State Fair, plus Football Equals Parking Difficulties

Organizers of the State Fair are advising fairgoers and football fans to leave early and expect traffic delays this weekend.

With tomorrow hosting the final Saturday for the State Fair and a South Carolina football home game, parking is going to be especially difficult.

Parking is available for free on the state fair grounds on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Limited tailgating is permitted, however tents, awnings, and grills will not be allowed.

Organizers expect roughly 50,000 people to pass through the turnstiles tomorrow and when you add 80,000 football fans, traffic and parking problems are to be expected.

Fair Manager Gary Goodman says people should leave plenty of time to reach their destination.

“If you were planning on coming out here at noon time, then I would say you might wanna look at coming at ten. We open at nine. Everything’s operating. You might wanna get here a little bit early so you can get everything in and get out of here before the football crowd gets in and clogs up the traffic.”

Goodman says people with tickets to the USC game will be granted free admission to the fair after 2 pm.

The football game begins at 7 pm.

Goodman says roughly 20,000 fewer people attend the fair on a game-day than on a normal Saturday.