Raleigh: N.C. State Fair opens Thursday; gates noon to 11 p.m. through Oct. 25

The N.C. State Fair opens Thursday at noon at the State Fairgrounds on Trinity Road and runs through Sunday, Oct. 25.

Thursday is College Day. Gates that day are noon to 11 p.m., the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says. College students pay $8 at the gate with a valid student ID.

Discounted advance tickets stay on sale through Thursday, the ticket page says.

Daily gate hours

The fair's hours page lists:

• Thursday, Oct. 15: noon to 11 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 23-24: 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Sunday through Thursday, Oct. 18-22, and Sunday, Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Gates and midway closing times are weather permitting.

Fairgoers have to buy an admission ticket and be inside before 9:45 p.m. There is no re-entry after 9:45 p.m. The hours page and the ticket page both say that. The daily schedule also says there is no admittance after 9:45 p.m.

The fair says it runs rain or shine and does not refund tickets.

Parking

Parking on State Fairgrounds and Carter-Finley Stadium property is free, the getting-here page says. It also lists free parking on Lenovo Center property, except on dates when those lots are reserved or paid. Recreational vehicles may not stay in spaces the State Fair manages between midnight and 8 a.m.

Two free off-site lots have free shuttles:

• Dogwood Lot, at Edwards Mill and Reedy Creek roads. Shuttles drop off and pick up across Trinity Road from Gate 8, on the Carter-Finley side.
• Cardinal Lot, on Highway 54 / Chapel Hill Road past I-40 Exit 290. Shuttles stop across from Gate 7.

The page says shuttles run continuously. It still shows lot hours that start Thursday, Oct. 16, and run through Sunday, Oct. 26. Those dates do not match this year's Oct. 15-25 fair, so we are not printing those hours.

The page says neighboring private lots are not run by the State Fair.

Train and buses

NC By Train's special fair stop, station code NSF, is outside Gate 1 from Oct. 15 through Oct. 25.

On opening day, the parking page lists northbound Train 72 arriving at 1:47 p.m. Southbound trains 77 and 79 are listed leaving the fair at 3:43 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are only good for the train on the reservation. Return tickets need to say NSF, not Raleigh Union Station (RGH). The page tells riders to be at the Amtrak hospitality tent at least 20 minutes before departure and to get a hand stamp before leaving the fair in case a train is late.

GoRaleigh plans shuttles Oct. 15-25 from Dix Park Lot A on Hunt Drive to Gate 1. The parking page lists $5 round trip and $4 one way, half fare for seniors 65 and older and passengers with disabilities. Children 40 inches tall ride free. The GoPass is not valid on those routes.

Go Durham says it will run a free hourly express in 2026 from Durham Station on W. Pettigrew Street to Gate 1, from 8 a.m. until the fair closes. Seating is limited, the page says.

This site is not the State Fair. Hours, parking and trains are on the agriculture department pages linked below.