🎉 NC Festivals & Events

Workshops, hands-on demonstrations, and educational sessions for small and beginning farmers at NC A&T State University.

The largest herb festival in the US and Canada. Learn from herb growers and herbalists with plant sales, workshops, and herbal products.

Wilmington's premier spring celebration with a street fair, parade, garden tours, concerts, and the Azalea Queen coronation. One of NC's oldest festivals.

Showcases the best BBQ from NC and SC pitmasters with BBQ samples, live music, cooking competitions, and craft beverages.

Features 40+ food and crafts vendors, Garden Gala with music, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres. Celebrates eastern NC strawberry farming.

Children see and touch farm animals and learn about agriculture. Educational event hosted by NC State Extension with hands-on experiences.

Eastern NC celebration of spring and blooming dogwoods with a parade, live entertainment, food vendors, craft vendors, and community activities.

One of NC's premier spring festivals celebrating the blooming dogwood trees with live concerts, street fair, carnival rides, arts and crafts, food vendors, and a parade.

Celebrates the annual shad run on Contentnea Creek with fresh shad, fish fry, food vendors, live music, crafts, and family activities in small-town eastern NC.

World-renowned roots music festival at Wilkes Community College honoring Doc Watson's son Merle. Features bluegrass, folk, country, and Americana music on multiple stages.

Celebrates Mount Olive's pickle heritage (home of Mt. Olive Pickle Company) with pickle eating contests, food vendors, crafts, live music, and family activities.

One of the largest whole-hog cooking competitions in NC. Teams from across the state compete in whole-hog barbecue while attendees enjoy tastings, live music, and family fun on the Crystal Coast.

Self-guided tour of working farms across the Piedmont region. Visit local farms, meet farmers, see animals, and learn about sustainable agriculture.

Celebrates the South's beloved pimiento cheese spread with tastings, recipe contests, food vendors, and family activities.

JC Raulston Arboretum spring plant sale and garden fair at NC State University featuring rare plants, garden talks, food vendors, and family activities.

NC Cooperative Extension hosts this festival featuring plant sales, herb vendors, gardening demonstrations, and educational workshops.

World's Largest Whole Hog Cook-off in downtown Kinston. Features professional and amateur BBQ teams, live music, family activities, and food vendors.

Celebrates North Carolina's beloved cherry soda with local breweries, food trucks, bounce houses, face painting, gem mining, and plenty of Cheerwine-themed treats in downtown Salisbury.

Celebration of NC agriculture at the State Fairgrounds. Local food tastings, live music, farm demonstrations, and family activities showcasing NC-grown products.

200 craft and plant vendors line Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. Features plants, garden art, local food, and live entertainment.

Celebrates cured country ham and sweet potatoes in historic downtown Smithfield since 1985. Over 200 vendor booths, country ham biscuits, sweet potato fries, live music on three stages, and a FREE national headliner concert.

Celebrates the Appalachian tradition of fried apple pies at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds. Over 10,000 fried apple pies available, plus a fried pie eating contest, fried pie baking contest, live music, kids activities, arts & crafts vendors, and great festival food. Officially designated by the NC General Assembly.

Celebrates the Albemarle region's potato farming heritage with food vendors, potato-themed competitions, live music, and family activities.

The oldest continuing agricultural festival in NC, celebrating Chadbourn as the Strawberry Capital of the World since 1932. Parade, pageant, rides, and strawberry treats.

Celebrates NC's status as the top sweet potato producing state with food vendors, cooking demos, music, and family fun.

Four days of music and dance across four stages at Shakori Hills featuring 50+ bands, workshops, camping, local food vendors, and farm-to-table experiences on a beautiful Chatham County farm.

Spring festival celebrating the apple blossom season in Alexander County with flower displays, food vendors, crafts, and live entertainment.

Eastern NC strawberry celebration with fresh strawberries, strawberry-themed food, craft vendors, live music, and family activities.

Mountain celebration of the wild ramp (wild leek), an Appalachian delicacy. Features ramp dishes, ramp eating contests, live mountain music, crafts, and family fun.

Celebrates the Yadkin Valley AVA with wine tastings from regional wineries, food pairings, live music, and vineyard tours.

Downtown Burgaw celebration of Pender County's blueberry harvest with food vendors, crafts, live music, and blueberry-themed treats.

Honors ground steak, a loose-meat cousin to the hamburger born in Surry County diners during the Great Depression. Live music, food vendors, and craft vendors on the historic courthouse square in downtown Dobson.

Three-day food festival on Tryon Street featuring samples from Charlotte-area restaurants, live performances, and cooking demonstrations.

ASAP-organized self-guided tour of mountain farms in WNC. Visit organic farms, creameries, vineyards, and more across the Blue Ridge.

Coastal community celebration of the local peach harvest on Knotts Island with fresh peaches, peach treats, food vendors, and family fun.

One of NC's premier street festivals drawing up to 25,000 over two days in downtown Lenoir. Features fresh blackberries, awesome vendors, delicious festival food, a Kids Party, live music, and blackberry-themed treats.

Celebration of Montgomery County's peach harvest in the Uwharrie region with fresh peaches, food vendors, live music, and family fun.

Annual celebration of the watermelon harvest in northeastern NC with seed-spitting contest, watermelon eating contest, parade, and live entertainment.

Celebrates summer's cantaloupe harvest with cantaloupe-themed treats, local crafts, food vendors, and community activities highlighting the region's ideal growing conditions.

Mountain celebration of the sweet corn harvest with corn-themed food, live music, craft vendors, and family activities in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Celebrates the tobacco farming heritage that built North Carolina at Duke Homestead State Historic Site. Features tobacco curing demonstrations, heritage farming displays, and living history.

Mountain county fair celebrating Haywood County agriculture with livestock, rides, and mountain food.

Boiled, fried, pickled - try all kinds of okra! Features okra-themed food vendors, cooking classes, craft vendors, and door prizes celebrating this beloved southern vegetable.

Fig trees are everywhere in this Outer Banks town. Celebrates the fig through music, dancing, history, activities, and plenty of fig goodies.

Three-day BBQ celebration in the historic Village of Pinehurst with cooking competitions, tastings, live music, and vendors.

Coastal community celebration of the local shrimping industry with fresh shrimp, food vendors, live entertainment, and a shrimp boat parade.

Held on the grounds of Unity Presbyterian Church, celebrating Woodleaf's 125+ year history as a center of tomato crops in NC. Fresh tomatoes, tomato dishes, crafts, and community spirit.

Celebrates the collard green with rides, local art shows, food vendors, and the crowd-favorite Collard Eating Contest. Ayden is the Collard Capital of the World.

Celebrates the heritage of mule farming in eastern NC with mule/donkey shows, rodeo events, parade, arts and crafts, food vendors, and live entertainment.

Features agricultural exhibits, livestock shows, home arts competitions, carnival rides, and local food vendors.

Small-town county fair with a strong agricultural focus. Chatham County is known for its thriving local food and farm community.

Agricultural fair with livestock shows, carnival rides, food vendors, and live entertainment in the Sandhills region.

County agricultural fair in the barbecue capital of NC with livestock, rides, and local food.

Agricultural fair highlighting Duplin County's strong farming heritage and agribusiness.

Self-guided tour of working farms in eastern NC highlighting tobacco heritage, row crops, livestock, and the region's rich agricultural traditions.

Agricultural fair with livestock judging, produce competitions, carnival rides, and community exhibits.

Regional fair in the Sandhills area with agricultural exhibits, rides, and food.

One of the largest pow wows on the East Coast. Pow wow dancing, dance/drum contests, cultural demonstrations, traditional food vendors, and Native American artisan crafts.

Celebration of Mount Airy's connection to The Andy Griffith Show with tribute artists, parades, pie eating contests, concerts, and tours of Andy's hometown.

Celebrates Southern Appalachian heritage at Western Carolina University with traditional music, crafts, Cherokee cultural demonstrations, heritage food, and mountain farming traditions.

Beloved mountain festival on Main Street celebrating Henderson County's apple heritage with street fair, live music, apple-themed food, crafts, and the King Apple Parade.

The only festival that takes pride in making grown men cry! Features spicy sauces from across NC, craft beer, scavenger hunts, classic cars, live music, and hot sauce competitions.

Western NC's premier fair featuring mountain agriculture, livestock, carnival rides, live music, and Appalachian heritage exhibits at the WNC Agricultural Center.

A packed day of muscadine wine tasting, live bands, and food vendors at the Duplin County Events Center. Celebrates NC's native grape variety and its winemaking heritage.

Celebrates hot peppers and pepper-based products with pepper tastings, hot sauce vendors, cooking demonstrations, live music, and spicy food challenges.

Eastern NC agricultural fair with livestock, farm exhibits, carnival, and local food vendors.

County fair celebrating Rowan County agriculture with livestock shows, rides, food, and entertainment.

Annual harvest festival at one of NC's largest vineyards with wine tastings, grape stomping, live music, vendors, and pumpkin painting.

Free harvest celebration at the NC State Farmers Market featuring local produce, farm demonstrations, and seasonal activities.

Agricultural fair in Mayberry country featuring livestock, produce, carnival rides, and mountain heritage.

Major eastern NC fair featuring agricultural competitions, livestock, rides, entertainment, and food.

Features the Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off ($1,000 prize), carnival rides, arts and crafts vendors, and pumpkin-themed food and games in the Yadkin Valley.

Nationally recognized Top 20 event in the Southeast. 200+ craftsmen line downtown streets with arts and handcrafted items. Old-time, Bluegrass, and Gospel music.

One of the Southeast's largest one-day festivals with 300+ craft vendors, 50 food concessions, live music, and apple-themed events in downtown North Wilkesboro.

Hot air balloon festival with mass ascensions, balloon glow, tethered rides, live music, food vendors, and skydiving demonstrations.

One of the top 50 fairs in North America with carnival rides, food vendors, live entertainment, livestock, and agricultural competitions at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

Annual Cherokee cultural celebration featuring traditional stickball games, arts and crafts, native food, dance performances, and archery.

Southeastern NC county fair with agriculture exhibits, livestock, carnival, and community events.

Small-town celebration of the peanut harvest with food, vendors, and community activities.

Family-oriented festival on the grounds of the historic John Blue home. Features tours of 1800s cabins, a mule-powered cotton gin, antique tractors, hit and miss engines, train rides, live music, a museum, crafts, hayrides, pony rides, and heritage food.

Eastern NC agricultural fair with farm exhibits, livestock judging, and carnival.

Massive one-day celebration of Lexington-style BBQ on Main Street. One of the top 10 food festivals in America with 100,000+ attendees, live music, and BBQ competitions.

Celebrating the harvest in Lincoln County since 1972, attracting 80,000 visitors to downtown Lincolnton. Features local apple growers, farmer's market, live talent on two stages, whole apple pies, kids activities, and 200+ vendors.

NC's Official Fall Liver Mush Festival - Mush, Music & Mutts in Uptown Shelby. Features liver mush eating contest, recipe contest and cookoff, Kids Zone, live music, and 90+ craft, food, and beverage vendors. Pets welcome.

Celebrates the grape harvest in Bladen County with wine tastings, grape-themed food, live entertainment, craft vendors, and vineyard heritage.

Annual seaside celebration featuring toe-tapping music, culinary delights, oyster shucking contests, eating contests, and stew cook-off.

Crystal Coast celebration of NC seafood with fresh seafood vendors, cooking demonstrations, live music, boat rides, and arts and crafts on the Morehead City waterfront.

North Carolina's flagship fair at the State Fairgrounds. Livestock, agriculture exhibits, carnival rides, 100+ food vendors, concerts, and competitions. The largest annual event in the state.

Annual festival since 1986 with a parade of 100+ units, Sweet Potato Pie Eating Contest, Sweet Potato Cook Off, live music, craft vendors, and rides.

Downtown Franklin transforms for this festival with pumpkin displays, food vendors, crafts, live music, and family activities. Draws thousands of visitors.

Harvest festival where catapults and machines toss pumpkins. Features pie-eating contests, live entertainment, food and craft vendors.

Features the World Famous Pumpkin Roll, costume parade, 90+ vendors, mountain crafts, and Appalachian food traditions.

County fair in the Sandhills region featuring agriculture, carnival rides, food, and live entertainment.

A beloved small-town tradition for 50+ years with a giant pumpkin weigh-off, pumpkin recipe judging, parade, food/craft vendors, and live music. Population of 1,300 swells to 40,000+.

Celebrates the local mullet fish with a fish fry, Mullet Toss competition, Blessing of the Fleet, arts and crafts, food vendors, and live entertainment in the charming waterfront town of Swansboro.

Downtown Taylorsville celebration of the apple harvest in Alexander County with apple-themed food, live music, craft vendors, and family activities.

Main Street festival in the Smokies featuring apple-themed food, art, mountain history, live music, and craft vendors.

Foothills agricultural fair with livestock competitions, carnival rides, demolition derby, and local food.

Eastern NC county fair with agriculture exhibits, livestock, carnival, and food vendors.

Quirky mountain festival where woolly worms race to predict winter weather. Arts and crafts, food vendors, live music, and the famous worm race.

Features a dozen Yadkin Valley wineries offering tastings, food vendors, specialty vendors, artisans, and live music in downtown Yadkinville.

Christmas at Biltmore Estate with the decorated Biltmore House, candlelight Christmas evenings, outdoor holiday activities, and the estate's winery and farm shop.

Mountain holiday market with local artisans, mountain food vendors, crafts, and holiday gifts in the Cashiers plateau.

European-style holiday market in Uptown Charlotte with small vendor huts, handmade crafts, and German treats like bratwurst and mulled wine.

250+ exhibitors offering holiday decor, gourmet treats, artisan gifts, and seasonal shopping at the NC State Fairgrounds.

Drive-through holiday light display at Tanglewood Park with millions of lights along a scenic route through the park. One of the Southeast's largest light shows.

Annual holiday shopping market at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex with 300+ vendors selling crafts, food gifts, local products, and holiday decor.

Upscale culinary festival in the mountains featuring renowned chefs, wine tastings, farm-to-table dinners, and cooking demonstrations.

Celebrates the collard green harvest in the Sandhills region with collard-themed food, cooking contests, craft vendors, and community activities.

Celebrates the pecan harvest in southeastern NC with pecan-themed food, pecan pie contests, craft vendors, live music, and family activities.

Celebrates Duplin County's poultry industry - one of NC's top agricultural commodities. Features poultry-themed food, farm demonstrations, craft vendors, and community events.

Celebrates people and art in motion in historic downtown Wilson. Handmade whirligig art, local food, live music, and artisan crafts. Wilson is known for Vollis Simpson's whirligig art.

Celebration of Seagrove's 200+ year pottery tradition in the Pottery Capital of America. Studio tours, demonstrations, and sales from dozens of local potters.

Charlotte's premier holiday market at The Park Expo Center with 400+ merchants, holiday decorating ideas, food, and live entertainment.

Western NC's largest indoor/outdoor holiday market with 130+ vendors selling handmade goods, local products, and seasonal food.

Celebration of whole-hog barbecue tradition in the foothills with cooking competitions, tastings, and live music.

Historic Old Salem celebrates the Moravian Christmas tradition with candle tea, lovefeast, star lighting, cookie baking, and walking tours of the colonial village.