Save money and time by buying your State Fair tickets in advance at nine local retail locations Oct. 2-16. Admission tickets and ride sheets will be on sale at six malls:

• Triangle Town Center, Center Court, Raleigh;
• Northgate Mall, Customer Service Area, Durham;
• The Streets at Southpoint, Center Court, Durham;
• Burlington Square Mall, Guest Services, Burlington;
• Four Seasons Town Centre, Information Center, Greensboro;
• Wilson Mall, Center Court, Wilson.

Tickets will be available during mall hours, except on Thursday, Oct. 16, when sales at all locations will stop at 6 p.m. Each location will accept cash, Visa and Mastercard.
In addition to the malls, tickets will be available at three other walk-up locations:

• N.C. Museum of History, 5 W. Edenton St., Raleigh;
• N.C. State Fairgrounds, Gate 9 off Trinity Road, Raleigh;
• State Farmers Market, 1201 Agriculture St., Raleigh.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the N.C. Museum of History during normal museum hours. The State Fairgrounds will sell advance tickets from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and tickets will be sold at the State Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These locations will accept cash, Visa and Mastercard.

Advance admission tickets cost $5 for adults and $1 for children ages 6-12. Regular admission prices are $7 for adults and $2 for children. Children 5 and under and adults 65 and over get in free. Adult admission tickets for groups of 40 or more cost $4.75. Ride sheets cost $10 in advance, an $8 savings. Advance tickets also are available at the State Fair Web site, www.ncstatefair.org. Concert tickets are only available on the Web site.

Fairgoers are encouraged to visit these locations early to avoid lines during the last-day rush, especially at the State Fairgrounds. The last day of sales, Oct. 16, coincides with an N.C. State football game, so the area around the fairgrounds will be congested. Ticket buyers are advised to come earlier during the sales period or to go to another Raleigh location that day.

For more information, visit www.ncstatefair.org. The Fair runs Oct. 16-26 at the State Fairgrounds.