• Take a bus trip to the North Carolina State Fair.Bus Stop image by Jacob Randell from Fotolia.com
  
  Nothing ushers in autumn like the North Carolina State Fair each October. Traffic and parking can be a headache with such a large-scale event. Try taking a bus trip to the fair instead of driving yourself. Relax while the driver takes the express lane and deals with traffic and you experience front door service. Make your plans and enjoy the fair.
  
  

Raleigh

• When taking the bus from Raleigh, park your car and take the CAT bus to the fair. For the 2010 fair, children ride free with a paying adult, and full adult fares are $4. Discount fares of $2 are offered to seniors and passengers with disabilities. There are multiple bus routes to the fair including the Hillsborough Street Route, which picks up at blue State Fair bus stops. Buses also pick up at the ITB Holdings Building in northern Raleigh and the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
  
  

Chapel Hill

• Ride to the fair from Chapel Hill on Triangle Transit Service. Round trip fares are $5 in 2010, and fares are half-price for people with disabilities. The buses leave from the Eubanks Road Park-and-Ride Lot all day during the days of the fair. First departure leaves at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Buses are to drop off and pick up near Gate 8 at the fair.
  
  

Durham

• Bus departures from Durham are also on Triangle Transit Service. The bus departs from the Triangle Transit Regional Transit Center on Slater Road near the Sheraton Imperial Hotel. The first departure leaves on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays. Round-trip fares are $5 for the 2010 fair and children under 12 ride free. Return trips from the fair begin at noon. The bus stops near Gate 8 at the fair in front of Finley Stadium.