N.C. State Fair

When: Oct. 15-25.

Where: N.C. State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raleigh.

Distance: 2 1/2 hours, via I-85 North and I-40 East

What’s new? Deep-fried pimiento cheese hush puppies with jalapenos and bacon, pig in a jar (multiple layers of pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw), gummy breakfast (maple-flavored gummy waffles with gummy bacon and eggs) and deep-fried pimiento cheese. New rides: Mighty Mouse Spinning Coaster, Super Cyclone Coaster, Centrifuge (new version of the Gravitron), Quasar, Balloon Fest (Ferris wheel), Charlie Chopper (helicopter tower ride), Monster Trucks and Sizzler. Also, large new interactive play port (Paradise Island).

Main-stage entertainment: Oct. 15: Firehouse with The Fifth; Oct. 16: The Great I Am; Oct. 17: Jason Michael Carroll with Luke Combs and Stephanie Quayle; Oct. 18: Orquesta GarDel; Oct. 19: Nuv Yug presents “Bollywood Night”; Oct. 20: Black Sheep with Shadina; Oct. 21: Band of Oz and The Embers; Oct. 22: “A Night of Praise”; Oct. 23: The Love Language; Oct. 24: Charlie Daniels Band with Kasey Tyndall; Oct. 25: Nantucket with Sidewinder. All concerts are free; doors open at 7 p.m.; shows at 7:30 p.m.

Midway: Almost 100 rides. Most rides are four to eight tickets. Cost: $1 per ticket. Pre-purchase online by Oct. 15 to save 45 percent (18 tickets for $10).

Admission: $10/gate, $8/advance; for ages 6-12, $5/gate, $3/advance; military $6/gate; free for 5 and younger and 65 and older.

Special days: Oct. 15: Preview Day (gate admission is $8; $4 for ages 6-12); Oct. 16: Friday Frenzy ($5 off gate admission for students with school ID; $34 unlimited-ride wristband); Oct. 20: Senior Day; Oct. 21: Military Appreciation Day (free 4-by-6-inch U.S. flag to first 3,000 visitors); Oct. 22: Hunger Relief Day (free admission if you bring five cans of Food Lion-brand food)

Details: www.ncstatefair.org.

John Bordsen

This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 7:59 AM with the headline "N.C. State Fair."