General exhibit competitions at the North Carolina State Fair are open to North Carolina residents (except where noted).  Age restrictions are listed for certain competitions so check the rules and regulations of each department before entering.

Consult the online edition of the 2024 North Carolina State Fair General Entries Premium Book for complete information on individual entry deadlines and requirements for each department at the Fair.  The majority of competitions require pre-registration, with the exception of the Tobacco Stringing Contest.  Most competitions allow for online entry; however, some require that a form be mailed to the North Carolina State Fair.  Please choose one method of entering in competitions at the Fair.  Do not submit the same entries online and by mail.  This will result in duplicate entries that will delay and misdirect the processing of your entry.  When completing the registration information, please list your full legal name and refrain from abbreviations or listing a nickname. If you enter competitions in the Fair every year, please make sure to use your full legal name every time you register.  This assures that any premiums you win will be properly linked to your name.

Certain departments have size limitations for entries, consult the General Entries edition of the online premium book for more information under individual departments.  Entries that exceed size limitations in certain categories will be disqualified.

Certain departments require fees and this is listed at the beginning of each department listing in each edition of the online premium book.  Online entries that require fees must be paid by credit card during the online entry process.  If entry forms are mailed to the Fair, please include a check or money order made out to the North Carolina State Fair.

A valid Social Security or Federal Tax ID number is required if the exhibitor wishes to receive premiums for placings they win at the Fair. Failure to provide Social Security or Federal Tax ID number field online, or if the Social Security or Federal Tax ID number of an entrant is omitted from an entry form that is mailed, then this will be interpreted as forfeiture of any premiums won. Ribbons will be awarded whether or not this information is given.

Parents:  Do not list your social security number on behalf of your children.  Social Security and Federal Tax ID numbers given must match the name of the entrant on the entry forms.  Federal ID numbers cannot be used for individuals and Social Security numbers cannot be used for farms. IRS guidelines require the NC State Fair to submit social security information to them on every premium that is paid by the Fair, no matter the amount or age of the entrant.

If you entered online, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from the Showorks Online Registration Site.  Make sure that your confirmation e-mail does not say “pending” at the top of the e-mail.  If it does, then your registration is incomplete and you need to sign-in and submit the information.  If you enter online, you do not need to mail an entry form to the Entry Department.  If you mailed your entry form to the Fair, then please allow a few days for processing before you call to check on the status of your entry.  The Entry Department can be reached at (919) 839-4513.

No. The entry registration deadline is final. In the future we may consider adding a late entry with a fee but we do not have one at this time.

No.  Due to space considerations and liability issues, the Fair cannot accept exhibits for display that are outside of competition entries.

Each department has a different judging schedule.  Please consult each departmental listing in the online premium book for more information.  Judging is closed to the public.  At the conclusion of the judging, the results are taken back to the Entry Department for processing.  The quickest way to know if you win would be to come to the Fair when it opens and check with a hostess for this information.  Please do not call the Entry Department for this information during the judging process.  This information has to be entered in the Showorks computer program before it can be released to the public, and this can take several days for completion. 

Look under each department heading in the online premium book for a list of dates when exhibits can be brought to the Fair and picked up.  Please note that all entries remain on display throughout the entire run of the Fair and are not released for any reason until the day after the Fair closes.