an IPA kinda guy, but at least I got to try and see what I may like if any (just didn't happen with IPAs). From the serious beer tasters to those that were out to enjoy a downtown event to the sloppy drunken frat boy/wannabe frat boys and screeching drunk girls, and all in between, all types were definitely represented at this event. Great people watching event, that was some of the best fun. It was a decent setup, pretty spaced out tents but a bit (no, sometimes a lot) crowded in the actual tents where the beers were. I have low tolerance for claustrophobic situations but in the wide open space of Moore Square, you can get quick relief. The food is more along fair food type of stuff, I had the corn dogs and they were awesome actually! The live music was a good touch as well. I even ran into some fellow Yelpers and even old buds I haven't seen in years...good times. Bottom line: Will I go back again if I have the chance? Probably so. It was fun, and a welcome event to get everyone out and about in the downtown Raleigh area.

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    N.C. State Fairgrounds - festivals - Updated May 2026

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