The North Carolina State Fair is a U.S. state fair and agricultural exposition held annually in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1853, the fair is organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It attracts around a million visitors over eleven days in mid-October. The fair consists of carnival rides, agricultural exhibitions and competitions, food, music, demonstrations, and garden and craft displays. The North Carolina State Fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States.
History The North Carolina State Agricultural Society organized the first North Carolina State Fair in 1853 at a 16 acres (6.5 ha) site east of Raleigh. This organization included some of the most influential men in North Carolina. In addition to promoting North Carolina's farmers and agricultural produce, the Agricultural Society also wanted to create an event to "attract and encourage interaction among people from all sections of the state." In this era, the fair included horse races, political oration, marching bands, and military units on parade. In 1855, the State issued $1,500 a year to the Agricultural Society for the fair's operating expenses. Thomas Ruffin, president of the society, managed the fair from 1853 to 1859. It ceased operations from 1861 to 1868 during the Civil War and Reconstruction. The fair reopened in 1869 under the leadership of Kemp P. Battle. In 1873, the fair moved to a new location west of Raleigh on Hillsborough Street. The City of Raleigh helped acquire the 55 acres (22 ha) site near the North Carolina Railroad. In the 1870s and 1880s, the mills in Winston-Salem would close so workers could attend the state fair in Raleigh. By the start of the 20th century, the fair featured a midway with various attractions, human and animal freak shows, hoochie coochie shows, car and horse races, and thrill shows. The fair promoted agricultural reforms, new technologies, and scientific methods to the state's farmers. In 1900, the fair's attendance was 50,000. In 1917, a Woman's Building was added to the fairgrounds to recognize the contributions of North Carolina's women during World War I. Its dedication included an invocation by Sallie Cotton who founded the North Carolina Woman's Clubs. Other women spoke, including Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the United States Congress. Katherine Smith Reynolds was the first female executive committee member of the North Carolina State Agricultural Society, serving from 1918 to 1921. Edith Vanderbilt was the society's president from 1921 to 1924, serving as de fact fair chair and presiding over six men such as Josephus Daniels. Although adding women to the fair's board was progressive, it was also practical. Reynolds and Vanderbilt were two of the wealthiest individuals in the state. At the time, the cost of hosting the fair was increasing, and managing the mix of educational exhibits and commercial spectacles was expanding beyond the reach of a volunteer board. Vanderbilt got the fair back on a sound financial footing, "accomplishing what any number of men have failed to do." Following her success, Vanderbilt pressed the state for more financial support, speaking to the legislature from its floor. In return, she promised new buildings, better exhibits, and more attendees. One journalist wrote, "Mrs. Vanderbilt has given time, energy, and contagious enthusiasm, and men have found pleasure in helping her see her ambitions for North Carolina realized." Without Vanderbilt at its helm in 1925, the fair returned to shaky finances, complicated by a site that was too small. The North Carolina State Agricultural Society did not hold the fair in 1926. When the society disbanded, the State took over the fair. In 1927, the North Carolina Legislature designated 200 acres (81 ha) for new fairgrounds at the Blue Ridge Road and Hillsborough Street intersection on the west side of Raleigh. This site is still used for the North Carolina State Fair but has expanded to 344 acres (139 ha). There was no fair in 1927 while the State developed the new fairgrounds. Wake County contributed funds for new fairgrounds buildings, supplementing the proceeds from selling the former Agricultural Society's property. The fair returned in 1928 with record crowds. New structures include livestock barns and commercial and educational buildings. The State assigned the fair's operation to the State Board of Agriculture in 1930. That year, circus promoter George A. Hamid Sr. secured a lease to operate the fair. Hamid owned Atlantic City's Million Dollar Pier and a circus. Under his leadership, the fair's grandstand featured circus-type acts, a trend that continued through the 1960s. The fair was also a popular oratory stop for presidential candidates, including William Jennings Bryan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and President Theodore Roosevelt.
Hamid ran the fair until 1937, when W. Kerr Scott, the new state commissioner of agriculture, convinced the legislature to make the fair a division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. When Kerr ran for office, part of his platform was to return the fair to state oversight. Since 1937, the fair is part of the Department of Agriculture, now the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The fair ceased operations between 1942 and 1945 because of World War II. Beginning in 1948, the fair contracted with the James E. Strates Shows to provide the midway rides and shows. The fair continued to be a popular stop for presidents seeking reelection, including Presidents Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. Today, the fair is self-supporting and does not receive state funding. Its profits are reinvested in the fairgrounds. In 2010, the fair broke an attendance record with 1,091,887 visitors. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State canceled the 2020 fair. It resumed in 2021.
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