The North Carolina State Fair Is The 4th Most Popular Fair On Instagram
As someone who has spent a lot of time in Raleigh and considers it my second home, I of course know and love the North Carolina State Fair. Every October…
As someone who has spent a lot of time in Raleigh and considers it my second home, I of course know and love the North Carolina State Fair. Every October the fair brings 10 days of food, fun, rides, must, and agricultural events to our state's capital. I've visited numerous times and have a lot of great memories on those fairgrounds. From concerts (I've seen some fantastic country artists at Dorton Arena during the fair), to my friends trying ridiculous food (remember the Krispy Kreme Burger?), and bonding with the other girls on the NC State Dance Team in the fall of my freshman year. And of course football tailgates!
This was back in the day when you posted entire Facebook albums of one day, so needless to say I have posted a lot of the NC State Fair on social media. I've also seen a lot of the fair on social media. So when I was sent this data from JeffBet, that determines the North Carolina State Fair is 4th most popular on Instagram, I got it. Though it's obviously number one in my heart and the hearts of most North Carolinians. While it didn't fair quite as well on TikTok, the fair did rank 8th on that platform. Which is also pretty impressive if I do say so myself. The North Carolina State Fair has amassed 104,000 Instagram posts and 44.4 million TikTok hashtag views.
The most popular state fair on social media? That would be the Minnesota State Fair. Their marketing department must be proud (and working hard) with over 365,000 hashtags on Instagram and 132m TikTok views. To create these rankings JeffBet analyzed the number of Instagram hashtags and TikTok views for each state fair to see which ones have been snapped the most by the public.
This year's fair will run Thu, Oct 12, 2023 – Sun, Oct 22, 2023. If you need suggestions for other things to do in the Raleigh area, I'm your girl. I haven't been to the fair in a while. Mainly because I spend almost every other fall weekend in Raleigh for NC State Football games. The two fair weekends consist of a bye week and an away game so I'm usually off visiting somewhere else. It may be time for another visit though. And every time I think of the fair? I'll think of hearing the fireworks at 10 p.m. every night from my dorm room. Oh, the memories!
7 North Carolina County Fairs To Check Out This Fall
What do you think of when you think of fall? For me, it's football season first and foremost. But after that, I think of things like pumpkins, apple cider, leaves, sweaters, and of course the fair. In North Carolina, fall is the season for the state and county fairs. And there is no shortage of fairs throughout the state. Most counties have some iteration of a county fair at some point in the fall months.
These fairs bring neighbors together. They feature animals, competitions, and entertainment like the always-entertaining pig races. Then there are the rides- Ferris wheels, swings, and rides that will spin you every which way. Though those last ones, while I'm sure they are fun, aren't for me- unless you want me sick. And at the fair, you have to play a game or two, win that giant teddy bear you won't know what to do with 48 hours later. Or perhaps a goldfish? I accidentally let a kid I was babysitting win one of those once. Not the best idea when you have to explain to the parents why you brought home a pet.
But perhaps most people's favorite thing about the fair? The food! Maybe you like to play it safe with classics like kettle corn, funnel cakes. pizza, or candy apples. Or maybe you want anything fried- fried Oreos, fried kool aid, fried candy bars, or something I can't even imagine. I remember at the NC State Fair the year the Krispy Kreme Burger was the new item. And it was interesting for sure. I actually feel like it may taste better than it sounds- but wasn't worth the money or calories for me personally to find out!
So back to fairs in North Carolina. Below you'll find a list of 7 North Carolina County Fairs, close enough to Charlotte to make a drive to! Happy fair season!
Hickory Fair
Dates: August 30th-September 4th, 2023
Location: Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds- 1 American Legion Ave, Newton, NC 28658
Iredell County Agricultural Fair
Dates: September 1-9, 2023
Location: 630 N. Main Street, Troutman, NC
Cabarrus County Pair
Dates: September 8-16, 2023
Location: Cabarrus County Arena & Events Center- 4759 NC Highway 49 N Concord, NC 28025
NC Mountain Fair
Dates: September 8-17
Location: WNC Agricultural Center- 1301 Fanning Bridge Road Fletcher, NC 28732
Cleveland County Fair
Dates: September 28-October 8, 2023
Location: 1751 E Marion St. Shelby, NC 28152
Rowan County Fair
Dates: September 18-23, 2023
Location: 1560 Julian Road, Salisbury, NC
Carolina Classic Fair
Dates: Sept. 29 – Oct. 8, 2023
Location: 2825 University Parkway, Winston Salem, NC
NC State Fair
Dates: Oct 12, 2023 – Oct 22, 2023
Location: State Fairgrounds 4285 Trinity Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
County fairs are fun. But they pale in comparison to the sheer size of the NC State Fair. As someone who lived in Raleigh, close enough to hear the fireworks go off at 10 pm every night, I'm biased. But if I'm going to a fair this is the one I'm going to go to.
