The Oldest Fairs in North Carolina

The North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh is one of the Southeast's premier annual events, drawing over a million visitors to the capital city for eleven days of world-class entertainment, agriculture, and tradition. Dating to 1853, it is one of North Carolina's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Cumberland County Fair in Fayetteville is an eleven-day event serving one of North Carolina's most populous counties, drawing large crowds from the Fort Liberty military community and surrounding region. Dating to 1868, it is one of North Carolina's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Forsyth County Fair in Winston-Salem celebrates the Moravian heritage and tobacco manufacturing legacy of one of North Carolina's largest cities — Winston-Salem was built on Reynolds Tobacco and Hanes textile money, and the county's fair tradition draws from both its urban Piedmont Triad community and the farming families of its rural areas. First held in 1882, it has been a North Carolina agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Guilford County Fair in Greensboro celebrates North Carolina's third-largest city and the Piedmont Triad's agricultural and manufacturing heritage — Guilford County was the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House, a turning point of the Revolutionary War, and today its fair draws from one of the state's most diverse and economically significant communities. First held in 1899, it has been a North Carolina agricultural tradition for over a century.

The NC Mountain State Fair in Fletcher is a ten-day Western North Carolina showcase drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the Southern Appalachians for championship livestock, entertainment, and mountain culture. The fair has been running since 1994, building a following across the surrounding area.