Winston-Salem Fairgrounds
 Fairgrounds logo | |
 Interactive map of Winston-Salem Fairgrounds | |
| Location | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Owner | City of Winston-Salem |
| Type | Fairgrounds and event complex |
| Event | Carolina Classic Fair |
| Facilities |
|
| Acreage | Approximately 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1951 |
| Website | |
| wsfairgrounds | |
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds is a city-owned event complex in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[1] The roughly 70-acre (28 ha) property is used throughout the year and is home to the annual Carolina Classic Fair.[2] The fair moved to the present site in 1951.[3] A former 0.5-mile (0.80 km) dirt oval at the site hosted two NASCAR Grand National Series races in 1955, both won by Lee Petty.[4][5]
Site and facilities
[edit]The complex includes the Fairgrounds Arena, Event Center, Home & Garden Building, Grandstand, and Fairgrounds Farmers Market.[2] The city's Public Assembly Facilities Commission oversees the fairgrounds.[1]
History
[edit]In 1908, the fair moved to a new Piedmont Park site at Liberty and 28th streets, where it remained through 1950.[3] In November 1949, Charles H. Babcock offered land without charge for a new fairgrounds site near the Cherry Street Extension and 30th Street. The fair's board accepted the offer, and planning began for the construction of the new grounds.[6]
The annual event was renamed the Fair of Winston-Salem in 1950, and the first fair at the present grounds was held in 1951. In 1956, it was renamed the Dixie Classic Fair for Northwest North Carolina.[7]
In 1969, the Winston-Salem Foundation transferred the fairgrounds property and $75,000 in accumulated funds to the City of Winston-Salem.[3] In January 2014, the Public Assembly Facilities Commission approved the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds name for the year-round complex.[2][8] In October 2019, the Winston-Salem City Council voted to rename the annual event the Carolina Classic Fair beginning in 2020.[9]
Former racetrack
[edit]The present fairgrounds formerly included a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) dirt oval.[4] The oval hosted two 100-mile (160 km) NASCAR Grand National Series races in 1955, on May 29 and August 7; Lee Petty won both.[4][5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Public Assembly Facilities Commission". City of Winston-Salem. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "About". Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 City of Winston-Salem Directing Board: 1960–1969 (PDF) (Report). City of Winston-Salem. p. 33. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "1955 100 Miles at Forsyth County Fairgrounds Results". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 "1955 100 Miles at Forsyth County Fairgrounds Results". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Echoes from the Past: Fair History" (PDF). Carolina Classic Fair. p. 220. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Echoes from the Past: Fair History" (PDF). Carolina Classic Fair. p. 221. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Young, Wesley (February 25, 2014). "Fairgrounds get new name; fair name stays the same". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Winston-Salem Drops 'Dixie' From Name of Annual Fair". 88.5 WFDD. Associated Press. October 22, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2026.