The North Carolina State Fair is an annual fair and agricultural exposition held in Raleigh, North Carolina, and organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The North Carolina State Fair was first held by the North Carolina Agricultural Society at a site east of Raleigh in 1853; it has been celebrated continuously since then, 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.[1]
The fair has been held at its present site on the western edge of Raleigh since 1928. The highlight of the 344 acre (1.4 km²) fairgrounds complex is Dorton Arena, a 7,500-seat arena constructed with a unique large suspended roof.
Held for 10 days in mid-October, the fair annually attracts over 800,000 North Carolinians. As of 2008, the fair has added an additional day and now lasts 11 days.In 2010, the fair broke an attendance record with 1,091,887.[2] This marks the first extension of the fair's length in 22 years.
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It has the largest midway at any state fair.
Rides require tickets; some cost two to three tickets, while the wilder ones are five to six tickets.
As of 2008, the midway had two major roller coasters. The more intense of the two, the Toxic Shock, is a blue and orange roller coaster that is known for twists and banked curves. The Ride:
The train makes a loose turn out of the station and up a steep 70-foot (21 m) lift hill. It then proceeds down a banked twisting drop and into the first of three over-banked curves. At the base of the third over-banked curve, the track stays moderately banked and around a 3.0 g helix. The track levels and pulls into the station.
The other roller coaster, the Avalanche, is milder. The car pulls out of the station and around a 180-degree right turn onto the lift. The car ascends the 50-foot (15 m) lift and around another 180 turn to the right. The car then descends a 40-foot (12 m) drop, reaching 54 mph before climbing 40 feet (12 m) into the first banked curve. Around that and down a second 20-foot (6.1 m) drop that then takes you back up into the spiral, banking more heavily as you descend. You are warned about high g forces here but there are no strong g forces on this ride. When you finally exit the spiral, you descend a small dip and pull into the station.