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What are the hours?

Fairgrounds Gates
Open 8 a.m. - midnight (weather permitting)
Except Oct. 13, when gates open at 3 p.m.
Fairgoer must have advance ticket, or purchase admission ticket prior to 10 p.m., in order to enter gates between 10 p.m. and closing.

Admission Ticket Booths
Open 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Except Oct. 13 when admission ticket booths open at 3 p.m.
Fairgoer must have advance ticket, or purchase admission ticket prior to 10 p.m., in order to enter gates between 10 p.m. and closing.

Midway Ride Ticket Booths (Located inside the fairgrounds)
Open 9:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Except Oct. 13 when midway ride ticket booths open at 3 p.m.
Midway Rides
10 a.m. - midnight (weather permitting)
Except Oct. 13 when midway rides open at 3:30 p.m.
Exhibit Halls
9 a.m. - 9:45 p.m.
Except Oct. 13 when exhibit halls open at 4 p.m.

What are the closest hotels to the fairgrounds?
There are two hotels within walking distance to the Fair, but they fill up fast. Blue Ridge Ramada Inn, 1520 Blue Ridge Road, (919) 832-4100; and the Comfort Suites Arena, 1200 Hurricane Alley Way, (919) 854-0502.

For more nearby businesses and hotels, visit the Nearby Businesses page, or please visit the Raleigh Convention and Visitor's Bureau Web site to search for more lodging options: www.visitraleigh.com/visit/lodging.html.

Are pets allowed inside the gates during the N.C. State Fair?
No, companion animals are not allowed inside the N.C. State Fair. The noises, sounds and crowds are too much to ask a pet to endure. We do welcome leashed service animals, which are trained to handle these experiences.

Will there be a special day for military families to attend for free?
No.

NEW Daily Military Admission Policy:

Military adults (age 13-64): $5 at the gate

(not available in advance or online, just show a military or veteran ID at the gate. One military ID = one military admission ticket)

All current and former military service members – including active-duty, reserve, National Guard, retired and veteran personnel – can take advantage of the new military admission price of $5 every day of the N.C. State Fair, Oct. 13-23. Military discount tickets, which save nearly 38% off the regular adult admission price of $8, are not available in advance or online. Instead, eligible fairgoers should present proof of military service at the gate on the day of their visit. Spouses and children with their own military IDs also will be eligible for the discount.

Click here for more information.

When is Senior Citizen's Day?
Senior Citizens Day is Tuesday, Oct. 18. The Senior Citizen Fun Fest will be held in Dorton Arena at 9 a.m.

The Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC reports that 247,569 pounds of food was collected at the 2010 Food Lion Hunger relief Day, which will be distributed to those in need through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC.

Where is Lost & Found?
During the 2011 State Fair all LOST & FOUND articles should be turned in and claimed at the PUBLIC ADDRESS booth located in the lobby of the EXPOSITION CENTER.

After the conclusion of the 2011 State Fair, Letrice Midgett, Commercial Space Administrator – State Fair Administration Office, will be the contact for any unclaimed items. Any items in LOST & FOUND not claimed by December 15 will be donated.

The Fair will remain open as long as possible; we only close the gates as a last resort. At times, it may become necessary to temporarily close some rides if they are deemed too slippery or unsafe to operate, but we will reopen rides as soon as possible.

If we have to close the gates (which we certainly don't want to do) we will announce that on the home page of the website.

Where can I get a flu shot?

Kerr Drug will offer flu shots for $30 to people 18 years of age or older. You will need to bring your insurance card and primary care physicians’ information. Flu shots will be offered daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on a walk-in basis in the location near the Waterfall and Village of Yesteryear. No appointment necessary.

How long has the N.C. State Fair taken place?

This is the 144th fair in 158 years. The fair did not take place for a few years for a variety of reasons. Visit the old school house in Heritage Circle to learn the history of the N.C. State Fair. Or visit the History page of the website.

Do you have lockers or a storage area for bags?

No, we do not offer any kind of storage or locker system at this time.

How much is admission to the N.C. State Fair?
Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $3 for children and free for seniors 65 and over, and children under 5.

NEW Daily Military Admission Policy:

• Military adults (age 13-64): $5 at the gate

  (not available in advance or online, just show a military or veteran ID at the gate. One military ID = one military admission ticket)

  All current and former military service members – including active-duty, reserve, National Guard, retired and veteran personnel – can take advantage of the new military admission price of $5 every day of the N.C. State Fair, Oct. 13-23. Military discount tickets, which save nearly 38% off the regular adult admission price of $8, are not available in advance or online. Instead, eligible fairgoers should present proof of military service at the gate on the day of their visit. Spouses and children with their own military IDs also will be eligible for the discount.

  
  Click here for more information.

Can I buy my tickets over the phone?
No. For more information, go to the Tickets page.

Can I buy tickets using a credit card?
Yes. See the Tickets page for locations and options.

Can I exit the gates and re-enter the Fair on the same day?
As long as you get your hand stamped before exiting the gates, you can re-enter on the same day.

Will there be special discount days?
Yes. Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the Fair will be held Thursday, Oct. 20. The popular event allows fairgoers to gain free admission to the Fair by donating four cans of food to North Carolina hunger-relief efforts. This is one of the largest one-day canned-food drives in the state, held each year to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Thursday, Oct. 13 is Preview Day, when the gate admission price is the same as the advance sales price. On Oct. 13 only: Adults are $6, Children age 6-12 are $2. Seniors age 65+ and kids younger than 5 are always free, and the daily Military Adult admission price is $5. The Preview Day Ride Wristband will be $25 and good for unlimited rides between 3:30 p.m. and midnight (weather permitting) on Thursday, Oct. 13 only. The wristbands can only be purchased from ticket booths on the Midway on Preview Day. The wristband will not be good any other day of the Fair.

The Early Bird Special is for on online advance tickets from August 1 through September 28 only. With the Early Bird Special, you can earn up to three free adult admission tickets based on the total purchase amount before convenience fees. Spending between $40 and $100 earns you one free adult admission ticket. $100.01 to $200 earns you two free adult admission tickets. Spend $200.01 and over and you’ll get three free tickets. Admission, ride, grandstand and Dorton Arena concert tickets apply toward the purchase total, however, service fees do not. The Early Bird Special last until September 28, and is good for online sales only.

Multiple orders cannot be combined to reach desired spending levels, so be sure to include all of your ticket purchases into one order to qualify for the Early Bird Special. See the Early Bird Special page for more information.

Can I purchase Unlimited Ride Passes?
There will be a Preview Day Ride Wristband offered on Preview Day, Thursday, Oct. 13. The Preview Day Ride Wristband will be $25 and good for unlimited rides between 3:30 p.m. and midnight (weather permitting) on Thursday, Oct. 13 only. The wristbands can only be purchased from ticket booths on the Midway on Preview Day, and cannot be purchased in advance.

The wristband will not be good any other day of the Fair.

How much are ride tickets? Can I buy a ride book?
For more information, go to the Tickets page.

How many tickets are needed for each ride?
Kiddie rides are typically two to four tickets each. Bigger rides are three to five tickets each and large, spectacular rides are up to six tickets each. Visit the Rides section of the website to see a list of rides, locations and ticket prices.

You will need to redeem the sheet for the actual ride tickets at the large "Ride Ticket Redemption Tent" located directly in front of Dorton Arena, near the waterfall, or at the location in Kiddieland. The ride ticket redemption tents will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 14-23 and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 13.

Look for the bright green tent:

Can I use ride tickets to play games on the Midway?
No, ride tickets cannot be used for the games. You do not need tickets for the games, just cash. Most games take at least $1 to play. We have ATM machines on site.

What is the minimum height requirement for children's rides?
Minimum height requirements for children’s rides are 36 inches tall. The Kiddieland Midway area consists of about 25 rides, in addition to about 4 games suitable for young children. Most children's rides cost between 2 and 4 tickets. The games do not accept ride tickets, and are cash only.

Can a parent accompany a young child on a ride?
Children under 36" tall can ride for free, when accompanied by a paying adult 16 years of age or older on selected rides. The adult must accept guardian responsibility and use good judgment when choosing which of the available rides to allow a young child to ride. The accompanying adult must pay using tickets or wristbands. This list of rides is available on the Rides section of the website.

Does my concert ticket get me into the Fair?
No, you still need to buy a gate admission ticket to the get into the Fair.

How do I get to the N.C. State Fairgrounds? What is the street address?
Click here for detailed directions. The street address is 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 See map: Google

The best option for getting to the fair is to park in a Park & Ride lot and ride the bus. See the Bus & Train information for where these lots are located. Park & Ride buses drop off patrons just outside the Fairgrounds gates, eliminating the hassle of finding a parking spot. Convenient Park & Ride lots are available in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and RTP.

Can I take the train to the Fair?
Yes. For more information, go to www.bytrain.org or see the Get to the Fair page .

Can a person with disabilities attend the Fair?
Yes, all buildings at the Fairgrounds have been modified to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. See the Accessibility page for more information.

Is parking available for persons with disabilities?
Yes, there is a parking area at the corner of Blue Ridge and Trinity roads, outside Gate 10 for vehicles with a valid handicap permit, placard or license plate. This parking area is accessed from Trinity Road.

See the Accessibility page for more information.

Are wheelchairs and scooters available for rent on the Fairgrounds?
Yes, there are wheelchair and electric scooter vendors set up near Gates 1, 8, 9 and 10. Wheelchairs and electric scooters are first come, first serve, and cannot be reserved in advance.

The vendor will take a deposit of collateral such as cash, a driver's license or car keys.

See the Accessibility page for more information.

Can I rent wheelchairs and scooters in advance ?
No, rentals are first come, first serve.

Can I bring my own golf cart?
No, we do not allow personal golf carts on the grounds due to liability and safety reasons.

I need handicap-accessible concert seating. What do I do?
You do not need to purchase a special ticket to attend a Dorton Arena concert, as there is no option to buy handicap accessible seating on the web site. This is to prevent able-bodied persons from purchasing these tickets. If you need wheelchair accessible seating, please purchase a regular ticket online. When you arrive, go to the side of the building that your ticket says (North or South). When you enter Dorton, you and one guest will be moved to a wheelchair accessible area. There are four wheelchair accessible sections and each section holds 20 people. If the section does not fill up by the time the concert starts, a person may have two more people from his/her party join them in that section. If these four areas fill up, people will be moved to the floor of Dorton Arena. Handicap parking is at Gate 10 on Trinity Road. All of our buildings are ADA compliant.

How can I get a job at the State Fair?

Click here for more information about employment opportunities.

How can I be an entertainer at the State Fair?

The entertainment for the 2011 State Fair has been finalized. To be considered for 2012, please send promotional materials in December to:

N.C. State Fair

ATTN: Entertainment Coordinator

1010 Mail Service Center

Raleigh NC 27699-1010

Can a parent accompany a young child on a ride?
Children under 36" tall can ride for free, when accompanied by a paying adult 16 years of age or older on selected rides. The adult must accept guardian responsibility and use good judgment when choosing which of the available rides to allow a young child to ride. The accompanying adult must pay using tickets or wristbands. This list of rides will be available on the Rides section of the website as soon as possible.

Are there strollers for rent?
Yes, there are stroller and child’s wagon vendors set up at Gates 1, 8, 9 and 10. All strollers and wagons are first come, first serve, and cannot be reserved in advance.

The vendor will take a deposit of collateral such as cash, a driver's license or car keys.

See the Accessibility page for more information.

Can I bring snacks with me?
Yes, you can bring food and drinks with you. Just be aware that all baggage is subject to being searched at the gate for weapons, glass bottles, alcohol, drugs and other prohibited materials.

Do you have changing rooms or family restrooms?
Yes, changing tables are available in most restrooms, and family restrooms are available in the Martin and Expo buildings. There are "mothers'" rooms in the Scott, Martin, Expo and Graham buildings.

Do you have an area for nursing mothers?
Yes, there are "mothers' rooms" in the Scott, Martin, Expo and Graham buildings.

How can I participate in the Demolition Derby?

For Demolition Derby rules and entry information,
visit www.jmproductionsinc.com

The entertainment for the 2011 State Fair has been finalized. To be considered for 2012, please send promotional materials in December to:

N.C. State Fair

ATTN: Entertainment Coordinator

1010 Mail Service Center

Raleigh NC 27699-1010

Do you have the [insert entertainer here] this year?

This year, unfortunately we do NOT have these frequently asked about acts:

• Lumber jacks
• Gem mining
• Navy Diving Tank
• Smithfield the Painting Pig

If you need to contact eTix support, please call (800) 514-3849 or (919) 653-0444 or e-mail support@etix.com

FAQs from the eTix Web site (click here for more FAQS)

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The “processing” screen has been processing for an unusually long time. How can I tell if my order has been completed successfully? Should I try again?
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I don't have a credit card. Can I still use your site?
We're sorry, the type of credit card accepted for payment may vary by event, but tickets must be purchased with a major credit or debit card.

I don't have a printer. Can I still use your site?
Yes. Many clients offer delivery methods other than Print at Home. However, if Print at Home is the only option you can still order tickets online and forward the purchase confirmation email that you will receive to anyone with a computer and working printer, and they will be able to print your tickets.

I purchased a ticket earlier, but now I see there are better seats open. What happened to "Best Available"?
When a customer begins the purchase process their seats are pulled out of the available inventory until they purchase them or decide not to continue. If someone has held seats before you began your transaction, but later decides not to buy them, they are released back for sale. This is a common occurrence especially during the on-sale of a popular event. Unfortunately, eTix is not authorized to refund or exchange the tickets you purchased under these circumstances.

I ordered tickets but did not receive a confirmation email. What do I do?
Confirmation emails are sent immediately upon completion of the transaction. If you have spam blocking or require senders to seek approval, you may not receive it. If you do not appear to receive it, please check the spam or junk mail folders for your email account. The confirmation email sender is ‘thankyou@etix.com’. If you still cannot find the email, you may have entered your email address incorrectly. Please click here to email our support group for assistance and be sure to include your order (confirmation) number for faster assistance. On receipt of your request, eTix will check the accuracy of your email address and will re-send it to you so please be sure to disable any spam blockers and please add "thankyou@etix.com" to your address book to ensure it gets delivered.

What kind of printer, paper and ink do I use to print my tickets?
Any inkjet or laser printer using 8.5" x 11" paper will be fine. Tickets can be printed in color or black and white as you prefer.

My tickets are not printing one to a page, what should I do?
Please check your printer margins.
Using Internet Explorer your margins should be set to .75” on all sides. Text size should be set to ‘Medium’
Using Mozilla Firefox your margins should be set to 1.1” on all sides. Text size should be set to ‘Normal’
Regardless of how your tickets print, as long as the bar codes and\or serial numbers print clearly your tickets will be accepted.

My tickets are not printing the images. What should I do?
If you can see the images on screen but they do not print to the page this is a printer issue. Please consult your user manual. If the images do not print on the same page as the event information, this is a margin issue please review the margin setting instructions above. If the images do not appear on screen this is usually the result of your individual browser settings; please check settings regarding pictures or images. Regardless of how your tickets print, as long as the bar codes and\or serial numbers print clearly your tickets will be accepted.

I ordered tickets but did not receive a confirmation email. What do I do?
Confirmation emails are sent immediately upon completion of the transaction. If you have spam blocking or require senders to seek approval, you may not receive it. If you do not appear to receive it, please check the spam or junk mail folders for your email account. The confirmation email sender is ‘thankyou@etix.com’. If you still cannot find the email, you may have entered your email address incorrectly. Please click here to email our support group for assistance and be sure to include your order (confirmation) number for faster assistance. On receipt of your request, eTix will check the accuracy of your email address and will re-send it to you so please be sure to disable any spam blockers and please add "thankyou@etix.com" to your address book to ensure it gets delivered.

The “processing” screen has been processing for an unusually long time. How can I tell if my order has been completed successfully? Should I try again?
Normal processing time will vary based on your internet connection and browser. If your order has been ‘processing’ for longer than 5 minutes, do not process a new order! You should not process a new order until you have confirmed whether or not your first attempt was successful. If you complete multiple purchases in error, we will be unable to refund additional attempts.
Please close all browsers; reconnect; check your email account including spam or junk mail folders. If there is no confirmation email (and you are sure that you entered your email address correctly) then disable pop-up blockers and try again directly at WWW.ETIX.COM.

I chose Mail Delivery, yet my tickets haven't arrived. Where are they?
eTix mails most ticket orders within a few days of your purchase. In the event that you do not receive your tickets within 48 hours of the event, please click here to email our support group for assistance. Tickets shipped by eTix will arrive in a plain white envelope with a Morrisville, NC return address.

Some venues mail their own tickets, and may have a different delivery time frame. If the delivery method listed was "Regular Mail - Internal Use", these tickets are being sent by the venue, so please contact them regarding your ticket delivery.
If you ordered tickets through eTix as part of a fan club offer, those are usually mailed out 14 days prior to the event and you should receive those no later than two days prior to the event. Should you not receive your tickets within 48 hours of the event, please click here to email our support group for assistance.

(click here for more eTix FAQS)