Whether you're just visiting nc or have been living in this lovely state for decades, the nc state fair is a must! First off, ticket prices aren't bad at all. (You can also find online deals on their website) Secondly, deep frying makes (almost) everything that much better! Thirdly, it's such a nice excuse to spend quality time with friends and family~ The cons of the state fair are the obvious: crowded and parking. However, our state fair is pretty legit! Rides might not be the sturdiest (based on our recent history lol) but the food and experience is good! The musts: Wisconsin cheese, deep fried Oreos, funnel cake, and their massive turkey legs! I tried the peanut butter and jelly wings (new item this year) and I was not a fan... Tasted like I was just dipping my wings in peanut butter. A solid way to appreciate nc's beautiful autumn weather! read more

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What's not to love about the fair? It's so many things, rolled into one. An amusement park, farm, live infomercials, craft fair, nursery. I really could go on and on. The people watching can not be beat. There is adventurous eating whether its some sort of deep fried craziness to alligator on a steak or "chinese" food on a stick. Yes it can be pricy but you need to plan ahead. You can bring your own food and drink. I brought bottled water and juice boxes for the kids. I bought all of my ride tickets and admission tickets in advanced. We were able to stretch an entire day in for less than $100 in games and food for a family of 4 and we used 4 sheets of ride tickets and had to buy 2 more. Go to the shows. I mean can you beat Michelle's Magical Poodles. Well yes you can, go see the pig races. They are awesome. Go check out the animals and judging. There is so much to see and do. Must eats: deep fried oreos, by far the best deep fried dessert. The NC cattleman's steak sandwich for only $6. It's next to the Dorton Area right across from the Time Warner tent. NC State creamery ice cream. This year we tried Camp fire delight and Wolf Tracks. Both were great. The line is worth it, but we always make ice cream our lunch at 11:00 when the line is slightly shorter. Have fun and pace your self and you might not want to ride the ring of fire right after eating the ice cream.. read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Campfire delight ice cream from NC State Creamery - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Good fun (carnival games, bingo, people watching) Great food (Wisconsin cheddar nuggets, roasted corn, seafood, corn dogs, chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick, fried Oreos etc) The largest pumpkin & watermelons are still my favorite. read more

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

Scary crowded to the point where it was a complete standstill. There should absolutely have a maximum occupancy per day and tickets only sold online. read more

MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR. FATTY FOOD FOR ONE DAY (if you decide to go for more, good for you!) AND I DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT. I went on Friday, October 17, and went twice! Once during the day to pig out on as much as I could eat, including fried red velvet Oreos, fried macaroni and cheese, alligator on a stick, roasted corn (a favorite), HUSH PUPPIES (my all-time favorite!), funnel cake, corn dogs, ostrich burger, etc., and then decided to head home for quick nap before heading back a second time for rides, games and the fireworks! Just a little suggestion about the food: go for things you've never tried before! They might surprise you! For example, my boyfriend and I decided to try the alligator on a stick, and it was pretty delicious! And then there are those foods that are not as worthy of my money, such as the fried macaroni and cheese, which you can find at your local Sheetz gas station. However, definitely try the hush puppies and roasted corn! They will always be an all-time state fair favorite. Simple, yet delicious. Also, a little tip on using your money wisely at the fair: spend it on the food you want to eat first, then use the rest sporatically on the more interesting games so you can win a prize! It's always fun to test your abilities and win something in return, especially at the stands that no matter how bad you do, you always win (my boyfriend won me a donut!). The fair continues through next week, so go go go! :) read more

I'm not a huge fan of the rides or the games at the fair, but you can definitely find me here looking for new foods to try. FRIED FOODS GALORE! Don't miss out on the crazy foods you can find here! It is unlikely you will be able to find a lot of these foods anywhere else, so make sure to bring a big appetite, adventurous taste buds and plenty of cash! Every year I have to get the fried Wisconsin cheese! It is the fluffiest fried cheese you will ever have. We always order the Jalapeno Cheddar, with pizza sauce to dip. For $8 you get 5 big cheese sticks and every single bite is heavenly for cheese lovers. You also don't have to worry about having food that has been sitting under a heat lamp, because the line is always long and there is constant turnover for this fried goodness. We also tried 2 of the new items this year. We tried the High on the Hog sandwich which was a fried pork chop sandwich, topped with barbeque, coleslaw, and pickles. It sounds and looks like an intimidating sandwich, but it was delicious! It cost $12, but at least it was a huge portion. The other new item we tried was the hushpuppies with pimento cheese/sriracha sauce from Ragin' Cajun. While it was delicious, I was a little disappointed, because I thought the pimento cheese was going to actually be inside the hushpuppies. After eating all of this, we were ready for something a little more refreshing, so we got a large rootbeer float. This was best deal we had! It was $5 for a huge cup with what seemed like huge 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream! So good! Various Tips: Parking - Don't pay at the lots! Park across the street at the PNC Arena for free and walk! It isn't that long of a walk at all and you can spend that extra money on more food, rides or games! Drinks - Water was $3/bottle this year! Pricey! There was 1 vendor near Dorton arena that had them for $1 and so did the booth that sold Chick-fil-a. You are bound to get thirsty with all the walking and fried-food-eating, so it is not a bad idea to bring your own water! Flower and Gardens - Go here during the night for a break from the crowds! There are lots of quiet spots to sit and it is really relaxing with the various Christmas lights and artwork. read more

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The quintessential North Carolina experience!! As a native of Raleigh, the State Fair was a perennial favorite event of my youth. (I have pictures of my parents and I at the fair when I was two. My junior year of high school my best friend and I skipped school to go on opening day. I ran into my father while we were there! Oops.) That tradition continued this year with my mother and my sister and I bringing our own boys to the fair. We had a great time. While the rides and midway events may be the big draw for most North Carolina fun seekers, the backbone of the event is the showcase of all things agricultural. (This IS North Carolina, after all.) And truly, that is what is best about the fair. Where else can you see every breed of cow lovingly groomed, lounging in the straw, waiting for her turn in the ring? We spent most of the morning walking through admiring the goats, the guinea hens, cuddling baby chicks and ducks, milking a cow with the NC State FFA (that's Future Farmers of America - for you city folks), riding ponies, and adding new animal fodder for future renditions of "Old McDonald." Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the food - which I think is outstanding. One of my most beloved treats is the roasted corn on the cob. When I ordered mine the boy working the stand asked me if I wanted butter on it. I didn't know anyone in their right mind would want it WITHOUT butter!? The warm country ham on a homemade yeast roll was delicious as well. It just wouldn't be a trip to the fair without funnel cake - the boys helped me polish off one fresh from the deep fryer covered in powdered sugar. We did go on a few rides. Given their size and age, we were pretty limited to the baby rides - although the "big kid" rides were definitely catching their attention. Primo loved the carrousel and a jalopy train ride. If you ever find yourself in Raleigh during the State Fair - GO! It's a guaranteed great time in North Carolina. read more

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Pig races! That's what my bf and I were excited to see. We got to Gate 11...wait, let me back up. The fair excitement started about 1.5 miles before the gate, where we spent $10 to park in a rather bumpy field. But worth it. Some people tried their luck with side-of-the-road parking, but by mid-afternoon, those are mostly full and you have to sit in crawling traffic to even take a look. On the walk towards the fair, a guy was hawking tickets - cheaper than regular prices, and we could skip the lines to buy. Sold. My bf was skeptical, but they were legit. Back to Gate 11. We had 30 minutes until the pig races started. My bf wandered towards one of the halls of blue-ribboned pies, but I steered him back. Eyes on that piggy prize. Traversing the midway was hot (yes, even in late Oct), smokey, jammed with people, and overwhelmed with rides, games, and fried food stands. It took 25 minutes to get across and find the bleachers around the pig race track...which appeared to have been filled at least 15 minutes prior to our arrival. We crowded around back, cursing little kids who were blocking our view, and shielded sun from our eyes to catch a glimpse of those scurrying piglets. I think I may have seen one's back. Lesson learned for next time: buy your bacon wrapped fried twix bar early and then park your butt on a bench to claim your territory. Enough with the animals we could barely see - we bailed and headed for the animal halls. These were 1,000,000 times better than crowd surfing the midway. We saw a calf feeding (rather violently, there was some udder punching), pigs snoozing, and a pen full of chicks and ducklings running around like bouncing fluff balls. And then there was the chicken tent. I didn't think this would be interesting, but we must have spent 20 minutes in there. I had no idea how many types of chickens there are - some of them looked to have fur, rather than feathers. I wanted one. And they were for sale (most between $5 and $50). But I don't live on a farm, so we moved on. On the way out, we had to stop in the exhibition halls - I had to see the prize winning knits (?!) and be shown all of the best ways to use the newest mop on the market. Come on, that's why we come to the fair, right? To sum up: Parking: $10 Two scalped admissions: $15 One shared funnel cake: $5 Witnessing the chaos that is the state fair: priceless. (Though it's a "seen it once and check the box" type of deal. Glad I went, but don't need to go back!) read more

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

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One would think living half a decade working as a carny, I would have grown tired of this scenery; surprisingly, every year, I return to NC State Fair, for the nostalgia I suppose. I always loved to see the giant pumpkins and giant watermelons and giant King Piggy (but no crown and helmet like in Angry Bird) and over sized bunnies. I also loved to see the tiny baby livestock and tiny owl, and tiny human babies giggling and enjoying the baby livestock and tiny owl. But being me, you know what I loved the most on top of all that, are the Krispy Kreme burger and deep fried bubblegum and deep fried cheese and deep fried girl scout cookies and gator bites on the stick. There are some shows yes, the monster truck rally was very adrenaline-inducing, and "hometown favorite" Scotty McCreery always put on a good concert, and I even gotten a few group photos with G105 folks in the past (we has since parted way.) If I had written this review a few years back more star would be added. As it stands, I think I have seen just about everything there is to see. Perhaps? read more

***This review is based on a 30+ year relationship my family and I have with the NC State Fair.*** I have gone every year with the exception of 2 years (1994 and 2012) since 1980. To say that I was surprised and a little dismayed at the fact that more than a block and a half of parking being eliminated AND forcing all fair patrons that enter on that side of the fair to enter through Gate 8. The new underground tunnel to get across from the parking area to the gate probably seemed like a great idea from a overall safety standpoint but man oh man, it was a LOT of extra (seemingly unnecessary) steps (hence the 3 stars). But when I finally got in the gate to buy my admissions ticket, I was able to go straight up to the window because there was no line. I was extremely impressed with the new technology when I checked out when I was able to swipe my card, get my receipt and move on to the security check. Not far from the entrance was the air lift, which I decided to take to get from Gate 8 to where I wanted to gather all of my food items quickly! So the my overall point of going to fair, the FOOD! At the entrance there was a map of all of the new food items (two of which were on my list of "Must Haves"). I have literally been waiting a freaking year to get another one of those queso dipped ears of corn sprinkled with Flaming Hot Cheetos and Takis. But wait, this year I am a Brace Face! I was so focused on getting to the fair to the corn I forgot to come up with a plan on how to eat it (or take pictures)....and it was Church Day so all the seats available by the waterfall were taken. QUICK! I had to think of a plan to walk and eat this ear of corn without all of the folk within my viewing range judging me. So it seemed like it would be easier to break it into three pieces and eat on the sides of my mouth so I wouldn't pop my wire.....AND it wasn't even as good as I remembered! I am looking for my fair food woosah so on to the next.....I found the place with the Bacon and Pimento Cheeseburger Egg Roll (They're on the list of new items list for the Shrimp and Grits Egg Roll this year and they brought last year's debut, the Thanksgiving Egg Roll back as well) and boom! Another challenge, how to eat this egg roll?! Aha, I have a knife and I spy an empty table for like 45 seconds so I cut it into pieces and it was YUMMERS! Great flavors, all married up in a crisp egg roll. Oh but I am still not done....I so wanted to try the Turkey BBQ Waffle Cone but when I got to the booth/food truck, the line was quite lengthy (which is a good thing) but I spied not so homemade mac and cheese being used in all of their bowls (they're known for the Crack-N-Cheese bowl which is AH-Mazing when made right!) so let's move on....as I was walking, I gravitated to this stand called Hot Chix, which also happens to be a food truck in the Raleigh area that specializes in fried chicken (tenders) and pancakes. I perused the menu and decided on a "fair only" item, the Chix on a Stick because you know...it was "fair only" and I love a good chicken tender and I love pancakes! So without much thought, I guess you can gather that the Chix on the Stick was a chicken tender dipped in pancake batter and fried. I can only imagine the line gets a little long at high traffic times because they seem to cook to order. Well, much to my surprise, I received 2 rather large sized Chix. The pancake batter was really good! I never used the Maple Bacon sauce (i.e. syrup). They offer a wide range of sauces that are really based on their offerings. I did fall for the Sweet Tea at the Sweet Tea booth not far from the Hot Chix booth and I could have cried because it was sour and not worth a penny much less the $6.00 I paid for it. I believe it was the sole reason I suddenly felt the urge to not eat or drink another thing at the fair and other than a Mountain Dew later that night. I did my usual walk-thru the buildings to see the exhibits and craft entries and winners. I did notice that the Support NC Agriculture tent seemed a little 'warmer' than I remember from previous years. All in all, it was an okay outing....I am just glad not to have waited until Saturday when NC State University has a home game...it is going to be bananas! read more

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So I could go on and on about the NC State fair until I am blue in the face. I am a North Carolina Girl through and through so I although I try to be unbiased in my reviews, I already know that this one may be a bit skewed...You've been warned... I absolutely love the North Carolina State Fair and have been coming here annually, since I was a kid. We always had so much fun coming here as a family and have made SO many memories here over the years. I remember at least one fair day a year where my parents would surprise me and pick me up early from school so we could go. Admittedly, as an adult, I come to the fair even more. When I was living in Raleigh, I would go to the fair almost everyday, especially when they started doing the lunch pass. (The lunch pass is a great feature that the fair started a few years back where you can come in, eat all you want on your lunch hour and as long as you're in and out by a certain time your admission is free. If you choose to stay longer, then you just pay your admission on the way out.) The fair became a family tradition in my childhood and has spread to become a friend tradition over the years. I am so glad that I've been able to share the joy of the fair with friends and family and that many of the same businesses that were there when I was a kid are still standing and thriving. It also feels great to participate in something that unites North Carolinians, allows people to make a living and stimulates the local economy. So if you're on the fence about the fair, just do it. It's worth every hour and is truly magical! Naturally nearly 30 years of fair going has given me a bit of fair prowess. Some of my tips: BUY YOUR TICKETS (Ride and Admission) ONLINE TO AVOID THE LINES! 1) Park with the locals, they give you a fair price and it will help people whose lives get invaded for the 2+ weeks that the fair is around. 2) Charlie Barefoot and Sons has the. best Italian sausage sandwich. They are a timeless fair staple and you won't be sorry. I also LOVE their hot dogs. 3) Capitan Neill's seafood has the BEST seafood baskets you'll ever have in the Piedmont. Super fresh, sweet seafood that is unparalleled. I LOVE their clam strips, shrimp, oysters and soft shell crab. (The line will be long but it is worth it and they move quickly) 4) For turkey legs go to McBrides...period. You won't be able to eat it all so I use my leftovers to make a pot of beans (you're welcome). 5) Connie's Corn has the best roasted corn. I get mine dipped in butter and add a ton of condiments on the side (parmesan cheese, lemon pepper, black pepper, Old Bay and Lawry's) 5) For dessert try an elephant ear, you won't be sorry. 6) Grab a bag of candied apples and cotton candy to take home. You can't go wrong with this NC Gem! read more

The State Fair never disappoints me and the family. Free parking with a shuttle bus was offered, they built a tunnel underground to cross the street and the lines to purchase tickets were quick and easy. We enjoyed grilled corn on the cob, fruity slushies in a hallow pineapple, fried fish, fried cheesecake, smoked turkey leg, and funnel cakes. The kids enjoyed the rides and games and had an overall great time. I suggest to have plenty cash snd comfortable walking shoes. Can't wait for next year read more

This is my first visit to a state fair. So far it's been a great day. There is a ton of stuff to see and do so you shouldn't get to bored. Bring your walking shoes. You will need them. read more

I love the Fair! Yeah it's super crowded and parking is a mess. What else are you expecting? I go for the people watching and to try the insane things that people tried to deep fry this year. And of course as much corn on the cob and howling cow ice cream I can eat! I'm giving the State Fair only 3 stars this year because of two changes that I think made the experience worse. This year they discontinued the shuttle from downtown. I didn't think this was a big deal because the 100 bus goes right past the fair anyway. However there was NO indication on the State Fair's website or Go Raleigh that the 100 bus would bypass the fairgrounds. So that was a fun 2 mile walk. This year they added a beer and wine building which sounded like a good idea. However it was executed poorly. There was a sign outside listing all of the breweries. As soon as you enter you can buy a pass for one flight for $10. You can only buy one flight per day. One room has wine and one room had beer. I went in to the beer room to find out that they offer 3 pre-set flights. The list outside has far more breweries listed than what was available. The size of the beers were smaller than I would expect for $10 and I was disappointed that I couldn't customize my flight. I was hoping to taste beers from outside of the Triangle but all of the flights had 1-2 local beers. Either way I can't wait for next year! read more

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

A great place for family fun. You can spend a little or spend a lot, it is totally up to you. Rides for kids and adults. Many choices of games and food to choose from or just walk around and look at the exhibits and arts and crafts for sale. It is a great place to start your Christmas shopping. I always have to stop by NC State's ice cream booth for their homemade ice cream. The newest flavor of lemon wafer was very tasty, but a little more wafer than I expected. And don't forget the candy apple before you leave. My favorites are the carmel apple and the blue apple. This is the perfect weather for the State Fair. What a great way to spend time outside getting a lot of exercise walking around. read more

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As a senior citizen I was shocked to discover at the entry site to the fair that it was no longer free for seniors. It has been free for senior citizens for 30-some years. Free entry allows handicapped seniors like me to go to the fair for a short time to get some special food or to see one interesting exhibit on different days without walking around the fair for hours. I saw no publicity about this in the runup to the fair. It is very disappointing that the Agriculture Department decided to make a little extra money on the backs of North Carolina seniors. read more

Oh, NC State Fair. I've had some incredible times with you over the years. I remember the energy, excitement, and passion during the early days of our marriage. Super not so secret pro tip that will probably become obsolete in a few years when the City decides to monetize parking anywhere: park on or near Beryl Road. If you are west of Blue Ridge Road, then you will inevitably find open spots that do not cost money. I choose to park all the way near Powell to avoid any silly traffic jams. And to give myself a longer walk to burn off the 10,000 calories that I inevitably down. Come to the fair to see the latest thing that they found a way to deep fry. This year, I ordered a Twinx (Twinkie, Twix, and Bacon) and a cheeseburger. At $7 each, there was frankly no way that I would actually find it worth the money, and naturally I didn't. $5 would be a much more reasonable price, but alas, pickpockets aren't the only thieves inside of the fairgrounds. I also ordered a turkey leg for $10 because why not? I doubt this is worth the money either, but I had fewer objections since I can be easily distracted by size [giggity]. I also try hard not to think about the vastly superior meals that I could either buy or make for $24. Every night of the fair features live music on multiple stages. This music is free, even inside of Dorton Arena. You'll have to line up early to obtain tickets for the super awesome cool exclusive floor seating area, but even that does not cost money. Just to make sure that you're truly in love with America, the concerts in Dorton Arena are always preceded by the National Anthem. It is probably unwise to Kapernick this. There are also rides and carnival games at the State Fair in the event that you have some money left after buying a week's worth of calories. I will probably always love the NC State Fair. Even though the passion and excitement has long since left this marriage, I still return. My best memories have probably already been made, but I can always hope for new ones. read more

My first state fair! Now, don't get me wrong, I've been to plenty of county fairs, but never a state fair. I could not believe how much space the fair took up, I mean, the place was gigantic. I was lost as soon as I stepped through the crowded entrance area. Then I was swept up in a stream of people and plopped down somewhere near some games (that you can never win) and deep fried glory (that you probably shouldn't eat). I really wanted to try some deep fried butter, but among the mass of food stalls, I could not find this horrendous/spectacular heart stopping morsel. Instead, I spent an hour wandering about in a delirium, going back and forth from brightly lit stall to stall, contemplating my next source for death by grease. I finally settled on a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (which was only grilled, not fried!) and a deep fried cheesecake (with strawberries for added nutrition). After successfully shortening my life span, I moved on to the game area. All the normal carnival games were around all decked out in seizure inducing lights and ridiculously large stuffed animals that no one knows what to do with once won. But I still really, really wanted a giant rasta banana. It was just calling my name. So I rolled up my sleeves and...coerced my friend into winning one for me. Success! Banana jokes ad infinitum. Many a fun hour will be had with Mufasa the rasta banana. Free parking if you can stand the traffic and walk, but $10 parking closer to the fair grounds. Expect lots of traffic. And overpriced everything. And tons of crowds. But, most importantly, expect a fun time. :D read more

POST COVID REVIEW: I heard the fair was closed and canceled this year, but that they would still be offering all of our favorite foods for takeout which honestly, is all that I was ever there for to begin with anyways. So I opted to get a few of my fair favorites to enjoy at home with some friends. When we arrived, we were stunned to see how busy it was. The lines were doubled or even tripled in size, exacerbated by the fact that there were no rides or games and a third of the food stalls opened than they usually have. We also saw that the majority of folks were not wearing masks and there was no enforcement happening about this and we felt extremely unsafe. Additionally, in their website, it's stated that everything is take out only and that absolutely no congregating is allowed, however this was not the case at all. You would have thought this was just a regular day at the fair the way there were so many people, so many groups, everyone standing every with no masks, eating and drinking. It was not what I was expecting at all. I was simply expecting to grab food and be able to head home with takeout. I had heard that earlier in the year they did a fair takeout that was a drive thru and no one left their cars. Maybe I should have gone to that instead because this was too crowded and unsafe. read more

You are not truly North Carolinian until you've been to the NC State Fair. In keeping with this mantra, colleagues of mine dragged along our new co-worker (fresh in from Bellingham, WA). She was truly astounded. Things we did at the 2007 State Fair: 1) received three free tins apiece of chewing tobacco (never mind the fact that none of us chew!) 2) had a custom-created felt wallhanging with a photo of us and the slogan "What Dreams are Made of" printed up for the office 3) won a giant yellow stuffed duck in a water gun shooting spree 4) consumed in no particular order: turkey leg, fried oreos, sausage biscuit, funnel cake, chocolate covered frozen banana 5) looked at prize-winning heifers We offer loads of fried goodies (Twinkies, Snickers, coca-cola [seriously.]). There are also tons of rides and games -- the Raleigh fairgrounds is large, so they can offer one of the bigger fairs I've ever been to. If you're with the kids, or a kid at heart, then make sure to check out the animal exhibits: pig racing, petting zoo, rabbits for sale, and award-winning farm animals on display. A few practical notes: good for kids, but only during the day. There are a lot of loitering types as the hours wane on, and I've seen two arrests at night. Just keep your wits about you! read more

I do rather enjoy the state fair, but they really need to work on having more variety in food vendors. I swear most of the food vendors were the same this year. I wandered around for hours trying to find the food vendors my friends suggested, some I could not even find. The food is a little pricey as well for what you get. I rarely go on rides. I think I have been on two total in my two years of attending. Overall, though it's an experience to be had if you are new to NC. read more

I was not really impressed with the state fair. Before attending this, I had only ever been to the Erie County Fair in Buffalo, NY, and my little county fair back home totally blows this one out of the water. And since that was my basis for comparison, I had high expectations when attending the state fair. There was a LOT of food. No one can leave the fair complaining there wasn't enough to eat, that's for sure. I certainly indulged in my fair share of food, fries, a corn dog, cotton candy and a huge frozen cheesecake. I also tried the fried mac and cheese, a fried dough and the krispy kreme burger that people in my party had gotten. I also bought a souvenir cup and filled up on plenty of fresh squeezed lemonade throughout the day. So the food was excellent. There was plenty of it, and as long as you went knowing you were gonna spend a pretty penny, you could eat away. There was a lot of livestock, I saw chickens, cows, goats and pigs galore. I also saw mammoth watermelons and pumpkins which was really cool. We played some games which were fun, the typical fair games that suck the money out of your pocket in return for the chance to win a stuffed animal. I wasn't really into the rides because rides that aren't permanently built into the ground scare me a little, so I can't really comment on that. I did however enjoy the bumper cars! I guess what disappointed me about the fair as opposed to my hometown fair was the entertainment. At home the fair offers dozens of amazing shows, acrobats, dancers, music, pig races, and so much more, here the entertainment at the state fair was definitely lacking. We got the map/information packet upon walking in and flipped through the entertainment for the day and there just really wasn't a lot going on. At my fair at home there is SO much to do that you could be there an entire day and be fully entertained. The best part about our fair is that they have beer tents set up, where you can drink and there are live bands all day long, every day. It is awesome and I miss it. Our fair is also cheaper for admission. I'm not sure I'll attend the fair again. I had a good time, but it wasn't worth the money I spent. I'd rather go back and visit mom and dad back home and attend the fair I grew up on. read more

I got my Deep Fried Freak on last night thanks to Yelp! Thankfully, I could work from home today and recover from my sins. I tried the deep fried kool aid (ooohh yeahhh!!!)), deep fried cheesecake (which was our appetizer of course hehehe), and had a bbq plate w/slaw, etc. Some of you might say... well, that's all fine... where were the oreos and the other goodies. My friend, I will tell you this...I live within walking distance to the fair. I WILL BE BACK. Pace yourself. The best thing about the preview night is that it's really nice and quiet. You don't have to crowd around a lot of folks and the fair is still clean. ha! We met Smokey The Bear (at the Tweetup)...he is still looking good after all these years. Go Smokey! They didn't have the cow milking stall up yet...bummer and the area where you can hold the baby chicks was closed. Again, reason to return!!! Be sure to check both of those out. Other can't misses... the competition cakes (think Cake Boss) and the blue ribbon pumkins and squash... HUGE... 200+ lbs! Thanks Yelp for another great opportunity! I just wish I had another stomach. read more

Fun for the whole family. As new folks to the area we are used to the Texas State Fair which is a BIG DEAL. This fair was great, with lots to offer. I will say they need to work on crowd control. We go caught in a crowd snag so bad that people were stepping OVER my baby in his stroller and I almost started crying. Where there are long lanes, there also need to be places for people to get out when it starts bottlenecking. It was really, really bad. read more

You must put this on your calendar. The NC State Fair is a great event every year. Fried food, farm animals, and pig races. Wow - it is truly unique. The Food - on the pricey side but when else are you going to eat it. They have a new deep fried item every year - started with twinkies, then chocolate bars, then cookies, fruit, and Coke. I've hear rumors of deep fried butter this year but I can't even get my mind around what that means. Other than the deep fried madness the smoked turkey legs (eaten Fred Flintstone style) and the grilled sweet corn are my favorites. Of course there is the normal carnival treats such as popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy. The Entertainment - D-list musicians, pig races, car rallies are nightly events. There are also lots of carnival rides but as others have mentioned - the tickets can get pretty pricey and the lines long. Other stuff - farms animal displays for the kids (bring lots of anti-bacterial lotion) as well as other agricultural displays. Crafting and baking contests. It's a must see to believe thing - you just gotta go. My tip if you are looking to save money - either buy tickets (including ride tickets) in advance or they usually have a food drive day where admission is free with a donation of canned food. Parking is usually chaos so be prepared to spend time on that and do a lot of walking. read more

There is no place in North Carolina that I'd prefer to raise hell and eat cornbread. Watching the tractor races yesterday and all of the smoke and pollution entering the crowd, I couldn't help but think that our esteemed presidential candidate Bernie Sanders may be right in believing that global warming is the biggest threat to our country. We can talk about cap and trade all day or we can focus on the endless entertainment these races were for the country bumpkins and the city transplants like myself in attendance. There was a couple of times I had a flashback to the Final Destination movies where a car would have an accident and kill people in the crowd so I didn't stay long enough to see the winning tractor and driver get a bouquet of roses planted across the hood. What else is the fair about? How about 'Merica. Fried food that I took a bite of this year included fried tootsie rolls with bacon, fried peanut butter and pickles and a fried twix bar, twinkie bar and bacon all wrapped into one. These eats are only around once a year and consider that a service to your body. Every fried concoction also tastes remarkably similar so I don't think it's necessary to go on the whirlwind food tour I went on. The mac n cheese burger looked interesting too but we didn't get around to it. I heard that Hardee's had been testing out such a burger to put on their menu, but the sandwich construction deteriorated if the customer wanted to add other options to the burger so they axed it. Good concept, as long as the mac is the proper amount of fried and isn't sliding all around every bite. Carnival games, pig races, half woman/half snakes, roller coasters and weird people balance out the rest of the experience. I'm convinced you can spend days here and not go through everything. There are some negatives. The food vendors do get a bit same-y in spots, parking can take awhile and cost more than you bargained for, the clientele may fit better at a weight watchers meeting and it is honestly devastating to see an adorable cow get sold for $35,000 to Harris Teeter that may show up in one form or another in your moms beef stew for Sunday dinner. All of these items could use some work and that is one of the reasons the fair isn't for everybody, but for a few hours every year I'll let it slide. On our way out, we walked by a trailer that said to come in and listen to the best story ever told. I was ready to hear about how NSYNC have the #1 and #2 first week album sales in history for No Strings Attached and Pop but then they started talking all about Jesus. Oh well... read more

I love the state fair. Rides, fried foods, CORN, games, walking around in awesome weather and the petting zoo. omfg. I'm not going to write an essay about this - you gots to go to there. read more

Fair food - A sampling. We started with the roasted corn. You can get fooled and get corn from a lot of vendors on the fair grounds, but the best one is in the back of the park by the camper set up. We waded through the crowds with our stomachs rumbling with the smells of the various food stalls and made our way to the vendor we'd sampled before. It was worth the jaunt. The corn was charred and roasted and fully cooked. The smoky flavor was amazing! On our way back through the food maze will got lured into the sausage kiosk. It smelled divine and so I clutched our hand squeezed lemonade while he waited in line for a sausage and pepper roll. I was not even going to take a bite, but after he ordered it and it was so mouth watering i just had to indulge. meh. It tasted so much better than it actually was. I told him if he did not love it to chuck it, so into the waste bin it went. Next we had to try the illusive krispy kreme burger. We'd wanted to try this since we heard about it last year, so this had a lot to live up to. We made our way back through the crowds and over to this stand. We pondered the menu on what would be good on this burger. We were going to order just cheese and the burger, but that seemed like a cop out. We ended up getting a hamburger patty, melted cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, and tomato sandwiched between two original glazed krispy kreme donuts. We were both leery, but braced ourselves and will took the first bite. He was not impressed. I ponied up and took a bite myself - there was just something so weird about it. I honestly feel like the tomato was the deal killer. I did like the pickle, hamburger, and donut combo. will thought it was the cheese that threw it off. I think they are using day old donuts, which gave them a sort of chewy texture that I did not love. either way, we tried it and now can say we tasted it. Another partially eaten item chucked in the trash. After all of this traipsing around and not really fully eating anything we were looking for something that really tasted good. Will saw a sign for hand dipped corn dogs, but he could not recall where he'd seen it. We walked around the entire fair until we found that booth. There are a lot of booths for corn dogs, but not very many that are hand dipped. there is a big difference. We don't want to waste our energy on anything we could make for dinner at home. The hand dipped corn dog did not disappoint. It was delish and was painted with yellow mustard. loved it! After enjoying the corn dog we took a walk around and looked at all of the rides. This long detoured walk lured us into the smoked turkey legs. We've seen these before at past fairs, and always laughed as we saw people walking around with giant turkey legs in hand. But, we just had to try it. Will ordered up one turkey leg and a bottle of water. we thought it was strange that the fella wrapped it up in tin foil and put it in a bag. However, once we found a bench and unwrapped we noticed he'd given us two turkey legs! Whoa! We did a cheers with our turkey legs and settled in for some chow down. These were smoky and delicious - the outside was like turkey jerky - yummo! We could not go to the fair and not have a fried dessert so we both agreed we had to get something. We'd seen fried oreos, fried cheesecake, fried, twinkies, fried snickers, on and on and on. However we elected for the tried and true funnel cake. Where else can you get a good funnel cake? The funnel cake was freshly fried and looked fantastic, but the oil must not have been fresh or hot enough. The cake just tasted off. Boo! Another item half way eaten hits the waste bin! I'd heard advertisements for the kool-aid pickle, so i just had to get one. I LOVE pickles more than just about anything. Will had an app on his phone that allowed you to search for food vendors or food items. He found the pickle. It was tucked in a permanent booth inside a building. We would have never found it without the miracle app. Will ordered up one kool-aid pickle and we went back outside to try it out. Will declined to take a taste, so it was all me. I took a bite and found that it was really too kool-aidy. They'd advertised "sweet and sour", but it was all kool-aid with a pickle texture. Good concept, but failed execution. Last item half eaten and pitched in the waste bin. Not the best day of food, but the hunt for these items, the gorgeous weather, and the fair itself are definitely worth going for! Cannot wait for next year to try something else! read more

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I love this fair. Make sure you bring your walking shoes whenever you go, because this place os HUGE and there will be a lot of walking. Even if it means walking a far distance to where you parked your car!!! It is usually pretty crowded, but the experience makes it all worth it. I don't get on any of the rides, but I love the games and I love the various shopping you can do here. Most importantly, I love the food!!! There is so much variety and it is an all around good time. read more

Don't confuse this for any county fair you've been, this thing is massive and it's THE place for all things deep fried, on a stick or dipped in chocolate. I've had everything from deep fried Kool aid to deep corn on the cob to deep fried banana pudding, but my all time fried fave is the oreos. The Turkey Legs and Sausage sandwiches are great, but I would watch what booth you get them from. I tried the Krispy Kreme burger, it's a once in a lifetime experience anything more can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease in a single bite. There's midway games galore, this year they had Angry Birds, which I though was awesome...until I couldn't knock one pig down, I'll stick to the mobile version from now on. I've never done the rides, the gluttony is enough for me but NC is supposed to have some of the safest ride regulations in the country. The fair is a MUST-GO if you live in NC, October is def my favorite toime of year here! read more

Delicious fried food, the best place for people watching, and rides where part of the thrill is not being sure if it's going to hold together while you're on it. What more can you ask for out of a state fair? Oh yeah, plenty of animals, flowers, local art, and other various exhibits! A few tips for going to the fair: 1) Buy your tickets in advance. 2) Pace yourself. You can get a little bit of everything in one long day visit, but that will also include being really tired and having some sore feet. If you can go more than once, spread out your time over a couple of trips. 3) Bring plenty of cash as that's what most vendors will only accept. 4) Make sure you have somewhat of an idea of where the stuff you want to see is located or you'll spend way too much time walking around looking for it. 5) Indulge yourself! The fair only comes once a year so go for that deep fried delight. read more

Well not much has changed in the ten years since I've been to the fair. The fair is a great fall time activity for everyone. It will take you a few hours to get through the fairgrounds and explore everything that is there. Plenty of fatty fried food to munch on, rides, farm animals, games and more. Every year there is a new hot fried food that starts buzzing around town. This year all I heard about was the Twinkie stuffed with a Twix bar wrapped in bacon and fried. Overall it sounds pretty good right? Well the truth is you can fry anything and it all tastes the same, yes I tried the Twinkie which was the biggest disappointment in fact it was just disgusting, I definitely enjoyed the fried Oreos much better. By far my favorite thing at the fair is Al's French Fries with some vinegar yum. These fries are still some of the best I've ever had, fresh cut, and piping hot they are worth every penny. You purchase fair tickets for the rides, most of them are not worth the money. I don't really enjoy rides in general and am frightened by any rides that are moved around from fair to fair. The silly fun houses and haunted houses are a joke but I'm sure the kiddos like them. I did enjoy the ferris wheel and we were on that for quite sometime and got a great view of the entire fair from up top. Parking is expensive if you want to park close by it's $15 or so. This year however they did a stop with the Amtrak train which was very convenient. The fireworks were great and the people watching well its just fantastic. They get different musical artists each year to perform at Dorton Arena and this year the big act was Joan Jett, not to shabby. If you've never been the NC State Fair it's just one of those things you have to do. I won't be sad if I miss it but it's something fun and different to do and hey it's right down the street from me. read more

This year was the first time I've been to the North Carolina State Fair, but it won't be the last. There is truly something for everybody there. The main attractions are the food, the rides, and the agricultural and carft exhibits. The food runs the gamut from unique (Ice cream from NC State University's agriculture department, country ham biscuits, ethnic specialties, deep fried EVERYTHING) to the mundane (pizza, chicken fingers ) and can be pricey at certain stands. the rides are standard carnival fare, but there are tons of them, so the lines are never very long. The agricultural exhibits tend to be exceptional and cover all kinds of livestock and farm crops, while the crafts stretch the limits of what should be submitted for exhibition and judging (there's even a scrapbooking competition). Even if the main attractions do nothing for you, there are tons of live shows and promotional displays with free samples, plenty of places to buy all kinds of goods and services (especially crafts), a home and garden show, a petting zoo and even a historic church where you can pray and contemplate. The North Carolina State Fair is a great way to spend an afternoon and at less than $10 per person to attend, it's remarkably cheap, too. read more

If you don't want to deal with the crazy parking situation, get there at 8:00 AM. We were the first car in the parking lot right next to gate six. I would suggest getting there early and eating breakfast at one of the few opened restaurants at that time. We then sat down to some talented bluegrass musicians and tap dancers. Early in the morning, we were able to scan all the food trucks and prices much easier. I bought a bottle of water for a dollar when other places were charging $2.50. There really is something for everyone at the fair. Amusement rides where you need to buy tickets, acrobats, bands, a display of adorable animals and the opportunity to milk a cow for three dollars. I was actually able to eat there pretty healthy as they had a few Middle Eastern and vegetarian restaurants there as well. Tons of turkey legs for $10 and lots of places to eat roasted corn and all kinds of fried sweets. I enjoyed going through the booths as well to seeing some unique gifts, and especially loved the flower and garden show and baked goods area. The displayed cakes were amazing. Lots of areas to sit down and eat as well. We didn't stay for the fireworks at 9:45 PM. In four hours, we were able to see pretty much everything. read more

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This is the best event all year!!! I wait every week for those 2 weeks in October when the weather is great and there is lots of things to try and experiences to be had. I have the usual food items that I always have to get like the corn on the husk and the howling cow ice cream. There's something for the whole family to do from rides and exhibits my favorite exhibits are the local ones with got to be NC. I do miss when they would bring people in for the concerts but contributing to the local talent is also very cool! Going to the fair can be a inexpensive family day with perfect weather conditions! I can't wait for this years read more

N.C State Fair is awesome place to visit with your family and to have fun. Delicious food and great views.

As a transplant from Georgia, who never even knew that state had a State Fair, this was actually my second time doing the NC one. The first time we came I was 4 months pregnant and had 1 1/2 year old. That year the friend oreos were all the rage and they were good...as long as you ate them right after your ordered them. We took some home and they were soggy, as it goes with fried food. This year we took two kids and a Grandma to the fair on a Wednesday. I prefer the smaller hustle and bustle of the fair during the week than the larger than life crowds on the weekend. The fair truly has a little bit for everyone; from rides to food, to displays and concerts. I am impressed that it is in the city and yet goes off without a hitch! My best advice is to by tickets for entrance and rides online. Especially ride tickets because at a dollar a pop, it will get expensive, especially with kids. Also, if you can, go during the week, it's still crowded but not nearly as crowded as the weekend! read more

How can you not love deep fried anything (minus pickles that's the devil's food IMO), washed down with fresh lemonade, and followed up with a giant turkey leg and red velvet funnel cake. Needless to say, I will be eating only vegtables for the next two days but boy was it worth it. Also, I came on "Can Day" so me gorging out on food was made better by me donating to a great cause. read more

N.C. State Fairgrounds - Red Velvet Funnel Cake!!! - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Hungry anyone? Well then, I hope you're in the mood for something fried...or maybe, fried! My husband and I haven't been to the fair in a few years. We're not much into the fried food thing nor do we enjoy pushing through large crowds. We decided to venture out to take our 11 month old. Here's my recollection: Food: Fried kool-aid - disgusting! We threw it away. Fried peanut butter cups - disgusting. My husband still ate one. Turkey leg - okay. Roasted corn - yum! Crab Cake sandwich - delicious! Chocolate dipped frozen Cheesecake - By far, my favorite! Rides: I can only review the baby rides. First off, the prices were reasonable at $1 per ticket. I'm not sure I would have felt that way if we were riding the adult rides though, which cost a lot more than our 2-3 ticket rides. We took our toddler on the Old Fashion Cars, Safari Jeeps and Mac and Cheese cups (what happened to tea cups?). He seemed rather bored on them, so I think he's ready for the roller coaster! haha. Animals: We visited the Chickens, Roosters, and Cows, which our toddler loved. I had no idea there were so many species of Chicken...weird. Overall: Everywhere you walk, there's more food. It's kinds of gross actually. We were there for 2 hours and that was about our limit. read more

State fair 2011 was a fun time. There were several full sized rides, many of which would have turned us upside down or inside out. Not really my thing, but I did enjoy one of the various sized ferris wheels. There were many carnival type attractions. There was even a small petting zoo area with goats to overfeed, and llamas and camels to touch. (Wash your hands!) The food had been hyped but turned out to be fried pickles and funnel cake (sorry, no dumplings, soup, pizza or BBQ could really be found). I intended to have a meal here but must have not been in the mood for fried foods, so I ate very little. Ultimately a book of ride tickets was good for 4 to 6 individual rides, a reasonable value to anyone who bought in the presale which was nearly half off the event day price. However, cheap items such as a kiddie slide and a haunted house should have cost us one ticket each, not 3. These little side attractions were not worth over $3 to "ride" once. The only scary thing about the haunted house ride was that it stole everyone's money. We warned people coming off to keep their tickets for other uses, and I wished we had been served a similar warning. These routines on the side had scarcely any waiting lines, perhaps because they were overcharging. I had a good time at the night time walking the fairgrounds, which were expansive and well lit. However I was looking for some wider alternative food options, and different games rather than redundant carnival fare, to give this the 5 stars. Perhaps a more compelling musical stage line-up would have kept me interested in staying later too, but there is only so much basketball, ring toss, and water gun games that a kid like me can play, and why would I want to win a 4 foot tall genuine Duke Blue Devil, let alone a cartoon animal dressed in Duke or NC State colors, which did not appear to be licensed or collectible? State fair was good in that it is family friendly event and not too expensive. The best part about the layout was the local vendors. Worst part was trying to find parking, then navigate the nearby roads in darkness, with cables that may have been intended to corral the crowds away from traffic or ground pitfalls. These cables sort of became pitfalls of their own after dark. read more