I LOVE THE FAIR! No, really! In fact there are many things in life I love, but the fair is WAY up at the top! I can't remember a year (other than 2020-Thanks AGAIN COVID) that I've missed it. There are many reasons to love the fair. The sights (people watching), the sounds (music and the laughter of screams coming from various rides), the smells (funnel cakes and cow manure), but the tastes, that's what gets me back each year. I go to eat. In fact, when I was single, I'd get tickets for one day to go with a friend/boyfriend/group of people and then I'd go alone on canned food night just so I could be as fast and stealthy as possible, navigating through the crowds, to hit up my favorite spots!
It's ironic. Kevin's job takes him across the country to fairs and festivals from around May-September. He lives on fair grounds. By the time the NC State Fair rolls around (and we're the last in the country) he's had his fair share! Ha! Pun intended! But he goes every year for me because I am at my best when I'm at the fair! We love the fair so much, we even included it as one of our wedding week activities.
Now some people go for the candied apples, the funnel cakes, the turkey legs, etc. Those are all well and good, but they're not on my must-eat list. Without further ado, let's get into it! You're going to need this map to follow along and I'll do my best to explain where vendors and booths are located. Some move each year. Most are in their same spots and almost ALL I have no idea their official name, I just know what I eat there.
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| One of my favorites-the Krispy Kreme Burger |
I take the same route into the fair each year and get the same 3 items each time. I park over at PNC/Carter Finley and enter through gate 8. This puts me in the perfect spot to start with Apple Cider in Heritage Circle. It's the second vendor on the right after the grist mill. They offer Hot Apple Cider-which will burn your tongue off, or Apple Freezie (frozen apple cider). The lady at this spot is not the nicest, but if you're lucky, you can get a hot cider with a splash of frozen (so you can drink immediately). I've only had her deny me once.
The next stop is Roasted Corn. This booth is just up the hill from the Village of Yesteryear in front of the Marketplace. For YEARS this has been my spot and I won't get corn anywhere else. Just this week I had the only bad corn I've ever had there. It partially could have been my fault, I was there at 10am and they most likely didn't have the roaster up and going yet. The corn was cold and the butter was warm, but not warm enough to be really runny and drippy, so it was super clumpy. Believe me, I ate every kernel, but it wasn't great. Don't fear, I'll be back again this year for a second try!
To round out the first 3 stops, you need a Country Ham Biscuit from the Pittsboro Kiwanis Club. Head straight towards Dorton Arena from the corn stop (I call this "the main drag"), pass the Grandstand on your left and it will be across from the bathrooms on your right as you get closer to Dorton Arena. I like mine with mustard on it, but they offer other toppings including grape jelly.
After that, the day/night is yours. There are plenty of other food choices. Come along on this culinary experience!
Savory Snacks
Al's French Fries: Al's has two locations. One is at the corner of the Grandstand closest to Dorton Area. The other is by the Expo Center almost up to the Graham Building. They're french fries. But they're good and you can put vinegar and/or ketchup and other toppings on them. This is a staple for me at the State Fair.
Cheese Curds from Hot Wisconsin Cheese: Tucked between Kiddieland and the Midway behind the High Flier (Orville Terminus), this spot has delicious cheese curds! The mozzarella sticks are good too, but the cheese curds with ranch dressing are FANTASTIC!
Blooming Onions and Ribbon Fries: I don't have a specific spot for these, but they are quintessential fair foods if you're in the mood!
Main Meals
Steak Tips and Mashed Potatoes: This spot was new to me this year. Kevin knew of them and pointed them out (because when you work on fairs all year, you have to eat real food each day). This meal was very filling! The steak was tender and delicious. The mashed potatoes had red skins still on. You could add onions and mushrooms or just onions. Not sure of the booth name, it could be Pickle Barrel, but it's on the west side of Dorton Arena up against the Graham Building (almost in line with the Waterfall Stage).
Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls: Woody's located off "the main drag" headed toward the Midway (they have a red and white blimp WAY up in the air and if you miss that, a big gorilla on top of their booth) These are delicious! Savory and hearty with a unique twist. The dipping sauce is great. If you like Philly Chessesteaks, don't miss them!
Neomonde: Walk from the Dorton Arena Waterfall towards the Scott Building and they're on the right before you get to the High Flier on your left. Anything at Neomonde is good. The lamb kabobs this year were great!
La Farm Bakery: They have great sandwiches and sweets. They're normally behind Dorton Arena between gates 1 and 2, but I don't think they're at the fair this year.
Arepa Loca: Located in Kiddieland. If you round the corner from Dorton Arena and head towards gate 1, take the first left, pass the carousel and head towards the huge slide. It's on the left. I had a chicken arepa and it was dynamite. The flavor was so good. It had some type of fruit topping, banana?, and maybe an avocado sauce? I don't know, it was yummy!
Chicken Pitas or Italian Sausage from Butcher Boys: These are nothing special, but they seem to be a spot we always gravitate towards when we need something substantial to eat after a long day at the fair. Butcher Boys have many spots, but we frequent the ones near the Grandstand.
Sweet Treats
Mini Donuts: If you're looking at the Waterfall at Dorton Arena, they're to your right before you get to the Graham Building. You can get all sorts of flavors-I prefer the cinnamon sugar- and different quantities (I get a dozen). If you are getting a lemonade or tea, I like to get mine here because of the cups and cheap refills. They're a little orange booth.
Eclairs: Up by the racing pigs at Mazzarella Pizza, Inc., they have gingerbread, brownies, muffins. The eclairs are bigger than my head and they are fantastic! I haven't had one in many, many years and I still think about it often!
Howling Cow Ice Cream: On "the main drag" between the Marketplace and the Grandstand. If I get this, it's normally on the way out. I go for Wolftracks, Mint Chocolate Chip, Sea Salt Caramel or straightup Chocolate. You can't go wrong!
Anything deep fried: No specific spot for this, but there is a stand in the permanent building east of Dorton Arena to your left if you're walking towards the Scott Building (1853 Grille). I prefer the deep fried Reese's cups because they're smaller and not as messy. And they're easy to share! I didn't see many deep fried booths this year, maybe it's not a "thing" anymore.
Campfire on a Stick: I'm suggesting this without having tried it myself, but it looks awesome. A skewer with marshmallows and in between each marshmallow is a mini pancake. It's at the Hot Chix Hotcakes and Chicken stand in Kiddieland, it's down past Arepas behind Balloon Fiesta ride (hot air balloon ferris wheel).
Maple Cotton Candy: This is in the Commercial Building at a booth that sells all maple products including maple syrup and candies, but the cotton candy is a must-buy and I take it home to enjoy for many days!
My favorite drink at the fair is a lime fizz. There are fresh squeezed orangeades, lemonades and limeades at a stand in Kiddieland across from the carousel. So refreshing on a hot day!
I couldn't leave a post like this without telling you what I enjoy doing and seeing at the fair. The food is good, but the whole experience makes it memorable.
One of my favorite things to do with the kids is get silhouettes done in Yesteryear. It's awesome to see how they've changed each year. This is a fun experience and a treasure to enjoy at home until October rolls around again!
We love to go visit the animals in the Graham Building and the Expo Center. Depending on when you go, you can see baby chicks hatch. There's cow milking, ducks that slide down a water slide, all sorts of things. 
I also like to see the largest pumpkin and all of the award-winning produce. And if you've never seen the pig races, you need to do that! Very entertaining. My tip for the pig races is to grab some food and head over about an hour early. The seats fill up fast and you want to be able to see the action.
Inside the Education and Commercial Building I get Mt. Olive Pickles (they were not around in 2019 and I couldn't find them this year either) and peanuts, I love to see the quilts and cakes and table decorations and we always stop by the maple cotton candy booth.
We go to the Scott Building to see the art. I love walking around to check it all out-both the amateur and professional. There are also vendors selling things here and one deep fried booth.
If you need to get away from the crowds, I love to walk around the Flower Gardens. They're beautiful and you can relax in the shade! The fireworks at night are really spectacular from here too!
Now that we have kids, we spend LOTS of time in Kiddieland. I haven't ridden anything in years until the last two years when you HAVE to ride with your kid! That's a given, but The Field of Dreams on the east side of Dorton Arena is a fun stop to do with kids too. They can walk around and see how our food is grown and they have coloring sheets and freebies. There are also shows on the west side of the Education Building and north of the Commercial Building. If you can catch one, they're entertaining for littles.
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| Casey Cardinal-The NC State Fair Mascot |
I don't spend so much time in Heritage Circle, but if the Grist Mill is open, that's fun to walk through and get a hush puppy on the way out!
And in my old age, I'm not into rides or midway games, but if that's your thing, there are plenty to engage in! Back in the day, I would time each evening fair trip with a ride on the Ferris wheel right as the fireworks went off. It was perfect to be on top of the world as the booms lit up the sky and signaled the end of another fabulous fair day.
And lastly, there's a red barn/building facing Hillsborough Street between Gate 1 and the back entrance to Dorton Arena. It's always decorated with fall decorations and sometimes Christmas decorations. We love to pause for a quick family picture here each year.
I've only been to the State Fair twice this year and I'm already excited for my next trip. There's so much more to eat and see. My first visit this year was a surprise from Kevin on our anniversary. I didn't know where we were going, so I didn't have time to prepare. And he planned that we would watch the Pseudo Cowboys (featuring Adam Pitts) on the Dorton Arena Waterfall stage for an hour. It was perfect since Adam played our cocktail hour 9 years ago and it was a great day to enjoy the fair kid-free in the limited time we had! Who said the fair can't be romantic?!
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| Up on the High Flier and reconsidering our decision! |
Disclaimer: I pace myself and listen to my body. I do not eat all of the foods mentioned on each trip to the fair. If you have a gallbladder attack, I am not responsible. Good luck and enjoy the most fantastic time of the year in North Carolina! Nothing could be finer and this year it was truly "Worth the Wait!"
