<P> The fair has been held at its present site on the western edge of Raleigh since 1928 . The 344 acre site includes many notable buildings, including Dorton Arena, a 7,500 - seat arena constructed with a unique large suspended roof . </P> <P> Held for 11 days in mid-October, the fair attracts more than a million people to the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh . In 2010, the fair broke an attendance record with 1,091,887 . </P> <P> Along with Dorton Arena, the North Carolina State Fair Commercial & Education Buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The pair of large rectangular exhibition halls were built in 1928, and are stucco - covered Mediterranean Revival style buildings . The buildings appear as a single building because of their unified facade and design, but are a large rectangular complex of two buildings, 504 feet in length and 80 feet in depth . They feature twin, tower - flanked entrances and glazed terra cotta ornamentation . </P> <P> On October 24, 2013, five people, between the ages of 14 and 39 years old, were injured on the "Vortex" ride when the ride started up as people were attempted to get off the ride . All were taken to WakeMed hospital in Raleigh . On October 29, 2013, the operator of the ride, Timothy Dwayne Tutterow, was charged with three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious bodily injury in connection with the accident . In June 2015, Tutterow pleaded guilty, but has not been sentenced as part of a plea arrangement to testify against the ride owner, Joshua Gene Macaroni . On February 19, 2016, Macaroni was sentenced to 30 days in jail . </P>

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