How many Columbia families have penciled in "the fair, last Saturday" without checking the football schedule? This year that plan runs into a specific problem. The 2026 South Carolina State Fair runs through Sunday, Oct. 25. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Gamecocks host Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium, which the fair itself describes as "just across the street from the Lexington Health Fair Park." WIS reports the kickoff at 3:30 p.m.
So the final four days, Thursday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 25, aren't interchangeable. Thursday, Friday and Sunday are the easy fair days. Saturday works too, but only if you schedule your visit around kickoff.
Saturday is two crowds sharing one curb
The fair's parking page is blunt about Oct. 24. It tells guests to expect "heavy traffic and delays throughout the day" and to "pack your patience." Three changes come with game day:
- Parking doubles. The usual $10 per vehicle in Lexington Health Fair Park becomes $20 for that day only. The fair says the higher rate "helps manage demand and ensures access to parking for everyone attending the fair."
- Football passes don't carry over. Reserved football parking passes aren't valid during the State Fair.
- Traffic patterns may change. The fair says so for Oct. 24 but publishes no specific road-closure plan, so leave extra time on George Rogers Boulevard and Bluff Road.
Saturday also has the longest hours left on the calendar. Admission runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and rides run 11 a.m. to midnight. That gives you hours to work with. Parking gates open one hour before admission, so cars can start pulling in around 9 a.m., well ahead of a 3:30 kickoff. The fair asks Saturday visitors to arrive early, carpool and follow posted signs. It also warns that gates may close once lots fill.
Teenagers face one more Saturday limit. On Fridays and Saturdays, anyone under 18 needs a parent age 21 or older from open to close. Sunday through Thursday, that rule starts at 5 p.m.
The four days, side by side
Once Saturday is sorted out, the rest of the calendar matters more. Here's what each remaining day offers, using the fair's own hours and promotions:
| Day | Admission hours | Ride hours | What's specific to that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 22 | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Noon to 11 p.m. | Sensory-Friendly Morning, Exceptional Citizens Day, Military Appreciation Day, Lunch Bunch, Julia Neville at Pepsi Plaza |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Noon to midnight | Lunch Bunch, Midlands Landscaping Day, Julia Neville at Pepsi Plaza, all-day parent rule for under-18s |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 11 a.m. to midnight | USC vs. Tennessee at 3:30 p.m., $20 parking, Matt Stone as Elvis at Pepsi Plaza |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | Noon to 8 p.m. | Noon to 10 p.m. | Final day, James Fortune at Pepsi Plaza, parent rule after 5 p.m. |
Thursday packs the most into one day. From 10 a.m. to noon, children and adults with autism or sensory processing disorders, plus one companion, can enter before the gates officially open, with lights lowered and sounds quieter. Exceptional Citizens Day gives free admission to people with lifelong developmental or physical disabilities and one companion. Active and retired military and their dependents with proper ID also get in free that day.
Both Thursday and Friday also carry Lunch Bunch, which runs noon to 2 p.m. on weekdays. The fair describes it this way: "Pay your entry fee and receive a refundable $20 ticket. Return to the ticket booth with the ticket by 2 p.m. to get your money back." For anyone working near downtown, that turns a lunch break into a corn dog run.
Sunday is the shortest day, with gates closing at 8 p.m. and rides at 10. In exchange, you get a closing day with no stadium crowd across the street and the Pepsi Plaza finale with James Fortune, presented by WFMV.
What's new and still running through Sunday
The new additions this year give a weekday visit plenty to fill it. The fair has run since 1869, and this year's theme is "Rooted in Fun." The changes are concentrated in a few spots on the grounds:
- Pepsi Plaza is a new entertainment area near the SkyGlider, in front of the Nutt Cattle Arena. It includes Sea Lion Splash, with three live shows a day, and The Groovy Guy Show through Oct. 25.
- Pegasus, according to the fair, is making its North American debut in Columbia. It's a free-looping ride with "uncontrolled spins and gravity-powered flips." The 150-foot Celebration Wheel is back as well, with more than 36 climate-controlled gondolas.
- Rocket Plaza, near the rocket and the North Gate, adds the new Red Light & Blue through Oct. 25, plus Magician & The Muse and Johnny Rockett & the Strolling Boombox.
- The South Carolina Grown Marketplace in the Rosewoods Building has doubled its vendor count to more than 100. A new official State Fair souvenir shop now sits inside it.
Food follows the same pattern, with old standbys joined by 15 new offerings among more than 90 vendors. Fiske Fries, foot-long corndogs and elephant ears are back. They now share the midway with deep-fried birria tacos, bacon cheese curds, key lime crunch funnel cake, strawberry 'n cream lemonade and a Reese's Donut Burger. New vendors include Tanghulu, selling sugar-coated fruit and Dubai chocolate sugar fruit, and Pickle Barrel Sirloin Tips, which cooks to order in cast-iron skillets. Dole Whip and 250 Smoothie and Sweet Concessions are new too. A Fair Food for $5 menu covers red candy apples, corndogs and Cinnamon Stix.
The free CIRCUS at the Fair, now in its seventh year, plays beside the Ellison Building near the South Gate at 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. every day. On Saturday, the 2 p.m. show ends before kickoff. The 7:30 p.m. show starts while the game is likely still underway, when the stadium crowd is inside.
Getting in, and what it costs at this point
Discount presale tickets ended Oct. 14. From here, admission is $15 at participating Circle K stores, $16 online and $20 at the gate. Children 5 and under get in free, and adults 55 and older pay $15. Ride vouchers now cost $40 at Circle K or $41 online. At the grounds they're $40 Monday through Thursday and $42 Friday through Sunday. That makes Thursday the last day to buy a voucher at the grounds for $40.
Each voucher trades for either an all-day ride wristband or a reloadable card with 90 ride tickets. The card can be shared, used across several fair days or saved for next year if tickets remain. If you can only come once, the wristband is the simpler choice. For a family splitting up between rides, the card goes further.
Bring the right bag. The fair allows clear bags only, up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, with inspected exceptions for medical and diaper bags. Ticket booths take cards and cash. Parking takes credit or debit cards and Apple Pay only.
For driving in on any day, the fair's routing tips are the most useful thing on its site:
- Use Gate 6 at 901 George Rogers Blvd., Gate 7 at 1041 George Rogers Blvd., or Gate 10 at 901 Bluff Rd.
- Coming toward downtown on Shop Road, turn left on George Rogers Boulevard and use Gate 7 or Gate 10 for the fastest way in.
- Gate 7 has two lanes in and Gate 8 has two lanes out, so leaving through Gate 8 is the quicker exit.
If someone else is driving, rideshare and drop-off cars can stop at the North Gate, 1200 Rosewood Drive, but can't park there. The fair's bus page says COMET Route 61 runs hourly from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and stops at the grounds. However, The COMET's own route list, effective August 2026, labels Route 61 "Shop" and Route 21 "Rosewood." Check The COMET's live trip planner before counting on either route, and especially before Saturday.
Every dollar of fair parking, including Saturday's $20, goes to the fair's Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. In 2026, that program gave 54 South Carolina high school seniors $10,000 each.
Fair week and Gamecock Saturdays both shape what it's like to live near Rosewood Drive and Bluff Road. They're the kind of local detail we factor in when we talk with Columbia homeowners about their next move. If you're curious what your place is worth before the holidays, the Timothy Garland Group can put together a free home valuation, and you can learn more on our Columbia neighborhood page.
