Directions to RARSfest
at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds

Please note that the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and Hillsborough Street is closed for construction (lower right on the map below). Expect it to take it longer to get to the Fairgrounds than usual. The project is not expected to be completed until late 2024.

RARSfest is in the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

If you are driving, we strongly recommend using Gate 5, instead of Gate 9. It will be easier to find the RARSfest building if you use Gate 5, and Gate 5 is the only gate open first thing Saturday morning. See below for directions to Gate 5. Look for blue and yellow signs, like the ones depicted below, in and around the Fairgrounds relative to Gate 5.

Once inside Gate 5, the RARSfest building will be ahead and to your right, behind two other buildings. Bear very slightly right to stay on the paved road and park where shown on the map. If you are walking, then use any open gate and make your way to the Jim Graham Building using the map below.

If you have trouble finding us, call our talk-in station on the W4DW repeater (146.64 MHz -0.6 MHz offset, no tone).

RARSfest Entrances

All general admission attendees must use the main entrances at the front (north end) of the Jim Graham Building. There are two entrances at the front of the building. One has the physical tickets and wristbands for people who pre-registered online. The other is for people to purchase tickets at the door. People who already have a physical ticket (purchased from us at another hamfest or event) may use either entrance. Look for the blue and yellow signs, like the ones to the left and right.

All vendors, dealers, and flea market sellers must use the load-in entrance (the roll-up doors on the west side and about in the middle of the building), whether they pre-registered or not. You can also purchase flea market tables on Friday from noon until 7:00 pm and on Saturday after 6:00 am at the load-in entrance (no vehicles in the building after 7:30 am, though). Note that the path to the south along the west side of the building is not for vehicle traffic.

RARSfest staff and volunteers must use the load-in entrance (west roll-up doors) on Friday and before 7:30 am on Saturday, and the main entrances as described above after 7:30 am on Saturday. Volunteers should report to the staff check-in area by the load-in door at least 15 minutes before their shifts start.

License exam candidates should use the right-hand door at the main entrance (north end) of the Jim Graham Building. Exam candidates do not need a RARSfest admission ticket to take exams, but they will need one if they want to attend RARSfest afterward.

Directions to Gate 5

Unfortunately, there is no street address for Gate 5. You may be able to get close with just Youth Center Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607; on some maps, that takes you to Gate 4, and Gate 5 is just north of there. Look for the blue and yellow RARSfest signs at each end of Youth Center Drive.

Otherwise, if you are  . . .

• North of the Fairgrounds, Southbound on Blue Ridge Road
  • Turn right onto Trinity Road, then
  • Left onto Youth Center Drive, then
  • Left into the Fairgrounds at Gate 5.
• South of the Fairgrounds
  • Westbound on Western Boulevard (Preferred but Not on the Map Above)
    • Continue on Western Boulevard to Powell Drive, then
    • Right onto Powell Drive, then
    • Right onto Hillsborough Street, then
    • Left onto Youth Center Drive, then
    • Right into the Fairgrounds at Gate 5.
  • Northbound on Blue Ridge Road
    Really, there is no reason to be northbound on Blue Ridge south of the Fairgrounds (from Western Boulevard), but if you are  . . .
    • Turn left onto Beryl Road (lower right on the map, just before the train tracks), then
    • Right onto Powell Drive (lower left on the map; the turn isn't on the map, but it's the first right off Beryl Road), then
    • Right onto Hillsborough Street, then
    • Left onto Youth Center Drive, then
    • Right into the Fairgrounds at Gate 5.
• East of the Fairgrounds, Westbound on Hillsborough Street
  • Follow the new connector (the green line about two-thirds of the way down the right side of the map) onto northbound Blue Ridge Road (you won't have a choice), then
  • Left onto Trinity Road, then
  • Right onto Youth Center Drive, then
  • Left into the Fairgrounds at Gate 5.
• West of the Fairgrounds, Eastbound on Hillsborough Street
  • Turn left onto Youth Center Drive, then
  • Right into the Fairgrounds at Gate 5.

As a last resort, try these GPS coordinates for Gate 5: 35.79429 N 78.71605 W, but be careful because they seem to produce different results on different mapping systems.