The North Carolina State Fair is being held at the N.C. State Fairgrounds from October 13-23, 2011. The Fair kicked of yesterday with preview day and the official opening ceremony is being held at 11 a.m. today (October 14) in Heritage Circle—all fairgoers are invited.
You’ll notice that this year’s theme is, “Love A Fair.” And there are new rides, new food, new exhibits, and new entertainment that you can fall in love with again, or for the first time, over the next 10 days.
New rides
- Sky Diver, located on the old Midway – based on a Ferris wheel design, except passengers sit in cages similar to the Zipper. The cages are mounted on an axle that allows the cars to spin like a barrel roll. There’s a wheel in the cage so you, or your co-pilot, can control how fast you spin.
- Cyclone Tunnel, located on the Scott Midway: You may want to hold off on the deep-fried goodies until after you go through this vertigo-inducing chamber!
- Magic Maze Glass House, located on the old Midway: Children will enjoy this two-story house of glass, especially the slide.
- Looney Lagoon, located on the Scott Midway: Hop in a wooden tub and take the ride of your life in this family friendly pirate-themed coaster.
- Crazy Chopper, located on the Scott Midway: Spinning helicopter family ride, one of only two in the country.
New food
Search for the locations of these new foods with our food finder.
- Some new deep fried features: brownies, candy apples, cheesecake, chicken pot pie, Kool-aid, and bubble gum
- Cupcakes in unusual shapes including hot dogs, ice cream cones, hamburgers, popcorn, and more
- Belgian waffles and crepes with a variety of toppings including spinach, cheese, and pizza flavors
- Lemon sticks: 1 lemon + 1 peppermint stick = a sweet and tart treat
- Fancy funnel cakes: red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese drizzle, and pumpkin spice funnel cake
- “Flyin’ Mayan” – Black bean and sweet potato burrito
New exhibit features
- Flower and Garden Show new features: A butterfly house, butterfly scavenger hunt and several butterfly releases, along with more than 90 demonstrations throughout the fair.
- Cultivate a Career exhibit: learn about the wide variety of career paths within the agricultural industry and discover your career personality type.
- N.C. Museum of Natural Science House of Mystery: dinosaur fossils and hands-on exhibits.
- 60th anniversary of the Village of Yesteryear featuring scavenger hunts and hands-on craft activities for kids.
New entertainment
- Amazing Arthur Fratelli, Professional Showoff and Comedy Superhero performing daily in front of the Expo Center
- DiVine, a living vine stilt-walking dance act roaming the Flower & Garden show area
- Melody Farm singing vegetable performances near the Children’s Barnyard