Events Calendar

North Carolina is popular not only for its natural beauty but also on its featured festivities. A month is filled with events, scattered throughout North Carolina's hundred counties. One vivid example is the month of January that showcases a diverse array of events including Crystal Coast Bridal Fair (Morehead City), Annual race Car and Sports Car Auction (Concord), Annual Hog Killing Day (Kenly) and Bass and Saltwater Fishing Expo (Raleigh).

February events include Black History Exhibition (Smithfield), Carolina Chocolate Festival (Morehead City) and Moonlight Ghost Tour (Corolla). Jumping to March is a famous film festival, the Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape fear Coast Film Festivals directed towards independent Black American filmmakers. The same month is also the time for Annual Durham Spring Carnival which has been noted as one great family event that merged games, rides and other forms of entertainment in one fun-filled event.

The month of April graces the Southern Pines county with its Annual Hone and Garden Festival, the Rocky Mount with its Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Raeford with the Stoneybrook Steeplechase, Wadesboro with Annual Art Gala and Blowing Rock with its Blue Ridge Food and Wine Festival. April is also the time for the North Carolina Pickle Festival in Mount Olive, The PirateFest in Greenville and the Annual Jazz and Blues Fest in New Bern. A multi-cultural event graces the month of May with the inception of the Festival Cinco de Mayo in Mt. Airy, which attracts visitors for its wild and interesting collaboration of music, dance and games, including the fun-inducing eating contest. Other activities for the month of May include the Annual Ham and Yam Festival in Smithfield, Annual North Carolina Forest Festival in Plymouth, the Annual Ribfest at Eden and the Annual Garden Jubilee Festival at Hendersonville.

The month of June, on the other hand, is popular for the Cary Dog Days of June, which is actually a disc competition and a charity event. Other notable events for June are Pledmont Potter Festival (Eden), Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival (Tryon) and the Annual Mountain Music Festival (Robbinsville). Events in the month of July include Cape Fear Blues Festival (Wilmington) and the arts and crafts oriented Bale Chere (Asheville). August events include Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derb (Cherokee), Historic Valdese Waldensian Festival (Valdese) and Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival (Cary), which was also voted as one of the Best Festival in the nation. The month of September is the time for the following events: the High Country Bluegrass Festival in Bloone, Denton Autumn Festival and Wagram's Annual Pig Picking Festival and the Central Carolina Fair in Greensboro.

For the rest of the year, here are some of the commendable events. For October: the second largest agricultural Fair in North Carolina, the Dixie Classic Fair (Winston-Salem) and MUMfest ( New Bern). For November: Native American Heritage Festival (Goldsboro) and Foothills Highland Games (Hendersonville). For December: Annual Appalachian Christmas (Lake Junaluska) and the Cherokee Christmas Parade.