The North Carolina State Fair is just hours away from opening its doors Thursday afternoon. Gates are set to open right at noon.
While there’s much to look forward to, including new fair foods and rides, one big thing that most people—especially those out of the Triangle—will be dealing with is traffic.
All eyes are on the roads around the fairgrounds after recent days of major traffic backups that coincide with large events at other venues.
A Chris Brown concert at Carter-Finley Stadium on Tuesday evening caused a large traffic jam that was backed up for hours in Raleigh, and more headaches are expected this week as crowds flock to the North Carolina State Fair.
North Carolina State Fair Division Director Kent Yelverton spoke with WRAL News about Tuesday night’s traffic congestion.
“When there are two large events, everyone suffers,” Yelverton said. When it comes to the fair itself, he said they can handle huge numbers because the fair has turnover throughout the day, rather than a concert where everyone is trying to get to one spot at the same time.
“When a second large event is in the area, sharing the roads, sharing the parking, it certainly impacts the experience for everyone’s customers,” Yelverton added.
Chris Brown’s “Breezy Bowl XX” tour with artists Jhené Aiko and Bryson Tiller packed Carter-Finley Stadium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
WRAL News has since received multiple complaints from people who missed at least two hours of the show due to heavy traffic in the area, likely caused by rush hour and the anticipated concert. Some on social media allegedly had to park on the side of the highway and walk alongside the heavy traffic just to get a glimpse of the show before it ended.
Whitney Watson, who attended the concert, said it was a traffic nightmare.
“When I was at 0.3 miles [away], it was, I think, an hour and 20 minutes,” Watson said.
Others said they missed the concert entirely.
“We were within 2 miles of the stadium for four hours. Literally, no parking. I’m so heartbroken,” one fan posted on an online petition urging Live Nation to issue refunds to those with similar situations.
WRAL News asked the Lenovo Center why it has four concert dates scheduled during the North Carolina State Fair and what it’s doing to improve the traffic experience. Lenovo Center personnel didn’t respond on Wednesday.
First day of large events
Major traffic jams near the North Carolina State Fairgrounds could happen again this week when the North Carolina State Fair opens on Thursday, Oct. 16. The first two nights of the state fair coincide with two Billie Eilish concerts at Lenovo Center scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Those are both weekdays, so rush hour could complicate things as well.
NBA YoungBoy is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 and Tate McRae is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.
“Sharing the road, sharing the parking, it certainly impacts the experience for everyone’s customers,” Yelverton said.
The Lenovo Center is also planning upgrades, which could attract more people to the area. The renovations do not include plans to improve the roads around the venues.
“We all have to pay attention to the infrastructure,” Yelverton said. “If we’re over-building for the infrastructure then it makes it very hard to maintain that customer service and experience.”
The North Carolina General Assembly approved a $35 million boost to development plans around the Lenovo Center last month, which will impact the roads.
Something similar to Tuesday’s traffic woes happened in May 2016, when some fans who paid hundreds of dollars to see Beyoncé at Carter-Finley Stadium got stuck in traffic and missed much of the show.
In 2009, when fans packed Raleigh for a U2 show, the same thing happened. Many drivers were tied up in traffic for hours and missed the show.
“We don’t want our customers sitting [in traffic] like that … for the Lenovo Center or the state fair,” Yelverton said. “We’ve got people on the street that are trying to get in and enjoy the fair [and] Lenovo Center has customers that have paid a lot of money to watch a concert, and they want to be there when it begins.”
People driving in the area of the Lenovo Center and the fairgrounds in west Raleigh—including Blue Ridge Road, Edwards Mill Road, Hillsborough Street, Wade Avenue, Trinity Road and along Interstate 440—should be aware of traffic before, during and after the Thursday and Friday evening commutes.
People attending the Billie Eilish concerts should plan to arrive several hours early.
The Lenovo Center has already sent a notice encouraging guests attending the Billie Eilish concert to arrive early due to fair traffic, writing:
“Local traffic is
encouraged to consider alternate routes. Those attending events at Lenovo
Center are encouraged to plan ahead, carpool if possible and arrive early. Lenovo
Center parking lots will open at 1 p.m. prior to each event and are
reserved for event attendees on the respective days.”
The fair’s opening night is usually a popular one. Gates open at noon and close at 11 p.m. Evening fair visitors and concert traffic will likely overlap.
On Friday, the fair runs until 11:30 p.m. Evening visitors will again contend with concert traffic.
People attending the show should all be aware of traffic and plan accordingly.
WRAL’s guide to the N.C. State Fair has tips for parking, shuttles and more. The state fair runs through Oct. 26
Canes take road trip, NC State football schedules games around the state fair
In 2002, a large traffic backup occurred when the North Carolina State Fair, an NC State football game and a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game were held all on the same day.
After the incident, the Carolina Hurricanes apologized to their fans and asked the NHL not to schedule any home games during the State Fair again.
NC State has not played a home football game during the fair since 2008, when the Wolfpack played on the first day of the fair. Annabelle Myers, the NC State associate athletic director, said that the school submits a request to the ACC every year to not have home games during the North Carolina State Fair.
The Hurricanes’ next home game is Oct. 28 at the Lenovo Center when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Wolfpack’s next home game is Nov. 1 at Carter-Finley Stadium when they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
