RALEIGH, N.C. — On Monday morning, workers were putting the finishing touches on the large Ferris wheel in front of J.S. Dorton Arena. The fairgrounds were a buzz of activity as the rides get their final checks, and vendors get ready to feed and entertain upward of a million people over the coming weeks at the North Carolina State Fair.
This will be the 153rd year for the fair. It was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it's back for 2021. The fair's motto this year is "Worth the wait."
"You feel that sense of hope again," North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said during a preview for the media Monday. "We are glad to be back."
The state fair kicks off at noon on Thursday. It will open each morning at 8 a.m. until the final day on October 24. The fair will run until 11 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight Friday and Saturday nights.
Tickets at the gate will be $13 for anyone 13-64 and $7 for children 5-12. There are discounts available for people in the military, people 65 and older and big groups. You can save a little money by buying tickets in advance online or at some locations in Raleigh.
The state fair has a clear bag policy. Get details here on what bags will be allowed in the fair.
The state fair will not require people to wear face masks or show proof of vaccination, though fair organizers say they encourage everyone to wear a mask and get the coronavirus vaccine.
"The number one thing people tell us they come to the fair for is food. This makes it extremely difficult on our staff and public safety officers to enforce a mask mandate. We are urging you to do your part and wear your face covering except when you are eating and drinking and when you cannot remain socially distanced, especially inside buildings and tents," the state fair said in a release.
The state fair is a largely outdoor event, but some exhibits will be indoors. It's not clear if they will be enforcing Wake County's indoor mask mandate during the fair. But during the media day presentation inside the Dorton Arena Monday, some Department of Agriculture staff, including the commissioner, were not wearing masks.
You've heard of a fried Twinkie, but how about a fried lobster tail? What about a shrimp Alfredo stuffed turkey leg or shrimp and grits on a stick? Along with some strange and high-brow offerings, the usuals will still be there: turkey legs roasting by the dozens, giant sausages, funnel cakes and all your old favorites.
During a media preview Monday, members of the media and others voted Raleigh-based Cool Runnings Jamaican's jerk chicken sliders as the best new offering this year. Owner Andrea Millington said this will be their 21st year at the N.C. State Fair, but she credits her children with the idea of putting her jerk chicken on slider buns.
Along with a bunch of new vendors, the midway will feature a couple new rides. For the adrenaline seekers out there (at least 48 inches tall) there is the Sky Hawk. This new ride involves laying flat out "like Superman" and spinning around 100 feet in the air.
There are also two new kid-friendly rides: one, a large Ferris wheel for children called the "Itsy Bitsy Spider Wheel" and a roller coaster suitable for smaller children.
If you've ever been to the fair before, you know parking can be the worst part. The state fair has set up several park-and-ride lots, and the City of Raleigh is running a bus to the fairgrounds. You can also take the Amtrak train from as far away as Charlotte straight to a special stop across from the fair.
Click here for more details on the park-and-ride lots and taking the bus or train.