The 2021 N.C. State Fair will be Worth the Wait! Or so goes the motto for this year’s event. “A year without a State Fair is almost unendurable,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in February, when he announced the 2021 N.C. State Fair would go on. “We’re working very hard to make this the best State Fair that anybody has ever seen.”
Whether or not the fair lives up to those high hopes, one thing is certain. Since the 2020 State Fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of North Carolinians are hungry for a little excitement — and lots of fried delicacies. More than 150 food stands are expected to be at this year’s fair, scheduled for Oct. 14-24 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
“Our fairgoers are foodies,” said Sarah Ray, spokesperson for the state fair. “Everyone loves whatever concoctions the vendors come up with.”
“I would think after a two-year break from the last time they did it, they’ve probably thought of some wild and crazy things for this year, and I’m excited to see what they are,” she said. “North Carolinians are all about the food.”
Another popular attraction will be the SkyGazer, which debuted at the 2019 fair and will return in 2021. At 155 feet tall, it’s the largest traveling Ferris wheel in North America and the tallest ride ever brought to the fair. The SkyGazer features more than a half million LED lights and can carry more than 200 people at a time.
For more information, visit ncstatefair.org.
- Wall to Wall
- Women of Western Wake: Jackie Locklear
- Women of Western Wake: Matty Lazo-Chadderton
- Pack and Play
- Nonprofit Spotlight: Toward Zero Waste
- Small Business Spotlight: Six Foot Fit
- Women of Western Wake: Christine Vannais
- Women of Western Wake: Chavi Khanna Koneru
- Women of Western Wake: Veronica Bent
- Presenting the 2021 Women of Western Wake
- Things to Do: September 2021
- What’s Ahead for the 2021 N.C. State Fair
- Restaurant Profile: Lawrence Barbecue
- Liquid Assets: Copperline from Carolina Brewery
- Garden Adventurer: Impatient? Plant Autumn Crocus
