Beloved NC State Fair hot dog vendor will end a 70+ year run
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- Charlie Barefoot & Sons announced it will not attend the 2026 NC State Fair.
- The family cited minor health issues and age as reasons for closing the stand.
- Charlie Barefoot & Sons operated at the fair since opening in 1949.
One of the North Carolina State Fair’s oldest food vendors will end its run after more than 70 years.
Charlie Barefoot & Sons, an annual hot dog destination for generations of fair-goers, announced this week that it won’t be attending the 2026 NC State Fair.
Citing health issues, the Barefoot family said it became clear the stand needed to close.
“Due to minor health issues and the reality that comes with age, we have made the heartbreaking decision that we will not be attending the 2026 NC State Fair,” the family wrote in a Facebook post. “We have spent countless hours trying to find another way, but unfortunately, we simply cannot make it work.”
Charlie Barefoot & Sons opened in 1949 and became one of the fair’s most beloved and visited food stands, serving up foot-long hot dogs, grilled sausages, cheesesteaks and french fries.
“Since 1949, October has been more than just a month to our family — it has been a tradition, a way of life, and a time we looked forward to every single year,” the family wrote in its closing post. “What Charlie ‘The Hotdog Man’ & Leone Barefoot, ‘The Original Fry Queen,’ started all those years ago became something much bigger than we ever imagined.”
NC State Fair food
Food is one of the biggest draws to the North Carolina State Fair, known for smoked turkey legs, forearm-sized corndogs and a bounty of deep-fried delights. Each year, dozens of vendors introduce creative new sandwiches, dishes, drinks and desserts for fair-goers to try, from Thanksgiving stuffed egg rolls to giant lobster tails on a stick.
But the Fair has seen several changes in the last few years, some exciting and some painful. The beloved biscuits from Cary United Methodist churches stopped appearing at the fair in 2022 after a shortage of volunteers.
And then last year the fair announced the iconic Restaurant Row pavilion would be torn down and replaced with a food hall-style collection of vendors.
As Charlie Barefoot bows out, a hot dog-sized hole will surely be felt in the heart of this year’s fair.
“Over the years, we’ve had the blessing of watching families grow in front of us — seeing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th generations stop by our stand year after year,” Charlie Barefoot owners wrote on Facebook. “We’ve also felt the loss of many loyal customers and dear friends who became part of our fair family along the way. Those memories are something we will cherish forever.”
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Beloved NC State Fair hot dog vendor will end a 70+ year run."
