Aesthetic: Beautiful, clean state fair with the best people watching ever! My Favorites: The sweet animals like the big pigs, cows, and baby chicks! Experience: We had the best day at the state fair! I hadn't been to one since I was young in different states, but it had so much to offer, we were thrilled. I didn't expect the live music and beautiful country aesthetic. We started out walking around the mill area and the waterfront, and tried a frozen and hot apple cider and both were delicious. Then we walked and saw a ton of livestock and beautiful award winning gardens. We sampled crazy foods along the way that I've added in my pics from fried watermelon to pork belly churros. We ran around taking tons of pics of the rides and people watched until the sun went down and the fireworks began. Our hotel was in walking distance, and we were exhausted after walking for about 8 hours that day. I surprisingly didn't even gain weight from all the naughty food since we walked it all off. I can't wait to go back in the future, the NC state fair is the best! read more

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We absolutely enjoy the fair! Going to the fair is easy- buy your tickets online- it's free to park. We parked in the field on Edwards Mill- buses came every 5 minutes- very comfortable! Friendly drivers. We got dropped at the gate- then enjoyed ourselves- We didn't ride any rides - way too expensive (giant slide $7) unbelievable. The food was so pricey- one sausage $18 - lol - eat before you come (and bring snacks) Seeing all the shows and all the vendors- so much fun! read more

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I had a blast at the NC State Fair this year. My favorite food came from Peachey's: the best donut and pretzel I've ever had! Food was pricy as always, but I've come to expect from the fair. The garden/flower area was beautiful and they had some volunteers stationed to take your picture. "The Art of Bonsai" demonstration courtesy of the Triangle Bonsai Society my favorite activity this year. It was awesome to learn (and see) how Bonsai trees are raised. read more

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

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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 read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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- read more

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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! read more

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

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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? read more

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So the tickets were cheap to get inside but ride tickets we did the bracelets for unlimited rides extra 30 dollars per person. First time I went I had my husband and two young teen boys 11/12. We ran around all the rides. The flyers are separate tickets crazy!! So we didn't get the opportunity. The food was good specially the fried stuff Oreos, honey buns, etc. Turkey leg my husband liked but I have had better. We enjoyed all the rides and played some games. Wish information about the shows and stuff was app based like at theme parks. We had a great time. We watched the Sarasota dog show and camels. We saw the cows get washed. Wish they had more 4-H like the horses ect but maybe it was a different day and missed most animal stuff. The next time I went with my 74 year old mom. We parkedfor free at the Lenovo center and took the transfer tractor ride. Then we walked under the tunnel. We rode on the tram thank goodness so happy she couldn't walk in the crowd. We got to see everything that way!!! read more

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TO THE PERSON WORKING GATE 7 EXIT. HE LET SEVERAL PEOPLE TAKE A SHORT CUT AND THE MOMENT WE GO HE TELLS US TO GO AROUND. THEN HE GOT MOODY WHEN I TOLD HIM TO TELL EVERYONE! N.C. STATE FAIR DO NOT HIRE THIS MAN AGAIN! AN EXIT IS AN EXIT! OR AT LEAST CLOSE IT OFF AND REMOVE THE "EXIT" SIGN FROM IT! Not to mention people do not know how to walk and make room for others. No one skipped the line and most of the employees were nice. They censored my Google page review. They delete their Google page every year and then create a new one. Also they delete/hide 1 star reviews. I believe they should allow everyone who posted their review to remain there so others can voice their experiences. I hope mine does not get deleted. read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Guy at exit 7 - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Good family entertainment but be prepared to spend well over $200 for a family of 4. Parking is insane at $40 a car, which e dn Disney doesn't charge that much! If u plan on riding more than 3 rides, then it is a no brainer that u should get the unlimited pass for $40. Everything is well overpriced and expensive so good thing only do this once a year. I would definitely not go more than once. read more

This was my first time going to the NC State Fair. It's definitely better than some other state fairs that I have gone to. There's a wide variety food there. Something for everyone in your family. They do have some rides, as well as a tractor pull. There's wine there from a variety of wine from few different wineries. It's a lot of walking so make sure you wear some comfortable shoes. My suggestion is to add more handicap spaces. read more

This was my 2nd time ever going to the fair and we had a great time! We went solely for fair food, so this review will mostly be about that lol. You can tell the fair is a huge undertaking for the city because we went on a Monday afternoon and the roads were set for major fair traffic with blockades and police directing traffic and pedestrians. Again, this was Monday afternoon. So I can only imagine how hectic it gets on the weekends!!! We did park quite a ways away and walked. Which was fine. Getting tickets and entering was a breeze and there were no issues. Once we got inside there were a good amount of people there for a weekday. But it wasn't too crowded. We ate a couple phillys from two vendors that were both amazing! We tried the ostrich burger from a vendor and it wasn't good at all. No seasoning, and it cost $19! Extremely overpriced and not good, so that was a bummer. But hey, we can say we tried it. We ended up throwing it away after a few bites. We also had the Krispy crème burger of course. That was pretty good! The best past for me was the deep fried Oreos!!!! So so good! I don't have any pics because I took mostly video lol. But I definitely recommend taking a foodie fair trip. We had a great time! read more

There's no way there's a State Fair better than the NC State Fair! They have it all from livestock shows to great and diverse food to rides to quilting to artisan goods for sale. The fair is a perfect representation of the history and culture of North Carolina. Some of my favorites at the fair are the free samples of hush puppies and the loaded sweet potatoes. My parking recommendation is to park behind Carter Finley (there are almost always spots) or at the park and ride lot and walk (about 0.4 miles). The fair is the best spent $8 of the year! read more

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Overall this is a good fair. $10 prepay tickets. $30 ride all day prepay. Some games are a rip. Claw machines are rigged. Duck ring game won't pay prize. You can find a play til you win game for $20 for kids - that was a success. Food is hit or miss. Rattlesnake corndog is legit. Cookie dough on a stick is from a box - nah. Dill picket donut is a yes. Download the new food items map. Eat your way across! Spent $120 in food for 3. Fun was had. read more

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I have gone to the state fair three out of the four yeas I've been in North Carolina. I only ever go for the food though so I can't comment on the rides Pro tip for parking is to use either one of the free lots and shuttle over to the fair. There's always plenty of spots and it's free and soooo much more efficient and quicker than trying to find parking at the stadium. As for the food, let's start with appetizer. The corn on the cob is a MUST. The charcoal flavor makes it taste so much better than just corn and there are plenty of flavorings on the side. I always go for lemon pepper, cayenne, and parmesan! This is probably my favorite thing to get at the fair and that's saying a lot for someone who gets antsy when they dont have some form of meat at every meal Next, for entree, I highly recomend the sirloin tips dinner! It comes with a generous portion of sirloin tips, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and sauce on the side. The steak is tender and everything is super flavorful. Recommended it to my friends, and they were all huge fans of it too! Something new I tried this year was the Thanksgiving stuffed turkey leg. There's only one stall that does a stuffed turkey leg and oh boy is it hard to find. Took us hours of walking to finally find it despite following the map and I was getting pretty hangry. They take cash only so good thing I had enough on me! That thing was a whopping thirty dollars but it was pretty dang good not gonna lie. It also gave my arms a work out walking around with it cus it was HEAVY lol. The normal turkey legs at the fair are pretty dry and bland but this stuffed one was very juicy and flavorful with the gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I do wish it had more of the toppings so that I could savor every bite of meat with it but the meat was still pretty good. And finally for dessert, I always go for a funnel cake at whichever stall has it lol can't really go wrong with funnel cake. I also love pineapple dole whip and like to find the one stall that serves it in a pineapple to share with my friends! There's a lot of pineapple chunks in there which makes it a super refreshing end to a long night of eating read more

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My husband is disabled so we tried to park in the ADA parking lot gate 9 and 10 but the lots were full so we went to the Reedy Creek location. It was an awesome experience. They directed us to park way up front, then they walked us to the bus shuttle and put us at the front of the line. We took the shuttle to where they have you walk over to the fair and directed us to another bus which dropped us off at gate 10! To get back to the car they did the same thing and the provide seat under a tent while you wait for the shuttle. We were amazed with the service, they have thought of everything!!! Thank you to each worker for make our day from the shuttle drivers, the parking attendants the ones directing the traffic, they all worked so well together to get the mission accomplished read more

First time visiting North Carolina and the fair is such a memorable experience when you're in town! The food stalls are comprised of local and unique fare including fried everything. The krispy cream donut burger was a staple of the fair and cool to try once. The hot apple cider was perfect on the chilly evening! The games and rides were also super enjoyable -- all in all a super fun experience read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Fried cheesecake and fried honeybun - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We love our state! Any child under 36" won't be able to get identification anything but the carousel. Try the hot Cheeto bacon And the ribbon fries read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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So much fun for everyone! Be prepared to spend some money because everything here costs. Parking, admission, tickets and foods. There is something here for everyone. Games, food, rides and much more! read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I came for the food! I was seeing a lot of buzz on certain items online so I had to try a few. Some of the items whether it was a warm dessert or a fried option were room temperature when ordering them during a mid day visit. Although everything was tasty I did miss out on textures. All things considered, the fair was great and lots to do! read more

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Controlled chaos. Went on Saturday, the day before the fair was over. I have been to many fairs and this was by far the most crowded its ever been. Luckily arrived when it opened so we beat the crowds. By 2 pm ride lines were almost one hour long. Fairs are good for getting away from life's reality, eating food that's bad bad you and learning a few things. Just do it during the week. read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Crowd - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The NC Fair grounds is a nice venue that hosts many events such as: car shows, boat shows, gun shows and most notably the NC State Fair. Hopefully the fair returns this year, I'm missing the fried "everything's" and of course the awesome people watching that goes on there. This past weekend my son and I attended Good Guys Rod & Custom Car Show. This is an annual event here that draws 2k plus vehicles, which are mostly vintage, pre 1987 production makes and models. This year's event was scaled back a bit due to Covid and the lousy weather Saturday. Most car enthusiasts and collectors won't bring their vehicles out even if there is a hint of rain. The facilities at the Fair Grounds are clean but dated. The flea market was open but vendor participation was limited, again Covid. The property was clean and well kept. The weather on Sunday was perfect for a car show. There were plenty of food and beverage vendors on site. We had a nice time. A little bit of normalcy seems to be returning. The fairgrounds, as a property, can accommodate just about any event. And, every time I've been there in the past, the staff has always been helpful and informative. read more

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Well let's start. Don't come to the fair I'd you aren't ready to spend about 200 dollars on food alone. For my partner and I (2 people) that's how much we spent last Friday night. We did not ride any rides bur for families of more I would expect to spend about 400. The food that they presented was eh..it was very lack luster. When I first went it was great. This year I felt as if they were being very money hungry. Overall 5/10. read more

I hail from the North but have lived in the South for many years now but decided to attend the State Fair this year. Living in Charlotte this was a solid road trip for my family and I but we made the 2.5 hour drive and made it an overnight trip. We arrived at the Fair Grounds on Saturday about 3:30 PM and found parking in a lot for $20 about 2-3 city blocks away. We joined the long line of walkers and were entering the fair ground not too long later. I was surprised to find the price of the adult tickets were only $13 each. When major theme parks are charging so much more, I found this to be a great deal and the line moved quickly. Before we knew it we were walking through security and into the Fair. It was all that I expected and more. There were fun houses, monster truck/ ATV's, Ferris Wheels and all of the rides you can imagine. The lines were well managed and everyone came out to have fun. People everywhere were social and pleasant and appeared to be in good moods. There were trash receptacles what seemed like every 10 -15 feet so no trash on the ground. As for the food, that was what we came for, and it did not disappoint. We made it our business to try things we could not get at home so we brought our adventurous taste buds. We tried smoked turkey legs, pizza with pickles, fried Oreos and Reese Cups, Deep Fried Potato Ribbons with ooey gooey melted cheese and a cup of really spicy Street Corn. We had other things but I will leave you with those winners and will suggest that you get on down to the Fair ASAP! It is worth the trip. read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - The Ferris Wheel - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Went to the NC State Fair today! First time! Wish it were 1973 because this fair was built for 50 year ago crowds. Lines from H E double hockey sticks. Folks crammed in like sardines. The shuttle bus pick up was an unorganized mess. My group was standing in line waiting to get on a bus while hordes of folks bypassed it completely. Beer is sold in the back of the fair in a small area, being poured by three people. It's like us beer drinkers are heathens and need to be hidden. Line cutters are the worst breed of human. $10 for a deep fried candy bar. How can a family of four attend without spending a month's grocery bill? I wish the website told us to not come. Do better, NC. read more

A lot of people came here for food, but it's disgusting and overpriced! I tried donuts at fluffy's, it was worst donut I have ever tried. One of them raw inside. And it cost $7 for one, crazy!!! read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Donut raw inside - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Excellent place to visit with family. Lot of rides and kids would love them. It will take easily a full day to complete all rides and see everything. read more

1st timer here! I did my research and parked in the lot with the free shuttle. Great decision! Also bought cash. Another good decision. Food galore! Beautiful items that were judged. From flowers, gardens, food, art, and more. Had a great time. read more

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I love the N.C. State Fair. We pick a day to go every year and try to fit everything in! I've always been interested in Agriculture and livestock so I never miss the biggest pumpkin award and the incubator with baby chicks. The fair food is always a fun adventure in eating. I like to see what's new for the year. We enjoyed the Jerk Pork wrap with mango salsa from Cool Runnings. The jerk pork was packing some serious heat, but in a good way if you like spicy. The unicorn bacon on a stick was so sugary and yummy, but we couldn't finish it because it was just too sweet. The jalapeño Cheetos bacon on a stick was actually quite delicious. The biggest disappointment were the hush puppies from Ragin Cajun. They were just all dough and minuscule bits of chicken, ham, or cheese. I also tried the arepa burger, which was pretty good and may have been my favorite of the evening. We usually try a little Howling Cow ice cream, but we were just too stuffed for dessert. We took home some fresh popped kettle corn from yesteryear and have since eaten the whole thing already. Yum! We also took home a loaf of jalapeño cheddar bread, a sweet potato and marshmallow muffin, and a blueberry danish from Neomonde's bread making tent. All of which were truly amazing. The sweet potato muffin tasted just as wonderful as a sweet potato casserole and reminded me of Thanksgiving. We stopped by the Our State Public House to end the evening with fireworks. We scored some rocking chairs and sipped on my new favorite beer- Cabarrus vanilla coffee blonde ale. This year we tried the park and ride lot at Reedy Creek and this is definitely the way to go! It's easy, free, and fast. If you haven't been to the N.C. State Fair, you're missing out! read more

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I am very disappointed this year at the North Carolina state fair food vendors the price of the food is totally outrageous for quality and quantity you get! I have been taking my daughter to the Fair for the past 20 years for her birthday,and now Her daughters! This will be the last! read more

Forget the rides, there is only one reason to come - the food. That said, every year we would make a trip up to the State Fair and battle crowds and the treacherous parking to get that magical fair food with one goal in mind, try as many different things as possible until we couldn't eat anymore. Hands down my favorite has been the grilled cheese wrapped entirely in bacon. I always leave with candy apples. read more

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