History
The North Carolina State Fair was first held by the North Carolina State Agricultural Society at a site east of Raleigh in 1853. The event has been held at three different locations since, finding its current home in 1928. It has been celebrated continuously since 1853, with the exceptions of 1861 to 1869 (during the Civil War and Reconstruction), 1926 to 1927 (when the Agricultural Society disbanded and the state Agriculture Department took over operations), and 1942 to 1945 (during World War II). In the 1870s and 1880s, the mills in Winston-Salem would close so that workers could attend the state fair in Raleigh.
The fair has been held at its present site on the western edge of Raleigh since 1928. The 344 acre site includes many notable buildings, including Dorton Arena, a 7,500-seat arena constructed with a unique large suspended roof.
Held for 11 days in mid-October, the fair attracts more than a million people to the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. In 2010, the fair broke an attendance record with 1,091,887.
Read more about this topic: North Carolina State Fair
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