NC மாநில கண்காட்சியின் உணவக வரிசையை மாற்றியமைக்கும் $25 மில்லியன் உணவுக் கூடத்தின் உள்ளே பாருங்கள்

The new food hall at the NC State Fairgrounds has polished terrazzo tiles on the floor, a ceiling of exposed light bulbs dangling from silver threads and, of course, ice cream and hot dogs on the wallpaper.

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The fair will unveil the new Midway Event Center at the 2026 North Carolina State Fair, a 30,000-square-foot space built in honor of one of the fairground’s biggest draws: the food.

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While the fair is a 10-day multisensory experience, the new food hall plans to be open year-round, fair manager Ken Yelverton said.

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“Hopefully a lot of people, starting Thursday, will come through and enjoy this building, that they will be able to enjoy every day of the year from here forward,” Yelverton said.

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The new Midway Event Center replaces the old Restaurant Row building, which was torn down after the 2023 state fair.

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But don’t get used to that name. The Midway Event Center will be renamed some time after the fair to something with permanent food hall status.

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The News & Observer got an early look inside the new food hall. Here are the top takeaways:

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5 fair food vendors this year

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There will be five food vendors operating in the food hall during the 2026 fair:

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• Curry In a Hurry
• Hunnicutt’s
• Jack’s Seafood & Soul Food
• Playa Bowls
• The Yard Milkshake Bar

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The new food hall has four temporary kitchen spaces those will be used during this year’s fair, with diners ordering from outdoor windows like any other mobile vendor.

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Two of the vendors, Hunnicutt’s and Jack’s Seafood, are longtime fair staples. The biscuits of Hunnicutt’s have been at the fair since the 1930s, with fairgoers seeking out the neon sign on Restaurant Row. When the old building was torn down in 2023, Hunnicutt’s relocated to a tent for 2024, but will claim a space in the new giant food hall.

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Eight permanent vendors

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Inside the food hall there will be eight year-round vendors at some point in the future. Yelverton expects leases to be signed early next year. For now, the spaces are marked by whimsical wallpaper, featuring bright patterns and mustard-squiggled hot dogs.

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Indoor/outdoor bar

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There’s a giant bar in the new food hall, with a series of windows that can be opened, allowing indoor and outdoor service.

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But hold your horses. The bar won’t be operating like a bar during the fair. Instead it will be serving ice cream and milkshakes from The Yard, a sweet treats brand with a location in Raleigh’s Seaboard Station.

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There is a second bar on the upstairs level of the food hall, looking out towards the Grandstand and State Fair Flyer.

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Grab a seat

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Though there are a handful of tables downstairs, most of the seating is on the second floor, led by a grand staircase and towering ceiling. Yelverton said he expects most fairgoers to grab food from downstairs vendors and take meals upstairs or out on the expansive patio.

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Dorton is the GOAT

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The Midway Event Center sits next door to the Dorton Arena and takes a great deal of inspiration from the iconic, glass-wrapped stadium, said architect Kristen Hess with HH Architecture, which designed the new food hall.

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“I think the most legendary building ever is Dorton Arena,” Hess said. “This building takes a lot of cues from Dorton Arena. It doesn’t copy but it’s deferential. The roof leads your eye up to honor Dorton Arena. … There’s a lot we tried to put in here to honor the legacy of that iconic building, not detract from it.”

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The view

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The food hall project cost $25 million to build, but it offers a view fair organizers think will be worth the price of admission.

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A wide second-floor balcony looks out on the Grandstand and fairgrounds, offering a new view of events like the demolition derby. Yelverton said that view will remain clear, even in the height of the fair, when vendors blanket the grounds with smoked turkey legs and cheese-stuffed peppers. Yelverton said the balcony is his favorite detail in the new food hall.

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“We have a terrace that’s on the second floor overlooking our midway area,” Yelverton said. “It’s going to be a beautiful place just to stand and look at the lights, look at the people and enjoy the fair spread out in front of you.”

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Long live Restaurant Row

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For many decades, the Restaurant Row building at the fairgrounds housed many of the fair’s longest-running food vendors, often staffed and benefitting local organizations and churches. Made of sheet metal siding and a tin roof, Restaurant Row was demolished in 2023 and was simply a dirt patch by next year.

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Now in its place is the fairgrounds’ most modern building, shimmering with glass and brass and polished tile, meant to attract corndog enthusiasts and corporate events alike.

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To many, nothing shines brighter than the good ole days, but Yelverton believes fairgoers will create future traditions in the new building.

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Yelverton feels nostalgic for Restaurant Row, he said: “I ate breakfast in there every morning. I look forward to enjoying this building in much the same way. When folks come, they do have those memories of the lunch stand building that was here for many years and gave great service. But it was time for a change. I believe we’ve built a building here that will provide a proud successor to that building.”

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இந்த கதை முதலில் வெளியிடப்பட்டது அக்டோபர் 9, 2026 பிற்பகல் 3:49.