We love the great state of North Carolina. It is so awesome to be able to celebrate it every year at the N.C. State Fair! Thankfully, we live pretty close to the fairgrounds in Raleigh so we are able to jump over there pretty quickly, enjoy the fair, and head home. We had so much fun taking it easy and enjoying all the fair had to offer this year. Here is what we did!

N.C. State Fair Food!

This is the number one reason for anyone to go to the fair and if you aren’t going to the fair for food you are doing it wrong. The N.C. State Fair is full of great food options that you can’t eat at any time during the year. Here is what we hit up this year.

Al’s Fries

You must get you some Al’s Fries. If you don’t get Al’s Fries you did not go to the N.C. State Fair. Simple as that. We get our Al’s Fries at one of two locations, depending on when we get them. There is a booth by the grandstands and there is a booth by the Jim Graham building. If we want them with a country ham biscuit we get them by the grandstand. If we want them with a hot dog or corndog we get them by the Graham building. A small will feed two and a medium three. A large is only in case of emergencies. These fries are the best fries you will ever eat. They are always perfectly cut and perfectly cooked. Throw a little seasoned salt on them and douse them in ketchup and you are golden, just like the fries.

Country Ham Biscuit

This is a must do for us each and every year at the fair. We have to get our country ham biscuits from the Pittsboro Kiwanis Club. This booth is located right across from the grandstands where the demolition derby and tractor pulls are (this is the fair people!). The best part of this biscuit is the country ham. They are the perfect balance of salt and meat. So very good. They are not the biggest value at $3 apiece, but they go to a good cause.

Orangeade

If you want to really know who Megan is you have to understand her love for orangeade. To her, orangeade is the best drink that was ever invented. But, it can’t be any orangeade. It has to be an orangeade worthy of the name. Luckily, the fair has such an item. This item is located between the kiddie rides and Dorton Arena. This is fresh squeezed and shook right in front of you and is awesome.

Krispy Kreme Chicken Waffle Sandwich

Yes, you read that right. We live within a 20 minute drive of the original Krispy Kreme. The N.C. State Fair always makes sure there is a special Krispy Kreme offering or two. The Krispy Kreme Chicken Waffle Sandwich is that offering. This is awesome. Simply awesome. It is located right across from one of our favorite places, Hunnicutt’s (you need to check this place out too!). This is a fried chicken patty (which was of surprisingly high quality for fair food) with bacon and cheese with a couple of Krispy Kreme donuts pressed in a waffle iron serving as the bread. We got it without cheese, but still loved it. This was Silas’ favorite thing he ate and it was so delicious!

Something Sweet

We love going to the fair for the sweet dessert offerings. We love the frozen cheesecake on a stick, the fresh chocolate chip cookies sold by the bucket, or the N.C. State University ice cream. This is what we tried this year: Justin went with the deep fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups by the grandstand (great choice). Megan went with the cinnamon sugar mini-donuts by the Jim Graham Building. Silas went with a sno-cone right by the donut place Meg went to. Everyone loved their selection. For what it is worth, the deep-fried place is great as long as they don’t run out of food. They deep fry everything. We have never had anything bad there. The mini-donuts have a ton of great flavors to choose from and really have a good price for what you get.

Flying Over The N.C. State Fair

We are not the biggest fans of the rides of the fair. Disney World has spoiled us. Even though we are not the biggest fair ride riders, we like to ride some of them. Silas likes to go through the fun houses and ride some of the rides but we all love the N.C. State Fair Flyer. This pretty much lets you ride across the midway and check out all of the sites and sounds of the fair. We love riding this at night with all of the lights and getting a good view of all the fair has to offer. This ride is cash only, no tickets accepted (you can buy tickets online for cheaper). You can do a one-way ticket or a round-trip. We like to save a little money and do the one-way (this is good for Justin because he hates heights). This is a great way to experience the fair, try and ride it if you can.

Checking In On Farm Life

We have lived most of our lives in North Carolina. The state has changed so much throughout the years. When we were growing up it was mainly rural and agricultural. That has changed a lot, but if you get outside of the major cities you will see that farm life is still going strong. One of the best things about the N.C. State Fair is that it reminds you of the little man who is working hard to keep America going. We love checking in on them by looking at the livestock and farming exhibits throughout the fair.

We love checking out the Jim Graham Building and the State Fair Ark. There you get to check out the best of the best when it comes to the agriculture and the livestock. This is where the giant pumpkins and watermelons are and where you can look at the incredible farm animals on display. We love looking at the baby chicks hatch and the beautiful cows and cute piglets on display.

Pig Racing At The N.C. State Fair

This is the most exciting 15 seconds at the fair. The pig racing is located near the Scott Building. These races happen every two hours starting at 10:30 am. We went to the 6:30 pm races and have a blast (this is the last race time of the day). When we went this last time we got to experience four different races. Three of the races were pig races and one of them was the duck race. All of these races are awesome and so much fun.

They do a great job of getting the crowd hyped up and ready for the races. They get a kid from each section to be the sponsor of each race, except for the last one. Whoever wins gets a ribbon to the person whose pig won. It is a lot of fun. Silas got chosen for the second race but his pig lost at the last second. The last race they pick four women to be the sponsor of the pigs and the winner is chosen as the Pig Queen. This year, Megan was chosen as the sponsor for the #24 pig and guess what? Her pig won! That is right, Megan is the Pig Queen! Hey, there are five shows a day for 10 days so that means there are 50 Pig Queens a year in the state of North Carolina. Megan is one of them!

This really is so much fun. If you want a good seat you need to be there at least 30 minutes before the start of the race. If you want front row, you need to be there 45 minutes before. This place is rowdy and fun and if you want to experience the N.C. State Fair you need to experience the pig races.

Walking Around The Fairgrounds

Honestly, our favorite part of the fair is just taking it easy and walking around. We love people watching and checking out all that the fair has to offer. When you don’t take your time to check things out you end up missing so much. We love walking into the Grist Mill for the free hush puppies. Checking out the Bluegrass music in the Pitzer Heritage Circle is a favorite. Taking our time looking at the animals or walking through the different t exhibits is something we have to do. We love looking at the art in the Scott Building and seeing if anyone we know has won a prize. The free music in Dorton Arena or the bright lights of the midway – we love it and it is awesome. Nothing could be finer than the state fair of North Carolina.

Nothing like going the adventure way at the fair. What are some things you must do when you go to the fair? What are some of your new favorites offered by the fair that we need to check out?