North Carolina State Fair
October 17-25, 2003
Directions:The N. C. State Fairgrounds is easily accessible from the I-440 Beltline, Interstate 40, as well as from Blue Ridge Road, N.C. Highway 54 (Hillsborough Street) and now Edwards Mill Road. Free parking is available on State Fair and Carter-Finley Football Stadium property, except for recreational vehicles that park between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m.
For a map of the Research Triangle area, including Raleigh, a 76k .jpg map is available. For a more detailed map of the Fairgrounds and surrounding area a 52k .jpg map is available. Maps are provided courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Geographic Information Systems.Parking:
Free parking is usually available on State Far and Carter-Finley Football Stadium property, and across Blue Ridge Road in the pasture belonging to the North Carolina State University Veterinary School. However, Carter-Finley Football Stadium property is not available for fairgoers when football games are scheduled for Carter Finley. The pasture belonging to the NCSU Veterinary school will be closed to public parking on days that mud becomes a problem.Recreational vehicles are not allowed to remain in the parking spaces owned by the State Fair between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m.
During the Fair, neighboring residents frequently convert parts of their property to small parking lots, and charge between $5.00 to $10.00 for space.
Be Aware of Changes in Parking!
The parking lot at the northeast corner of the fairgrounds, between Trinity Road and Blue Ridge Road has been paved and designated for Handicap Parking only. Concessionaires and exhibitors accustomed to parking in this lot should park in the lot west of RV Parking past Gate 9 along Trinity Road. Another option for exhibitors is just south of the fairgrounds across Hillsborough Street and Gate 2. Cars that are parked in the Handicap Lot that do not have appropriate tags or plates will be towed.
In years past, fairgoers have been accustomed to parking alongside Wade Avenue, but both Wade Avenue and Edwards Mill Road are now designated as tow away zones. Don't try it, folks! The North Carolina Highway Patrol is not going to bend on this new policy, which is implemented for the safety and protection of pedestrians.On especially busy days, the highway patrol may shut down exits from Wade to Blue Ridge Road and from the inner beltline to Hillsborough -- starting as early as traffic demands it -- to encourage flow to Edwards Mill road.
Fairgrounds visitors accustomed to parking along the shoulders of Youth Center Road may have to seek another spot for the Fair in Y2K. Given the intensity of traffic along this road during fairtime, officials are concerned about pedestrian safety, and are considering the possibility of banning all parking along the shoulders of Youth Center Road next year.
Plan for the Unexpected
Don't wait until you've reached the fairgrounds to arrange meeting places for friends, even if they plan on following you a car behind. When a parking lot fills up, the attendant will deny entrance to cars, which means your car might get through and the people behind you might not! If your friends are in the car behind you, and you make it into the lot but your friends are waved on to another lot by the attendant, you need to have a plan for meeting on the grounds.Remember to keep your cool while others about you may be losing their own. Don't let "parking rage" get the better of you before you've even gotten onto the fairgrounds.
You Parked the Car Where?
Parking is free on N.C. State Fairgrounds property, except for recreational vehicles that park between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m.For weary fairgoers who exit the gates only to discover that they are on the opposite side of the fairgrounds from where they parked, a tram service is available. The tram, a 25 passenger bus, will be circling the perimeter of the fairgrounds, making stops at gates 2, 8, and 10. Another tram will shuttle passengers from Carter Finley Stadium to the fairgrounds on days of heavy attendance.
A separate tram service operates within the fairgrounds for a fee of $2.00 a ride. This tram stops at Gate 1, at the Folk Festival (near Gate 10), at Dorton Arena and at Gate 8. Booths for purchasing tickets to ride are located at each of these stops. This interior tram will not be permitted to operate on days on days that attendance is especially heavy. Cowded conditions and trams on the fairgrounds do not mix!
Neither of the tram services is equipped with wheel-chair lifts.
Raleigh and Durham offer convenient State Fair bus services. Raleigh’s Capital Area Transit (CAT) and the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) offer bus line services from several locations that make trips to the fairgrounds as direct and easy as possible.
Take the Train!The Carolinian will make special stops each day at the North Carolina State Fair.
Facilities and Parking for Visitors with Disabilities
In the paved parking lot at the corner of Blue Ridge Road and Trinity Road there are 124 parking spaces designated for use by handicapped or disabled visitors. This lot, formerly permitted for fair concessionaires' stock trailers, provides access to the Fair by Gates 9 and 10.
When the handicapp spaces are filled in this lot, drivers with handicap tags are routed to the lot at Gate 10. When the lot at Gate 10 is filled, the drivers are routed to lot 9, and then to Carter Finley Stadium.
Cars occupying spaces in lots designated for handicapped or disabled visitors must display handicap stickers or plates.
Fun Riders provides nonmotorized wheelchairs and strollers at Gates 8 and 9 for a deposit and fee. Piedmont Mobility provides motorized wheelchairs and strollers at Gate 10 for a deposit and fee.
Visitors who do not require wheelchairs may also take advantage of tram services. A 25 passenger tram will be circling the perimeter of the fairgrounds, making stops at gates 2, 8, and 10. Another tram will shuttle passengers from Carter Finley Stadium to the fairgrounds on days of heavy attendance. A third tram operates within the inner perimeter of the fairgrounds, stopping at Gate 1, at the Folk Festival (near Gate 10), at Dorton Arena and at Gate 8. Booths for purchasing tickets to ride ($2.50) are located at each of these stops.
Neither the interior nor exterior tram services is equipped. The interior tram will not be permitted to operate on days of extremely heavy crowds, when its movement may be unsafe for pedestrians.
Renovations to bring Commercial and Education Buildings up to American with Disabilities Act standards have been completed, making the buildings more accessible to visitors using crutches or wheelchairs.
Handicap accessible restrooms are located throughout the fairgrounds for the convenience of all guests.
Ride the CAT Bus to the State Fair
Capital Area Transit Park-n-Ride LocationsAvoid the traffic and parking hassles! Capital Area Transit (CAT) will provide shuttle service to the State Fair, October 17-26. The shuttle will operate every 15-20 minutes from 3 convenient locations each day of the Fair, including both Sundays. All passengers will be dropped off at Gate #1 at the fairgrounds. Fare is $4 per person roundtrip and $3 per person one-way. Children under 40" ride free with a fare-paying adult. Exact change is required.
ITB Holdings Building: 8:30 a.m. - midnight. (Non-stop Express) - 2912 Wake Forest Rd. just south of the I-440 Beltline at the corner of Wake Forest Rd. & Six Forks Rd. Unlimited parking at this location.
SAS Soccer Park: 8:30 a.m. - midnight. (Non-stop Express) - Exit 291 off I-40 in Cary - E. Chatham St. just west of the Raleigh/Cary border. Please enter on the east side of the park. Unlimited parking at this location.
Hillsborough Street: 7 a.m. - midnight. - Stops at designated points along Hillsborough St. - look for blue State Fair signs. Starts at Fayetteville Street Mall Post Office. Buses will travel to the fairgrounds via Edenton, Morgan and Hillsborough Streets and return via Hillsborough St. and Morgan St.
Fare: $3 one-way, $4 roundtrip.
Children under 40" ride free with fare paying adult.
Home General Information Parking and Directions Tickets Sponsors History Contact Us