RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division announced today that NC By Train, the state’s passenger rail service, will make special stops at this year’s N.C. State Fair and Lexington Barbecue Festival.

The N.C. State Fair runs Oct. 12-22. Starting Oct. 13, NC By Train will make four stops at the fairgrounds in Raleigh at 9:53 a.m., 1:34 p.m., 3:39 p.m. and 5:44 p.m.

The 39th Annual Lexington Barbecue Festival is Oct. 28. NC By Train will make 10 stops, unloading and boarding passengers at the Lexington Hospitality Center, which is at 29 North Railroad St., one block from the festival.

To get to the festival, passengers can depart from Charlotte, Kannapolis, Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Cary and Raleigh. The trains will stop in Lexington at the following times:

From Raleigh toward Charlotte:

• 8:43 a.m.
• 12:13 p.m.
• 3:13 p.m.
• 5:29 p.m.
• 7:53 p.m.

From Charlotte toward Raleigh:

• 7:50 a.m.
• 11:27 a.m.
• 3:22 p.m.
• 6:30 p.m.
• 8:43 p.m.

NC By Train experienced its highest ridership ever in 2022 and 2023 numbers continue to break records. This means seats are limited.

Visit NCByTrain.org for tickets, full schedules and discounts to get to the events and follow NC By Train on Twitter/X and Facebook for updates and reminders.