Gorgeous weather provided a perfect backdrop for the 2025 N.C. Mountain State Fair, which saw 161,059 people come through the gates. The final attendance was up 11,709 over 2024.
"There are a lot of ways to measure success, but seeing so many people here having a good time and making memories with their families and friends is what the fair is all about,” said Sean McKeon, N.C. Mountain State Fair manager. “This year the fair had special significance as we approach the one year anniversary of Helene. It was a blessing to see so many families and local businesses participating in the fair and getting some normalcy back in their lives. It was a powerful reminder of the resilience of the people of Western NC. It was a great feeling seeing the community come together to celebrate, especially after such a challenging year. We appreciate everyone who attended this year, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2026.”
Among the highlights of the 2025 fair are:
- The Mountain State Fair’s continued commitment to the community and fighting hunger in cooperation with Ingles with the We CAN Fight Hunger Day. Fairgoers exchanged five canned goods for admission with the food being donated to the Manna Food Bank. A total of 26,223 pounds of food was collected for Manna.
- Strong interest in competitions, including the first-year favorite Mullet & Mustache Competition. Overall, entries were up by about 1,000.
- The induction of two long-time livestock show supporters Marjorie Burton and Mike Corn to the N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame for their contributions to the livestock shows. Burton has been involved with the dairy goat shows and Corn has provided the mama cows and managed the Mooternity Ward, a popular exhibit giving fairgoers an opportunity to witness the live birth of a dairy cow.
- A total of 1,506 caps and 254 warm covers were donated in the Caps for Cancer and Covers for Cancer Program. The fair collected crocheted and knitted hats and covers to be donated for cancer patients. This was the largest number of caps collected in the three years of the program. Caps for Cancer was sponsored by Novant Health with donated items distributed by the Messino Cancer Center.
Go ahead and mark your calendars for the 2026 N.C, Mountain State Fair, Sept. 11-20.
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