The 2024 NC State Fair set an attendance record. Here’s how many people went
Attendance at the 2024 N.C. State Fair nearly reached 1 million.
This year, 998,926 people came to the annual 11-day event — perhaps for the new foods and drinks such as deep-fried ribs and pickle Dr Pepper, perhaps for the tractor pull or the 210-foot slide.
After reaching a post-pandemic high of 960,172 in 2022, attendance at the 2023 fair dropped to 926,425.
Attendance for the first seven days of this year’s fair surpassed last year’s numbers. This year, nearly 10,000 more people came to the fair, compared to the 68,441 who attended Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
“This was a great fair that was blessed with 11 beautiful days of weather and the attendance reflected that. But seeing people enjoying themselves, laughing with family and friends and making memories together is the true measure of success,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a news release.
NC State Fair 2024 attendance
Weekends often draw in more crowds than the weekdays, and the trend held true this year. More than 100,000 people visited the fair each Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday, Oct. 22, which was Senior Day (when people ages 65 and older get free admission), set an attendance record, with 85,738 fairgoers.
Historical attendance at the NC State Fair
Total attendance at the N.C. State Fair hasn’t exceeded 1 million since 2017.
While attendance came closer to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, fewer people showed up to the fair in 2023.
It is the sixth-highest attendance record in the fair’s 156-year history, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 4:57 PM.
