State Fair 2025 attendance data shows slight drop from previous year
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Almost a million people attended the North Carolina State Fair this year. However, that number is down compared to last year.
Between October 16 and 26, a total of 946,811 people passed through the gates. That's compared to 998,926 who visited in 2024.
The last Saturday of the 2025 state fair featured the biggest crowd for a single day.
"It's been a very strong year, and we are happy with that," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "A lot of attention gets focused on attendance figures, and we do want to see strong numbers, but that is not the only barometer we use to measure success. Across the fairgrounds and throughout the fair we saw a lot of smiles and a lot of happy people. And that's what makes all the hard work worthwhile - every day and every year!"
This year's fair competed with events being held at the Lenovo Center, like the Billie Eilish and NBA Youngboy concerts.
Highlights from the 2025 fair include:
- A site-record giant pumpkin that weighed in at 2,244.5 pounds. The giant pumpkin contest also drew a second pumpkin weighing over 2,000 pounds.
- Smithfield Hunger Relief Day collected enough food for around 150,000 meals or 16 tractor-truckloads of food. That food is going to immediately go back into the community to help feed those who need assistance.
SEE ALSO | Heavy law enforcement presence keeps watchful eye on State Fair safety
**Featured video is from a previous report**
Mark your calendars, the 2026 N.C. State Fair dates are already scheduled for Oct. 15-25.
