Parking

Parking is free on state property
Free parking is available on State Fair, Carter-Finley Football Stadium and RBC Center properties. Fairgoers are encouraged to take Wade Avenue to the Edwards Mill Extension to park in these lots. There may be exceptions if events are scheduled at Carter-Finley or the RBC Center. See a map of the Fairgrounds

Recreational vehicles are not allowed to remain in the parking spaces owned by the State Fair between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m.

During the Fair, neighboring residents frequently convert parts of their property to small parking lots, and charge between $5 and $10 for space. This is not controlled by the State Fair.

Handicap & Exhibitor parking lots
The parking lot at the northeast corner of the fairgrounds, between Trinity Road and Blue Ridge Road is paved and designated for Handicap Parking only. Concessionaires and exhibitors park in the lot west of RV Parking past Gate 9 along Trinity Road. Another option for exhibitors is just south of the fairgrounds across from Hillsborough Street and Gate 2. Cars that are parked in the Handicap Lot that do not have appropriate tags or plates will be towed.

Don't park on the street
In years past, fairgoers have been accustomed to parking alongside Wade Avenue, but both Wade Avenue and Edwards Mill Road are now designated as tow-away zones. The North Carolina Highway Patrol has implemented these areas for the safety and protection of pedestrians. Youth Center Road is also a tow-away zone.

On especially busy days, the Highway Patrol may shut down exits from Wade to Blue Ridge Road and from the inner beltline to Hillsborough -- starting as early as traffic demands it -- to encourage flow to Edwards Mill Road.

You parked the car where?
For weary fairgoers who exit the gates only to discover that they are on the opposite side of the fairgrounds from where they parked, a tram service is available. The tram, a 25-passenger bus, will be circling the perimeter of the fairgrounds, making stops at Gates 2, 8 and 10. Another tram will shuttle passengers from Carter-Finley Stadium to the fairgrounds on days of heavy attendance.

A separate tram service operates within the fairgrounds for a fee of $2 a ride. This tram stops at Gate 1, at the Folk Festival (near Gate 10), at Dorton Arena, and at Gate 8. Booths for purchasing tickets to ride are located at each of these stops. This interior tram will not be permitted to operate on days that attendance is especially heavy. Neither of the tram services is equipped with wheelchair lifts