Get Ready For Hunger Relief Day at the N.C. State Fair
This year our combined efforts on Hunger Relief Day efforts provided 150,000 meals to communities throughout the region!
Get Ready For Hunger Relief Day at the N.C. State Fair
For generations, the State Fair has brought our community together to celebrate the best of North Carolina — our people, our traditions, and the generosity of our communities.
One of the most meaningful traditions at the Fair is a longstanding partnership between Smithfield Foods and the Food Bank: Hunger Relief Day.
Donate six non-perishable items on Thursday, October 22 to receive free entry to the N.C. State Fair!
Each year, thousands of people from across the state choose Hunger Relief Day as their time to attend the fair, donating non-perishable food in exchange for admission. The event is the largest single-day food drive in the state — providing more than six million meals to area families so far (and growing every year!)
– Amy Beros Food Bank President & CEOOur region is facing the worst hunger crisis in a generation, and cuts to federal hunger relief programs are creating even greater challenges. We’re grateful for the community’s incredible support during Smithfield Foods’ Hunger Relief Day, as we work together to make sure no one goes hungry in North Carolina.
Hunger Relief Day Spotlight: Jonathan Toms
Community Development Manager for Smithfield Foods
We’re deeply grateful to Smithfield Foods and the N.C. State Fair for their continued support and belief that everyone deserves access to nutritious food.
Each year, we partner with Smithfield Foods and the N.C. State Fair for Hunger Relief Day.
“It’s a great way for folks to come out and enjoy the excitement and the energy at the North Carolina State Fair while also joining Smithfield in the fight against Hunger,” said Jonathan Toms, Smithfield Foods’ Senior Community Development Manager.
Hunger Relief Day is the state’s largest single-day food drive and supplies thousands of meals for families across NC. In 2025, fairgoers donated more than 150,000 meals' worth of food for local families facing hunger.
“We’re able to take that food and get it out in the hands of the people who need it most,” Toms shared.
He emphasized that everyone has a role in the fight against hunger. Hunger Relief Day is an opportunity for people to make what he calls an “incredible impact."
– Jonathan Toms Sr. Community Development Manager for Smithfield FoodsYes, you get free admittance to the fair, [but] you also get an incredible opportunity to make a difference right here in our community."
Fairgoers hoping to participate in this year’s Hunger Relief Day, on Thursday, Oct. 22, can bring six non-perishable food items in exchange for free admission to the fair. Community members can also sign up online to participate as a volunteer.
From the volunteers who work the gates, to the drivers who transport food donations, to the generous contributions of healthy protein, Hunger Relief Day is a partnership and labor of love that we can all be proud of.
Together, we’re not just nourishing neighbors — we’re building a stronger, more resilient North Carolina.
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