The North Carolina State Fair flung open its gates Thursday, Oct. 12 and will continue to run through Sunday, Oct. 22.

You'll find all the usual fair favorites, like fresh-squeezed lemonade, spinning rides, fried foods and oversized stuffed animals. 

So far, more than 340,000 people have attended, according to the N.C. State Fair website, and new features this year include: a two-tiered Venetian carousel, bird shows, a revamped kiddieland area and, of course, fried and sugary food concoctions.