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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: State Fair closes at 910,584 visitors, agriculture department says

The official table now lists 92,737 on Sunday and a 2026 total of 910,584, below last year's 946,811. Commissioner Troxler said the count was on par with 2025 minus the rain day.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published · Updated

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The 2026 N.C. State Fair ran Oct. 15-25 at the State Fairgrounds on Trinity Road in Raleigh and closed Sunday, Oct. 25.Confirmed by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services hours page and Oct. 26, 2026, news release
  • A Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, department news release titled "2026 N.C. State Fair finishes strong run" said total attendance was 910,584.Confirmed by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services news release, Oct. 26, 2026
  • The department's attendance table, fetched Monday afternoon, lists 92,737 visitors for closing Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, and a 2026 total of 910,584.Confirmed by N.C. State Fair attendance table (fetched Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The same table lists 97,200 for closing Sunday in 2025 and a 2025 total of 946,811.Confirmed by N.C. State Fair attendance table (fetched Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The eleven 2026 daily cells on that table add to 910,589, five more than the posted 910,584 total. This file uses the department's 910,584 figure, which matches Monday's news release.Confirmed by N.C. State Fair attendance table daily columns (fetched Oct. 26, 2026)
  • Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in the Monday release, "We saw strong attendance every day but the rain day, which was not unexpected. Our numbers were on par with the 2025 attendance minus the rain day."Confirmed by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services news release, Oct. 26, 2026
  • WPTF, writing Monday afternoon from that release, independently reported the 910,584 total and the same Troxler lines.Confirmed by WPTF / NCN News, Oct. 26, 2026
  • The table still lists Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at 120,837. Through that Saturday the running total had been 817,852, against 849,611 at the same point in 2025.Confirmed by N.C. State Fair attendance table (fetched Oct. 25 and Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The official daily columns for the first five days of 2026 add to 353,827. The same five days in 2025 add to 391,636.Confirmed by N.C. State Fair attendance table
  • CBS 17, writing Sunday afternoon, also reported about 817,852 visitors through Saturday and 849,611 at the same point in 2025.Confirmed by CBS 17, Oct. 25, 2026
  • ABC11, on Oct. 20, wrote that fair officials had counted nearly 354,000 people through the first five days, compared with about 392,000 during the same stretch last year, and that this year's early total included a rainy, colder Saturday.Confirmed by ABC11, Oct. 20, 2026
  • Monday's release said the 2027 fair is scheduled for Oct. 14-24.Confirmed by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services news release, Oct. 26, 2026

Still unknown

  • Why the eleven daily cells add to five more people than the posted 910,584 total
  • A posted day-by-day explanation from the department for the year-to-year drop

What this means for you

Instructions from N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

This site is not the State Fair. For the attendance table and the closing release, use the agriculture department pages linked below. The next scheduled run is Oct. 14-24, 2027, the department wrote. If someone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Monday the 2026 State Fair finished with 910,584 visitors.

The official attendance table now lists 92,737 for closing Sunday, Oct. 25, and the same 910,584 year total. Last year's run ended at 946,811 after a final Sunday of 97,200.

The eleven daily cells on that table add to 910,589, five more than the year figure the department printed. This file uses 910,584, which matches Monday's news release.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in that release the numbers were "on par with the 2025 attendance minus the rain day." WPTF, writing Monday afternoon from the same notice, also reported the 910,584 figure.

Through Saturday the table had listed 817,852, behind 849,611 at the same point in 2025. Saturday's listed turnout remains 120,837.

The next scheduled fair is Oct. 14-24, 2027, the department wrote.

This site is not the State Fair. The attendance table and the closing release are on the agriculture department pages linked below. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

The department has not explained the five-person gap between the daily cells and the posted total, or published a day-by-day reason for the drop from 2025.

What happens next

We will note any later correction to the table or the 910,584 total.

Photos

Text-only. No fair or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

The fair is over. The official 2026 count is 910,584, below last year's 946,811. The department's own daily cells and its posted total are five people apart.

Updates

  1. Oct 26, 2026, 2:12 PM

    The official attendance table now lists 92,737 for Sunday and a 2026 total of 910,584. A Monday agriculture department release uses the same total. Last year finished at 946,811. The eleven daily cells add to 910,589.

  2. Oct 25, 2026, 6:00 PM

    The official attendance table lists 817,852 through Saturday and leaves Sunday blank. Last year's through-Saturday figure was 849,611. Sunday gates are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a 9:45 p.m. entry cutoff.

Sources

  1. 2026 N.C. State Fair finishes strong run (N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026: 11 days; mostly sunny skies; record Junior Livestock Sale of Champions; total attendance was 910,584; Commissioner Steve Troxler quote on strong attendance every day but the rain day and numbers on par with 2025 minus the rain day; 2027 fair Oct. 14-24. Text-only; no fair photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  2. N.C. State Fair - Attendance (fetched Oct. 26, about 2:50 p.m. Eastern: 2026 daily columns 43,712; 71,224; 68,229; 100,576; 70,086; 75,643; 80,130; 96,607; 90,808; 120,837; 92,737; posted total 910,584. Those eleven cells add to 910,589. 2025 closing Sunday 97,200 and year total 946,811. Text-only; no fair photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  3. State Fair ends with more than 910K attendance (WPTF / NCN News, Oct. 26, 2026, 1:15 p.m.: 11-day run concluded Sunday, Oct. 25; total attendance was 910,584; Troxler quote from the post-fair press release. Used for independent confirmation of the 910,584 total and the Troxler lines. Text-only; no WPTF photos used.)

    Published by WPTF · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  4. N.C. State Fair - Hours of Operation (Sunday, Oct. 25, gates 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; admission ticket and inside the gates prior to 9:45 p.m.; no re-entry after 9:45 p.m.; closing times weather permitting; run listed Oct. 15-25)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 6:05 PM

  5. NC State Fair attendance lags behind 2025 amid higher gas costs; vendor prices draw concern (CBS 17 / WNCN, posted 4:07 p.m. Oct. 25, 2026, modified 4:38 p.m.: about 817,852 through Saturday; 849,611 before the final Sunday in 2025; 2025 total 946,811; Saturday listed at 120,837. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. Used only for the attendance figures that match the official table. Text-only; no CBS 17 photos used.)

    Published by CBS 17 (WNCN) · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 6:05 PM

  6. State Fair attendance trails last year as families navigate higher costs (ABC11 / WTVD, published Oct. 20, 2026, 5:46 p.m. Eastern: officials reported nearly 354,000 through the first five days, compared with about 392,000 in the same stretch last year; this year's early total included a rainy and colder Saturday. Text-only; no ABC11 photos used.)

    Published by ABC11 (WTVD) · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 6:05 PM

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