Now that you’ve made it to the NC State Fair and you want to get on the rides. You beg your parents to shell out thirty or forty dollars so you can enjoy the thrills while they play games. Which rides are worth it? Which ones should you avoid?
So you make your way to the midway and stop for a moment. With money in hand, you spot the closest ticket booth and purchase forty or so tickets. Let me warn you ahead of time though, tickets are seventy-five cents a piece, or you can buy thirty for a specified amount. Many of the rides take anywhere between three and five tickets. Now that you have your tickets, what do you ride first?
My all-time favorite ride is of course she scrambler. If anyone has been on this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. There isn’t anything like being slung from side to side with the force bearing down on you. Depending on what who the ride operator is, the ride could last several minutes. Once your ride is over, it’s time to regain your balance and move on.
Another popular ride is the Super Shot. This towering ride stands over 150 feet in the air. You sit down, and pull down the safety harness. Then you are carried up to the top of the tower. If you’re into heights, this offers an excellent view of the midway. Especially at night with all the lights, is so beautiful. Without warning, you enter a free fall, the brakes hit and it’s all over. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
Of course how could you ever pass up a ride on the tilt-a-whirl? This classic ride is one of my personal all time favorites. Being spun around and around can be a bit much, but it’s still fun. Sometimes the line for this can be rather lengthy, but it’s well worth the wait. I’ve been on this ride at least a dozen times in my lifetime.
Next comes the Cliffhanger. A recent addition, this ride looks like kites. However you lay down and are faced down, looking at the ground. It’s an interesting ride, but if you aren’t used to pull of gravity I would recommend you don’t ride this one. If you do choose to ride, you get a very good look at the fair.
Who could forget the giant Ferris Wheel? This gargantuan of a ride offers the best view of the fair. This ride also can have a very long line, but like the tilt-a-whirl, it too is well worth the wait. This is what I call, a couples ride. That means you mainly see couples on this or families of four. Rarely do I see single people riding this, but they do. This is also one of the most popular rides at the Fair.
Now for the ones you don’t want to ride or aren’t as popular. The funhouses are very cheesy and take about two minutes to go through. While entertaining, they just aren’t worth three tickets. Of course there is the mirror maze. This one is something good for the small ones or those who don’t like being flipped over and over. Again, it’s entertaining, but you might want to save your tickets for the high-profile rides. One year at the fair, there were at least five or six funhouses and three or four of what I call “dark” rides. This is where you board a car and travel around a twisted track in complete darkness.
There is a separate area called kiddie land; this is for the small ones. With a wide selection of rides, there is something for every age. I’ve even seen parents ride with their kids on the kiddie coaster. It’s good though that the fair has a separate section.
Keep in mind there are so many favorites that I can’t possibly list them here. You should walk through the midway, get a feel for what’s around you and make a mental note. This will make life much easier. Not only that, but will give you a better idea of how many tickets you will need.
Hopefully this short guide has helped you make a better informed decision. The NC State Fair offers so much for everyone. When you do go though, be prepared to wait in line.
