2025 North Carolina State Fair News Media Credential Policy

This policy is approved by the N.C. State Fair Manager, N.C. State Fair Press Office Director and the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture.

The reason for this policy is to:

• Accommodate working news media quickly and efficiently.
• Assist fair personnel in quickly identifying people cleared for access and media privileges.
• Enable the news media to enter the fairgrounds quickly.
• Properly respond to numerous requests for media passes.

News media passes will be distributed to news organizations before the start of the fair on Oct. 16, 2025. News organizations will be given a pre-determined number of passes. Staff members are expected to share media passes for working assignments only.

It is the discretion of the Press Office to determine if passes are issued.

N.C. State Fair Media Passes are NOT FOR PERSONAL USE. Passes are to be used only by working members of the news media. Organizations that abuse this policy will be removed from future credential lists. Children are not permitted to use passes and will not gain entry at the gate with a media pass.

Parking for media pass holders is limited to the designated lot(s) and is restricted to official "N.C. State Fair Media Parking Permit" holders only. Parking attendants will not accept a press I.D. as a parking permit. Each news organization will receive at least one parking pass. Staff members are expected to share parking privileges among their organizations, as parking spaces are limited.

Media pass holders and their equipment should not impede operations of the fair nor the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones) are not allowed on State Fair property at any time during the month of October without prior approval from the fair’s chief of police or manager.

Freelance Reporters and Photographers:

Freelance reporters and photographers will not be issued media passes unless they submit proof of employment/contract with a news organization. This could include a letter from a news director, editor or similar authority. No business cards or bylined articles will be accepted. The application and letter must be received by Friday, Sept. 26. The letter must be on original media organization letterhead and include a phone number of the proper contact at the news organization if further information and clarification are needed. Freelance reporters and photographers must re-submit this information each year.

Journalism Classes and Student News Outlets:

Media passes are not available to high school and college journalism or photography classes. Passes are available to high school and college news staffs on a case-by-case basis. For high schools, an application must be submitted by the news organization’s faculty advisor to be considered.

Bloggers and Social Media Influencers:

Media passes are not available to bloggers or social media influencers. With approval from the social media coordinator, content creators may qualify for one-day admission tickets to facilitate coverage of the fair.

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to seeing you Oct. 16-26, 2025.