Got to Be NC Festival

Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10:00am

North Carolina State Fairgrounds
4285 Trinity Rd
919-821-7400

Join your friends and family for three great days of down-home celebration North Carolina Style at the Got to Be NC Festival at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Schedule of Events:

Carnival Hours

10 a.m. - 10 p.m.: Carnival Rides & Games

Free Entertainment

9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.: Boomer's Farm Truck

Be on the look-out for Boomer driving his farm truck around the festival grounds and come on over for a photo-op with our agri-celebrity!

10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. - Wake County Sheriff's Office

North Carolina K-9 Working Dog Demonstrations featuring K-9 Officers from the Wake County Sheriff's Office

K-9 Officers will be on-hand to demonstrate obedience training, article search and drug detection. While your focus is on the working dog, don't miss the specialized training the K-9 handler demonstrates to both train his/her dog and to keep them at peak performance.

Demonstrations will be held between the Agri Supply Expo Center and Grandstand.

11 a.m., 1 and 3:30 p.m.: Agri-Puppets Agritainment Show

Head over to the breezeway outside the Agri Supply Exposition Center to find the Agri-Puppets and learn all about agriculture and animals. Boomer and Oscar teach the importance of farming, where your food comes from and what farmers really do all day to provide the food we all enjoy. The show includes bubble popping, dancing, interactive question/answers and more! Bring the kids over to learn about agriculture in a massively fun way!

12, 2 and 5 p.m.: King BMX Stunt Show

Let's have some high-flying fun! Located between Dorton Arena and the Graham Building, the athletes from the King BMX Stunt Show will thrill the audiences with their adrenaline-filled tricks that defy gravity..

1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m.: Kenya Safari Acrobats

Always a crowd favorite, the Kenya Safari Acrobats are BACK at the Got to Be NC Festival. From Greensboro, they'll wow you with their feats of athleticism mixed with spell-binding stories of African culture. You'll find them between the Agri Supply Exposition Center and the Grandstand.

11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.: Quack Pack USA

Team work makes the dream work! Nothing is more true as Chad and Candy Collins' amazing border collies treat audiences to what they do best...herding their sheep and goats! Distractions? No such thing. These dogs will have your jaws dropping at their ability to keep their friends exactly where they want them to be...all while delighting the crowds with obstacle adventures.

Educational Exhibits

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services' Germ City with the Division of Food and Drug Protection

How clean are your hands? Even if you think you have a good hand-washing technique, you may be surprised with the germs you leave behind. That’s the focus of Germ City! While you're in the Graham Building, make sure you take time to learn proper hand washing techniques after you visit the animals!

10 a.m., Noon, 3 and 6 p.m.: SouthLand Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy Classroom

Want to know how the milk in your grocery store gets there? At the Southland Dairy Classroom, we'll demonstrate how to milk a cow, describe how milk goes from the farm to the consumer, and then answer questions from the audience. We're bringing the dairy experience directly to you by sharing the process that includes math, science, health (nutrition), and agriculture!

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: North Carolina Forest Service

Visit the North Carolina Forest Service inside the Graham Building to learn about our state’s rich history in forestry and how our forestland is a significant influence in the state, providing economic value and adding immeasurably to the quality of life for residents. Learn about the many programs and services the N.C. Forest Service provides for the citizens of North Carolina – and beyond!

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Butterfly Barn

Come learn all about butterfly life cycles and migration patterns of native butterflies inside the Jim Graham Building!

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Pig Patch Birthing Center

Our sows will be welcoming their newest litters of piglets in The Pig Patch Birthing Center located in the Jim Graham Building. We'll be wishing a 'Happy Birthday' to new piglets each day of the Festival.

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Egg to Chick Egg Candling

Have you ever wondered how to tell if an egg is fertilized? Come out and join the Veterinary Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as they give you the hands-on experience observing the growth and development of an embryo inside an egg.

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Chick Hatchery

The smallest of our babies will be born in our incubator inside the Graham Building AgriPlaza! Come watch how baby chicks pip through their membranes and shells to join the brood!

Kid's Activities

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Kidz Corral

Stop by the Kidz Corral in the Graham Building to take a break and play in the corn table, check out our on-the-spot competitions and crafts, milk Maggie the Cow and more!

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Lil Ducky Water Racing

You better get that pitcher pump going if you're going to win the race! Tucked inside the Kidz Corral in the Graham Building, the rubber ducky race is on! Grab your friends and see who will take home bragging rights!

1 p.m.: Kids' Pedal Tractor Pull

Get ready, get set....GOOOOOO! Come on down to the Grandstand on Saturday for your littles to participate in our Kids' Pedal Tractor Pull! Ribbons will be awarded to the fastest on the track! Age appropriate for those 2-8.

Family Activities

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Agri-Plaza

The Agri-Plaza is your one-stop destination for animals of all sizes inside the Jim Graham Building. Alpacas, Butterfly Barn, Carolina Cooker Skillet Skee-Ball, Chick Hatchery, Corn Table, Dairy Goats, Dairy Milking Classroom, Feeder Pigs, Free Kids’ Activities, Germ City, John Deere Pedal Tractor Obstacle Course, Llamas, Longhorn Steer, N.C. Forest Service, N.C. State Highway Patrol, Pig Patch Birthing Center, Sheep and additional commercial vendors and exhibitors await!

1 p.m.: Tractor Parade

Be on the lookout for hundreds of antique tractors as they take a tour of the fairgrounds during the daily tractor parade.

2 - 8 p.m.: Antique Tractor Pull Sam G. Rand Grandstand

Interested in entering the Antique Tractor Pull? Contact Brad Gaupier at 910-990-1239 or visit www.catpapulling.com

Gate Admission and Parking are Free!