North Carolina
Guide to NC State Fair 2025: Tickets, transportation, parking, new rides and special event days
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The 2025 NC State Fair is just around the corner, opening its gates on Thursday for 11 days of fun, food, and entertainment.
This year’s fair promises an exciting lineup of new attractions, including 88 new food options, thrilling rides like the Colossus and Kamikaze, and captivating shows such as a Wild West roping performance.
Alongside these new experiences, fairgoers can enjoy beloved returning acts, special event days, and convenient ticket packages like the Bright Lights and Boots Package, which includes admission and a rodeo ticket.
Tickets and Dates
The 2025 NC State Fair runs from Thursday, October 16 to Sunday, October 26. You can purchase tickets now online.
There are also two new ticket packages offered this year — the Bright Lights and Boots Package, which includes an adult Fair admission ticket and a ticket to the rodeo, which is new in 2025 and part of the N.C. State Fair Horse Show lineup.
Click here for the vendor and ride finder
Daily Hours
Thursday, Oct. 16: noon – 11 p.m.
Friday & Saturday Oct. 17 – 18: 9 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday Oct. 24 – 25: 9 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Sunday-Thursday Oct. 19 – 23: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
You must be inside the gates before 9:45 p.m., and no one will be able to reenter after 9:45 p.m.
Deals and Discounts
Military Discount
Any active-duty service members, reservists, retirees, National Guardsmen and their dependents (ages 13-64) pay only $8 daily at the gate. Veterans are offered the same discount for themselves, plus one discounted ticket for a guest or dependent, for a total of two tickets at the reduced rate.
See list of accepted ID.
Weekday Lunch Pass Program
You can also take a midday break and enjoy the fair for free! On any weekday, adult visitors can enter the fairgrounds at no cost between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. by using Gates 9 (off Trinity Road) or Gate 1 (off Hillsborough Street).
To participate, purchase a $20 lunch card at the gate (cash only) and explore the variety of fair food vendors, who accept both cash and credit cards. ATMs are available on-site for added convenience.
Be sure to return the lunch card at the same gate by 1:30 p.m. to receive a full cash refund. These lunch cards are valid only on the day of purchase.
New Entertainment
This year’s new Wild West-style roping and knife-throwing show by cowboy and world’s fastest draw champion Andy Rotz promises “plenty of trick roping, fire, gun slinging, and hold-your-breath moments.”
You’ll also find new entertainment like the Conjurer Fortune Machine, a live interactive “Zoltar”-style fortune experience, and the return of Cast in Bronze, a Carillon musical performance.
Plus, the Powers Great American Midway is bringing some exciting new rides this year, including the Colossus, The Flip Side, and Kamikaze.
Transportation and Parking
Free parking is available at the State Fair and Carter-Finley Football Stadium, as well as Lenovo Center for most days.
There is also free off-site parking at the Dogwood Lot (4501 Reedy Creek Road) and Cardinal Lot (5766 Chapel Hill Road). These will run Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. until one hour after gates close, and Oct. 17 – 26 from 9 a.m. until one hour after gates close.
Free shuttles, which will run continuously, are available near these lots:
- Cardinal Lot: drop-off/pick-up at the new Gate 7 off Youth Center Drive
- Dogwood Lot: drop-off/pick-up across Trinity Road at Gate 8
Neighboring residents also frequently convert parts of their property into small parking lots. This is not controlled by the fair.
AMTRAK will also operate a special train stop right in front of Gate 1 at the fair.
Full information about parking, park and ride locations, and hours can be found here.
Clear Bag Policy
The state fair clear bag policy will continue to be in place this year.
Those who have a clear bag will go through security much quicker. Any size or type of clear bag is acceptable. If you don’t have a clear bag, you will go through the bag search line.
Outside food and drink, water bottles, diaper bags with baby/toddler supplies and medications are allowed. Alcoholic beverages, drugs, firearms, knives, brass knuckles, batons and/or weapons of any type are not allowed.
Special Event Days
Wolfpack Day – Oct. 17
Current students at NC State get $8 admission by showing their student ID card at the gate.
Sensory Day presented by Bandwidth – Oct. 19
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., this is what you can expect:
Rides and games will operate with no lights or music playing, as well as vendors at their booths. Music will only play acoustic sets with light amplification.
The public address system will only be used for lost visitor announcements.
Senior Citizens’ Day – Oct. 21
People ages 65 and older get free admission to the fair.
Starting at 9 a.m., Bojangles’ biscuits and coffee will be served on the Dorton Patio near the Waterfall at the Senior Fun Fest. After that, there will be a program with Commissioner Steve Troxler and music at 10 a.m.
Duke Energy Military Appreciation Day – Oct. 23
The state fair will pay tribute to members of the U.S. Military. There will be a parade at 10: a.m., starting in the carnival midway. It will then go through Kiddieland, past the Scott Building and back to the midway.
Military Appreciation Day at the North Carolina State Fair took place Wednesday against the backdrop of troops preparing to deploy to the Middle East.
Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day – Oct. 23
Bring six cans of food to the fair gates and get into the NC State Fair for free!
Six canned goods will get you in for free.
Hunger Relief Day dates back to 1993 at the fair. Since then, according to their website, fairgoers have donated 6 million pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and its partners.
It has become one of the largest one-day canned food drives in the state.
For more information on special event days, visit the NC State Fair website.
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The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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