Everything you need to know about the North Carolina State Fair

Need to know: The N.C. State Fair is open October 12-22. Expect a slew of rides, local vendors from across the state, unusual and very fried fair food and much more.

• Hours: Fairgrounds open daily at 9am except for opening day, when the gates open at noon. Gates close at midnight on weekends and 11pm on weekdays (but you must be in by 9:45pm). View the full schedule here.
• Location: 4285 Trinity Road in Raleigh, about a 2.5-hour drive (or train ride) from Charlotte.
• Cost: Entry is $10-$13 for adults, $0-$7 for kids. Purchase your ticket in advance of October 12 to save a few dollars. Kids ages 5 and younger are always free. There are also discounts for adults in the military, seniors and group tickets. These tickets don’t include most fair rides. Buy tickets here.
• Pro tip: Bring a clear bag to go through the faster security line. Non-clear bags are allowed but discouraged. Read the Fair’s bag policy here.

How to get there

Drive: Set your GPS for 4285 Trinity Road in Raleigh and make the 2.5-hour drive from Charlotte. There are multiple free parking lots with shuttles that will take you to the Fair.

Train: Avoid the traffic by taking Amtrak train straight from Charlotte to the fairgrounds. It drops you off just steps away from the gates.

A round-trip train ticket costs $54+ and leaves Charlotte’s station at 6:45am.

Fair food

Did you even go to the fair if you didn’t try any of the fair food? You can find some of the wackiest, wildest food pairings you’ve ever seen at the fair. I’m talking a bacon mac & cheese sundae, a dill pickle doughnut and bacon berry cookie dough … on a stick!

• You’ll find food stands all over the fairgrounds, but I discovered that there’s a sort of “food row” that has a range of options. View the map here.

What’s new: The fair added 54 new foods this year, including a dill pickle donut and bacon berry cookie dough on a stick.

[Full guide: 5 bizarre new foods at the N.C. State Fair we can’t wait to try]

What to do

There are game stands, fun houses and Ferris wheels as far as the eye can see. If you’re a thrill-seeker, check out the drop towers and inverted rides.

• Bringing little ones? There’s even an entire ride zone designated for the kiddos.
• Stick around until the evening for nightly firework shows.

Pro tip: If you don’t ride anything else, definitely get a ticket for the State Fair flyer which gives you a view of the fair from up high. View all the rides and games.

Exhibits and vendors: Have you seen antique farm equipment from the early 1900s? Want to wander through fresh crops like okra, peanuts and sweet potatoes? The fair has several exhibits that allow guests to walk through and get up close to historical artifacts, crops and vegetables before they get to the grocery store.

• One of the most popular attractions is the Village of Yesteryear which features more than 75 local artisans displaying and selling time-honored handmade wares.