North Carolina Festivals |
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You never truly understand who your neighbors are until you go to one of North Carolina’s many public festivals. I’m always baffled to see the vast assortment of individuals who surface to feast on funnel cake and risk their lives on rickety carnival rides.
People watching, though fabulously interesting, is not the only attraction to these public events. If you are selective and search for festivals that spark your interest, you may come across a great way to escape your daily routine without having to take a major vacation. I have proceeded to list a few upcoming festivals which offer a unique and fun experience within borders of our home state. This festival brings together over 30 American breweries to showcase more than 100 different beers while national and local bluegrass musicians showcase their distinctive sound. What could be more fun than drinking good beer, enjoying local vendors’ vittles, and dancing it off to live bluegrass music? The festival takes place in mid to late September on Market Street in the Historic section of Ashville. Ashville, North Carolina Directly on the other side of the state, Beaufort offers a fun, free, citywide weekend of music. Musicians will begin their weekend long concert on Friday May 11 at 6pm. They will be located at the North Carolina Maritime Museum, along the Beaufort Waterfront, and in various restaurants and bars. The small historic town is a wonderful place to enjoy on any given day, and will be especially appealing when your visit is accompanied by a lively soundtrack. Beaufort North Carolina This outdoor festival is held annually in early June and is not only one of the best food festivals in the Country, but also includes a prestigious arts and crafts fair and live acoustics. The central event of the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival is the barbecue cook-off competition. More than 90 teams from around the Country gather to compete for over $20,000 in prizes. In 1999 the Festival won the ‘National Spirit of Barbecue Award’ for being the best barbeque festival in the Country. Festival goers can enjoy feasting on competition quality barbecue while listening to the bluegrass, country, folk, and funk bands playing for the duration of the festival on two different stages. One of the most impressive aspects of the festival is their attention to the environmental effects of having such a large festival. Last year the festival went green, meaning they set up big recycling booths throughout the festival grounds. By recycling man-made products as well as food waste, they reduced the festival’s total waste by 32 percent. Tryon, North Carolina |