Smithfield Foods to sponsor Hunger Relief Day at NC State Fair

The annual Hunger Relief Day of the N.C. State Fair will take place Thursday, Oct. 21, with a new sponsor. Smithfield Foods was announced Monday as the corporate partner of the event, which annually allows fairgoers to earn free admission with the donation of canned food items.

A six-can donation is required for free admission to the fair on that day.

“Each year, over 50,000 fairgoers come through the gates by giving back to those in need. As we head into the winter months, this food is essential to the food banks across our state, and I am proud to have a company like Smithfield join us in feeding our neighbors," said North Carolina Secretary of Agriculture Steve Troxler.

Hunger Relief Day began at the N.C. State Fair in 1993 and since that time, fairgoers have donated over 5.3 million pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and its partners.

Each year, the food bank coordinates more than 600 volunteers to collect the cans at fair gates. It is later distributed to more than 900 partner agencies across 32 North Carolina counties.

The 2021 N.C. State Fair is slated for Oct. 14-24 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Tickets are on sale now. Adult admission is $10 if purchased before the fair opens; $13 if purchased at the gate. Tickets for those ages 6 to 12 and over 65 are $5. Children 5 and under are admitted free.