NORTH CAROLINA:  January/February  -  March  -  April  -  May  -  June

July  -  August  -  September  -  October  -  November/December
 

2016 NORTH CAROLINA - September 2016
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows & Local Events
(see also: 2015 - 2014 -  2012 - 2010)

September 2-5, 2016  North Carolina Apple Festival
Hendersonville, North Carolina
The North Carolina mountains are known for their apple orchards. In celebration of King Apple, music, a parade, and arts and crafts fill city streets. Many of the growers also feature items such as fried apple pies, apple cakes, apple butter and apple cider.

September 8-11, 2016  Ayden Collard Festival - Ayden, North Carolina
The Official Collard Festival of the State of North Carolina. Family festival with music, parade, golf, horseshoe & tennis tournaments, art show, collard cooking and eating contests.

September 9-18, 2016  North Carolina Mountain State Fair
Fletcher, North Carolina
The NC Mountain State Fair celebrates the people, agriculture, art and tradition that make our region great. Attended by over 180,000 people annually, the fair features agricultural exhibits, fair food, midway rides, and competitions.  Attendance: 180,000.

September 10, 2016  10th Annual North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest
Oxford, North Carolina
North Carolina’s finest hot sauces and  barbeque sauces, along with breweries and wineries spice up the blends and texture of downtown’s historical streets. Enter the NC Pepper Eating Contest sponsored by Bailey Farms. Watch as Artist Dan Nelson creates our Festival on Canvas. Capture all the history of Oxford by visiting the Granville County Museum and their September Sensations Bazaar as well as at the Harris Exhibit Hall, famous for showcasing local artisans.  Visit the Granville Gardeners Plant Sale.  We have activities for children, lovely local shops waiting to greet you and great restaurants, all at your fingertips.  NC Hot Sauces and Barbecue Sauces, all will be competing for the title of North Carolina's Best!!!!!!!   Attendance: 12,000.

September 10-11, 2016  75th Annual North Carolina Gourd Festival
Raleigh, North Carolina
'Practical Gourds Past and Present.'   Gourds from around the world and from our own backyards. Displays of historic and exotic gourds. Meet crafters and growers who can teach you how to turn a moldy gourd straight from the garden into an object of lasting beauty. On sale will be gourds, gourd craft, supplies and seeds.

September 10-17, 2016  69th Surry County Agricultural Fair
Mt. Airy, North Carolina
Veterans Memorial Park, in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, in conjunction with American Legion Post 123, is proud to offer the Surry County Agricultural Fair, as a collaborative venture of the Ladies Auxiliary Unit and the North Carolina Association of Agricultural Fairs.  There's a midway, cotton candy, high flying acrobats, blue ribbons and more!

September 17, 2016  Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Dinner
Charlotte, North Carolina
No child in should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in this nation by connecting kids in need with nutritious food and teaching families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. You can help surround kids with the nutritious food they need where they live, learn and play.

September 17, 2016  12th Annual Shine to Wine, Wine, Beer, Spirit and Art Festival
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
'Shine to Wine Festival' A celebration of wine and art.

September 17, 2016
20th Annual Brewgrass Festival
Asheville, North Carolina
Each year in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, we gather over 40 American breweries to showcase more than 120 different beers. We add a great lineup of national and regional bluegrass musicians. We also feature a variety of area food vendors and plenty of water.  Hosted by the Great Smokies Craft Brewers Association and benefiting Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Western North Carolina.

September 17, 2016  BugFest 2016 - Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.  Learn about arthropods, which make up three-quarters of all animals on Earth, during fascinating presentations. Taste delectable dishes featuring creepy crawlers as a major ingredient at Café Insecta.

September 18, 2016  Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Dinner
Raleigh, North Carolina
No child in should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in this nation by connecting kids in need with nutritious food and teaching families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. You can help surround kids with the nutritious food they need where they live, learn and play.

September 23-24, 2016  Mayberry Days Barbecue Cook-off
Mt. Airy, North Carolina
Surry Arts Council is pleased to host the 2016 Mayberry Days Barbecue Cook-off again during Mayberry Days, celebrating 56 years of The Andy Griffith Show. It's PIG! This is an officially recognized barbecue cook-off of the North Carolina Pork Council and they will have a representative at the judging to assist with information and answers to any of your pork questions.  If you have never had North Carolina chopped barbecue, you are in for a treat because it is for sale after the contest, beginning around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Fresh barbecue will be available in one pound containers and sandwiches. Place your order  ahead of time and have it waiting to pick up at the Andy Griffith Playhouse.  Interested Barbecue cookers can download and submit the Mayberry Days Barbecue Cook-off  Registration form. The Entry Fee is $200.  "Eatin' speaks louder than words"  - Sheriff Taylor

September 23-24, 2016  12th Annual NC Muscadine Festival
Kenansville, North Carolina
Features over 250 wines and great music, wine making & cooking contests, farm implement exhibits, educational seminars, food and craft vendors.

September 24, 2016  Annual Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival
Elkin, North Carolina
Includes Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off with pumpkins from growers located all over the East Coast. Some will weigh-in at an excess of 1,000 lbs with hopes of placing in the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth top ten. Main Street will be lined with vendors, plus a variety of live entertainment and the ever-popular pie-eating contest.  Attendance: 15,000

September 24, 2016  Black Walnut Festival - Bethania, North Carolina
The festival features Arts, Crafts, Food and Music in the historic Town of Bethania. Presented by the Town of Bethania this year’s celebration should be an event that one does not want to miss. We are excited about the festival and look forward to seeing you there!  The festival features crafters & artisans who show and sell their creations in one of the state’s most picturesque settings.  Historic and beautiful Bethania, North Carolina sets the stage for this glorious event.  Food vendors, non-profit displays, and music will be present to round out this day of fun.

September 24-25, 2016  Annual NC Spot Festival
Hampstead, North Carolina
Celebrating the Spot fish, a staple of Hampstead. Enjoy a spot dinner with all the fixings along with other regional food, plus a firework celebration on Saturday night. Come out both days and take pleasure in the festivities, including arts and crafts and live music with the crowning of our Spot Queen and Princess on Sunday.
 

2015 NORTH CAROLINA - September 2015
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows & Local Events
events still waiting for new dates

September 4-7, 2015  Taste of the New South
Pinehurst, North Carolina
We’ve put a new twist on our annual Labor Day Weekend Event!  Celebrate all that’s great about the South at the Taste of the New South festival. Sip and savor your way through Labor Day weekend at Pinehurst, packed full of beer and wine tastings, culinary demonstrations by award-winning chefs, an authentic Southern Tailgate, a Carolina Oyster Roast & Pig Pickin’ and more-all with a touch of Southern flavor!

September 11-12, 2015  North Carolina Sweet Potato Festival
Snow Hill, North Carolina
The 2015 North Carolina Sweet Potato Festival, scheduled for September 11th and 12th has been CANCELLED by the Executive Committee. It was determined to be in the best interest to cancel the festival this year to seek other options for implementation and a site location. Plans are to resume the festival activities in 2016 to continue the celebration of giving thanks, and promote Greene County's agriculture heritage.

September 18-19, 2015  Southern Sauce, Beer Bar-B-Que & Bands Festival - Charlotte, North Carolina
It’s a Carolina good time with great food, great fun and great music! It will be a rockin’ 2 days of beer drinking, pork eating and shaking your pig tail at the Southeast's Favorite BBQ Competition!

September 19, 2015  North Carolina Poultry Festival
Raeford, North Carolina
The North Carolina Turkey Festival lasted for 30 years before the name change to North Carolina Poultry Festival came about. Many speculations have been made about the name change but the answer is simply this – when the Turkey Festival began “turkey” was the major commodity in Hoke County after 30 years “turkey” is still a popular commodity but has been surpassed by “chicken”. Not wanting to be called the Chicken Festival or wanting to leave our ever faithful Ladybird out of the logo it was obvious that the common ground became “poultry.”

September 26, 2015  Annual Wild About Game - Outdoor Sportsmen's Day
Robbinsville, North Carolina
If you love wild game, this day’s for you!  Don’t know if you like wild game?  Here is your chance to find out!  Visitors can taste bear, deer or boar prepared by local celebrity, hunter, and 'moonshiner,' Mark Rogers.  Activities start at 2:00 p.m. at the Village Shopping Center.   Visitors will have opportunities to taste wild game, enter a wild fruit jam and jelly contest, cheer for their favorite dish in the wild game cook-off, take a dancing lesson, listen to bluegrass music.
 

2014 NORTH CAROLINA - September 2014
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows & Local Events
events still waiting for new dates

September 5-6, 2014  Cherokee BBQ & Bluegrass Throwdown
Cherokee, North Carolina
The Qualla Boundary has long been home to a host of barbeque lovers, purveyors, and enthusiasts. So it’s about time we created a festival to celebrate our passion and skill. If you share our love of all meats grilled, pulled, and smoked, join us.

September 12-13, 2014  North Carolina Sweet Potato Festival
Snow Hill, North Carolina
The 2015 North Carolina Sweet Potato Festival, scheduled for September 11th and 12th has been CANCELLED by the Executive Committee. It was determined to be in the best interest to cancel the festival this year to seek other options for implementation and a site location. Plans are to resume the festival activities in 2016 to continue the celebration of giving thanks, and promote Greene County's agriculture heritage.

September 13, 2014  12th Annual Taste Carolina Wine Festival
Colfax, North Carolina
Nothing could be finer than a late summer day filled with wine tasting, art, crafts and music all day.

September 27, 2014  International Food Festival
Clayton, North Carolina
The International Food Festival at St. Ann Catholic Church is the largest ethnic food festival in the Johnston County area and has been serving fine foods to our friends in the surrounding community the past four years.  The wonderful foods associated with the many cultures that make up St. Ann Catholic Church are all prepared by parishioners who have a love for cooking and great pride in their heritage.
 

2012 NORTH CAROLINA - September 2012
FOOD & WINE FESTIVALS and SHOWS: LOCAL FOOD EVENTS
events still waiting for new dates

Sept 29, 2012  3rd Annual Carolina Cornbread Contest
Cooleemee, North Carolina
Enter your cornbread (any kind), no registration fee. Must register by September 24th. Email us for info and form. Three-judge panel. First Prize: $200.   Want to eat great cornbread, come to Cooleemee. For a small price you can sample all this cornbread along with a big bowl of pintos (onions available).

September 29-30, 2012  Pumpkin Festival - Bear Creek, North Carolina
The long-running annual event, which includes a variety of activities for fall fun:  Molasses making, Basket weaving, Toy tractor pull, Apple cider making, Bluegrass music, Pottery throwing, Arts and crafts, Lawn and garden tractor pull, Cloggers, Working sawmill, Pumpkin putt putt, and more!
 

2010 NORTH CAROLINA - September 2010
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows & Local Events
events still waiting for new dates

September 18, 2010  FungiFest - Asheville, North Carolina
Held at the North Carolina Arboretum, Fungifest is a day of celebration offered by the Asheville Mushroom Club. The event highlights basic identification techniques and medicinal uses, as well as growing and cooking programs. There’s even a didactic in the use of mushrooms for artistic purposes.