North Carolina Festivals

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North Carolina Festivals

From the mountains to the coast, experience our state’s culture, foods and history at these annual festivals

Soak up North Carolina culture at these annual festivals across the state, categorized by the Piedmont, mountain and coastal regions, and listed in order of date.

Photo courtesy of Fest in the West

Local Fall Festivals

Clayton Harvest Festival

October 26–29; Thursday, 5–10 p.m.; Friday, 5–11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.: Sunday, noon–9 p.m.

This four-day festival in downtown Clayton features carnival rides, a barbecue cook-off, kids activities and car, motorcycle and tractor shows.

claytonharvestfestival.com

Falling for Local

October 7, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.    

Take the family for hay rides, inflatables, lawn games, kids activities and a free pumpkin patch.

The Big Field at Dorothea Dix Park
101 Blair Drive, Raleigh

shoplocalraleigh.org

 

Festifall Arts Market & More

October 14, 21 and 28; 1–6 p.m.

Chapel Hill’s annual fall arts festival features three separate markets in the downtown district offering interactive art experiences, entertainment and artisan vendors.

chapelhillarts.org/festifall-arts-market-more

North Carolina State Fair

October 12–22; visit the website for hours and rates

Rides, music, live entertainment, livestock competitions and every fried food you can imagine highlight this annual fair and agricultural exposition at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

4285 Trinity Road, Raleigh

ncstatefair.org

 

Oktoberfest at Lafayette Village
September 30, noon–4 p.m.
This German-inspired festival features traditional foods, fall brews, live music and fun activities.

8450 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh

lafayettevillageraleigh.com/oktoberfest

 

PoeFest
October 21, 1–4 p.m.

The Poe Center for Health Education (224 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh) hosts PoeFest, a free community festival to celebrate healthy choices. Enjoy food and prizes, interactive theaters, local entertainment and more. Free books and produce will be available, along with fun at the KidsLab. 

poehealth.org/events/poefest-community-festival-2023

 

Triangle Oktoberfest

October 6, 5–10 p.m.; October 7, noon–4 p.m. and 4–8 p.m.

Koka Booth Amphitheatre turns on the Bavarian charm with live music, authentic cuisine, beer sampling, wiener dog races, a German car show and a Kinder Platz. Tickets are $15–$25 per person; free for ages 16 and younger.

8003 Regency Parkway, Cary

triangleoktoberfest.org

 

Wendell Harvest Festival

October 7, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Celebrate fall’s arrival in downtown Wendell with a parade, stage performances, vendors, food trucks and an evening concert.

wendellchamber.com

Additional North Carolina Festivals

Piedmont

Brewgaloo, Raleigh
April 2024
shoplocalraleigh.org/brewgaloo

North Carolina Pickle Festival, Mt. Olive 
April 2024
ncpicklefest.org

Dreamville Festival, Raleigh
April 2024
dreamvillefest.com

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, Fayetteville
April 2024
thedogwoodfestival.com/40th-fayetteville-dogwood-festival

PeakFest, Apex
May 2023
apexpeakfest.com

Durham Blues & Brews Festival, Durham
May 18, 2024
durhambluesandbrewsfestival.com

Got to be NC Festival, Raleigh
May 2024

gottobencfestival.com

Durham Blues & Brews Festival, Durham
May 2024
durhambluesandbrewsfestival.com

Fest in the West, Cary
May 6, 2023
festinthewest.com

Pimento Cheese Festival, Cary
June 2024
townofcary.org

Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas, Charlotte
June 2024
juneteenthofthecarolinas.com

North Carolina Blackberry Festival, Lenoir
July 14–15, 2023
ncblackberryfestival.com

Canteloupe Festival, Ridgeway
July 15, 2023
ridgewayhistoricalsociety.com

The Brushy Mountain Peach Heritage & Festival, Brushy Mountain
July 29, 2023
.brushypeachfest.com

North Carolina Watermelon Festival, Murfreesboro
August 2–5, 2023
ncwatermelonfest.com

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival, Cary
August 4–5, 2023
cary.beerandbourbon.com

Packapalooza
August 26, 2023

packapalooza.ncsu.edu

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, Pinehurst
September 1–3, 2023
pinehurstbarbecuefestival.com

North Carolina Apple Festival, Hendersonville
September 1–4, 2023
ncapplefestival.org

CenterFest Arts Festival, Durham
September 16–17, 2023
durhamarts.org/centerfest

Benson Mule Days, Benson
September 21–24, 2023

bensonmuledays.com

IBMA World of Bluegrass, Raleigh
September 23–30, 2023
worldofbluegrass.org

Raleigh Blues Festival, Raleigh
September 29, 2023

raleighconvention.com/events/12th-annual-raleigh-blues-festival-0

North Carolina Muscadine Festival, Kenansville
September 30, 2023
ncmuscadinefestival.com

Celebrate Fuquay-Varina, Fuquay-Varina
October 7, 2023
celebratefv.com

October 12–22, 2022

ncstatefair.org

Carolina BalloonFest, Statesville
October 20–22, 2022
carolinaballoonfest.com

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, Fayetteville
October 20–22, 2024
thedogwoodfestival.com

Clayton Harvest Festival, Clayton
October 26–29, 2023
claytonharvestfestival.com

Barbecue Festival, Lexington
October 28, 2023
thebarbecuefestival.com

North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, Cary
November 2023–January 2024
facebook.com/ncchineselanternfestival

Mountain Festivals

MerleFest, Wilkes County
April 25–28, 2024
merlefest.org

Christmas in July Festival, West Jefferson
First weekend in July
christmasinjulyfestival.com

Hillbilly Jam, Maggie Valley
July 21–22, 2023
thehillbillyjam.com

Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, Asheville
August 3–5, 2023
folkheritage.org/asheville-events/mountain-dance-and-folk-festival

Sourwood Festival, Black Mountain
August 12–13, 2023
exploreblackmountain.com/sourwood-festival

Dirty Dancing Festival, Lake Lure
September 16, 2023
dirtydancingfestival.com

Mayberry Days, Mount Airy
September 18–24 2023
surryarts.org/mayberrydays

Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, Cashiers
October 6–8, 2023
villagegreencashiersnc.com/cashiers-valley-leaf-festival

Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, Wilkesboro
October 7, 2023
applefestival.net

North Carolina State Fair

Apple Harvest Festival, Waynesville
October 21, 2023
romanticasheville.com/apple-harvest-festival

Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk
October 21–22, 2023
woollyworm.com

Highlands Food & Wine Festival, Highlands
November 9–12, 2023
highlandsfoodandwine.com

Coastal Festivals

North Carolina Azalea Festival, Wilmington
April 12–16, 2023
ncazaleafestival.org

The North Carolina Strawberry Festival, Chadbourn
April 30–May 4, 2023
ncstrawberryfestival.com

The Carolina Strawberry Festival
May 3–4, 2023
carolinastrawberryfestival.com

The North Carolina Blueberry Festival, Burgaw 
June 2024
ncblueberryfestival.com

North Carolina 4th of July Festival, Southport
July 4, 2023
nc4thofjuly.com

Watermelon Festival, Fair Bluff
July 29, 2023
fairbluffwatermelonfestival.org

Outer Banks Watermelon Festival, Nags Head
August 3, 2023
kittyhawk.com/event/outer-banks-watermelon-festival

Ockracoke Fig Festival, Ocracoke
August 4–5, 2023
visitocracokenc.com/calendar-event/ocracoke-fig-festival

Fig Festival, Ocracoke
August 5, 2023
ocracokepreservationsociety.org

The Beaufort Pirate Invasion, Beaufort
September 2–24, 2023
beaufortpirateinvasion.com

Outer Banks Kite Festival, Nags Head
September 8–9, 2022
kittyhawk.com/event/outer-banks-kite-festival

The North Carolina Seafood Festival, Morehead City
September 30–October 2, 2022
ncseafoodfestival.org

Ocean Fest, Surf City
October 7–8, 2022
theoceanfest.org

Mumfest, New Bern
October 8–9, 2022
mumfest.com

Swansboro Mullet Festival, Swansboro
October 14–15, 2023
swansborofestivals.com/mullet-festival

Crystal Coast Flotilla, Beaufort
December 2, 2023
maritimefriends.org/christmas-flotilla-2022