Independence Day | Carolina Country

Recipes Events Tips

Star Spangled Recipes

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America’s Birthday Cake

Carolina Country style

Let Freedom Ring Deviled Egg Dip

Barbecue Burger

Red, White & Blue Watermelon Parfait

Barbecued Hot Wings

Honey Baked Bean

Red, White & Blueberry Pie

Buffalo Chicken Burger Salad

Red, White and Blue Watermelon Cake

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Wings

Ribeye Steak Kebabs

Taco-Flavored Chicken Wings

Cool Summer Minty Rainbow Wraps

Grilled Korean Ribeye Steak Sandwiches

Celebrations Around the State

Sep 26

Piedmont

Esperanza Festival

Downtown Graham

Sep 26

Coast

American Music Festival Concert Series – Kenari Saxophone Quartet

First Presbyterian Church

Sep 25 – Sep 26

Mountains

Tweetsie Ghost Train Begins

Tweetsie Railroad

Sep 26

Piedmont

Potters’ Pumpkin Patch Trail

Various Seagrove Potteries

Sep 26

Coast

JOLLIFICATION!

Various locations in Hertford and Perquimans counties

Sep 26

Piedmont

Cleveland County-Lincoln County Rose Society Rose Show

Cleveland County Extension Office

Sep 25 – Sep 26

Piedmont

48th Annual International Folk Festival

Festival Park

Sep 26

Mountains

Lansing Day

The Town of Lansing

Sep 26

Walk for Alopecia

Lake Rim Park

Sep 26

Piedmont

The Outlander Exhibit at An Evening at the Hogg House

Saltire Gallerie

Sep 21 – Sep 27

Piedmont

Mayberry Days Festival

Surry Arts Council

Aug 13 – Sep 27

Mountains

Connecting to Place II: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational

Mars Landing Arts Center

Sep 25 – Sep 27

Piedmont

North Carolina Home Expo

Crown Complex

Sep 29

Coast

Escoffier Dinner Series Night 1!

Carteret Community College

Sep 1 – Sep 30

Mountains

Hawk Watch

Grandfather Mountain

Oct 2

Piedmont

Wine Gala @ The Governor’s Mansion

North Carolina Executive Mansion

Oct 2

Coast

Rock the Dock – The Salty Bones Band

Downtown Beaufort

Oct 3

Mountains

Spirit of New Orleans : A Soulful Celebration with The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra

CoMMA Performing Arts Center

Oct 3

Piedmont

Autumn Fest

Downtown Mebane

Sep 29 – Oct 3

Coast

Chowan County Regional Fair

American Legion Fairgrounds

Oct 2 – Oct 3

Coast

Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival

Lou Mac Park

Oct 3

Mountains

Art in the Park

Park Avenue, Blowing Rock, NC

Oct 3

Coast

Celebrate the Intracoastal Waterway Anniversary!

Belhaven Harbor Park

Oct 3

Coast

Arts on the Perquimans

Perquimans County Recreation Center

Oct 3

Piedmont

Heritage & Harvest Bourbon Showcase 2026

Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Oct 2 – Oct 3

Piedmont

Fall Antique Fair

Historic Downtown Cameron

Oct 3

Coast

Arts of the Perquimans

Perquimans Recreation Center

Oct 3

Mountains

Autumn Market & Fall Festival

Hickory Ridge Museum

Sep 29 – Oct 3

Coast

Chowan County Regional Fair

American Legion Fairgrounds

Oct 3

Piedmont

V-Point Ruritan Country Ham Breakfast

V-Point Community Center

Oct 2 – Oct 4

Coast

40th Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival

Morehead City Waterfront

Oct 2 – Oct 4

Piedmont

Misery by Firebox Theatre

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Oct 3 – Oct 4

Piedmont

R.D. Mahan Kiln Opening & Turkey Roast

From The Ground Up Pottery

Oct 3 – Oct 4

Piedmont

Calico Makers Market

Calico Studio

Oct 7

Piedmont

Comedy for a Cause

Crafty Beer, Wine and Spirits

Oct 9

Piedmont

Live Podcast and Book Signing with Cissie Graham Lynch

Billy Graham Library

Oct 10

Mountains

43rd Annual Mountain Glory Festival

Historic Downtown Marion

Oct 10

Piedmont

Gibsonville Fall Festival

Downtown Gibsonville

Oct 8 – Oct 10

Piedmont

Take My Death Away

Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre

Oct 10

Piedmont

NC BBQ Hall of Fame Court Square Cook Off

Downtown Graham

Oct 10

Piedmont

Diggery’s Dino Adventure

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Oct 9 – Oct 10

Piedmont

Jag Theatrics presents: She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen

Paul A. Johnston Auditorium | Johnston Community College

Oct 10

Piedmont

Founder’s Day Jams

Juneberry Ridge

Oct 9 – Oct 10

Piedmont

NC BBQ Hall of Fame Court Square Cook Off!

Colonial Hardware

Oct 10

Piedmont

Sprouting Acres Farm Autumn at the Acres

Sprouting Acres Farm Store

Oct 10

Piedmont

Pilot Mountain Tractor Ride & Parade

Eldora Ruritian Club

Oct 10

Piedmont

Gibsonville Fall Festival

Downtown Gibsonville

Oct 10

Mountains

Bills Creek Music Festival

Bills Creek Community Center

Oct 10

Coast

Oriental Rotary Classic Car Show

Lou Mac Park

Oct 6 – Oct 10

Coast

Lenoir County Agricultural Fair

Lenoir County Fairgrounds

Oct 9 – Oct 11

Piedmont

EJ Snyder’s Uwharrie Bigfoot Survival and Outdoor Expo and Overlander Show

Camp Barnhardt

Oct 1 – Oct 11

Piedmont

Cleveland County Agricultural Fair

Cleveland County Fairgrounds

Oct 9 – Oct 11

Piedmont

Autumn Leaves Festival

Downtown Mount Airy

Oct 10 – Oct 11

Piedmont

OBSN 41st Annual Powwow

Tribal Grounds

Oct 13

Piedmont

Old North State History Series: Ghost Stories of North Carolina

Textile Heritage Museum

Jul 15 – Oct 15

Coast

Alive at 5 Concert Series

Jaycee Park

Oct 15

Yoga + Wine Night

Hinnant Family Vineyards

Oct 16

Piedmont

Downtown Monster Mash

Downtown Burlington

Oct 16

Piedmont

Tommy Mesa (cello) & Olga Kern (piano)

North Carolina Museum of Art

Oct 17

Piedmont

36th Annual Taylorsville Apple Festival

The streets of Taylorsville

Oct 17

Piedmont

Autumn Art & Plant Festival – Presented by The Wake Forest Garden Club

The Gardens of The Wake Forest Historical Museum

Oct 17

Coast

6th Annual Crystal Coast Highland Games

Newport Flea Mall Inc.

Oct 17

Piedmont

NC Liver Mush Festival

Uptown Shelby

Oct 17

Mountains

36th Annual Taylorsville Apple Festival

Streets of Taylorsville

Oct 17

Piedmont

Fayetteville Marksmen Hockey: Opening Night!

Crown Complex

Oct 17

Mountains

History, Harmony, & 250 Years

Fort Defiance

Oct 17 – Oct 18

Mountains

Woolly Worm Festival

Lawn of Historic Banner Elk School

Oct 18 – Oct 19

Mountains

Lake Lure Art’s and Crafts Festival

The Arcade Commerce Building

Oct 22

Piedmont

Bingo Night

Maywood Hall & Garden

Oct 24

Piedmont

The Barbecue Festival

Main Street, Lexington

Oct 24

Piedmont

Dark in the Ballpark

Burlington Athletic Stadium

Oct 24

Coast

12th Annual Emerald Isle Marathon Half Marathon & 5K

Emerald Isle

Oct 24

Piedmont

Lexington Barbecue Festival

Uptown Lexington

Oct 24

Piedmont

Fall Heritage Festival

Hart Square Village

Oct 25

Coast

Early Bird Christmas Bazaar

VFW Post 9960 Cedar Point

Oct 16 – Oct 25

Coast

Brunswick County Parade of Homes

Various locations county wide

Oct 24 – Oct 25

Coast

39th Annual Carolina Kite Festival

Fort Macon State Park

Sep 22 – Oct 25

Piedmont

There and Back

Hillsborough Gallery of Arts

Oct 25

Coast

Pamlico Musical Society Presents Solomon Eichner

Old Theater

Oct 29

Mountains

CoMMA presents Kevin Nealon

CoMMA Performing Arts Center

Oct 30

Piedmont

Of Blood & Bone by Donna Washington

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Oct 3 – Oct 30

Mountains

Pumpkin Fest

Silvermont Park

Oct 10 – Oct 31

Coast

Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament

Chasin Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle

Oct 30 – Oct 31

Coast

Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree

Berkley Manor grounds, Ocracoke

Oct 31

Coast

Annual Fall Fest

Cape Carteret Town Hall

Sep 25 – Oct 31

Mountains

Ghost Train®

Tweetsie Railroad

Oct 2 – Oct 31

Mountains

Tweetsie Ghost Train

Tweetsie Railroad

Oct 31

Mountains

Blowing Rock Halloween Festival

Memorial Park Gazebo

Sep 26 – Oct 31

Coast

12th Annual Garner’s Fall Festival

Garner’s Farm

Sep 26 – Oct 31

Coast

12th Annual Garner’s Fall Festival

Garner Farms

Nov 1

Coast

Day of the Dead Festival

Backstreet Pub

Nov 6

Coast

Rock the Dock – The Michael Stephenson Jazz Trio

John G. Newton Memorial Park

Nov 7

Piedmont

Triangle Weaving Guild Annual Fiber Arts Show & Sale

Triangle Fiber Arts Center

Nov 5 – Nov 7

Coast

Beaufort Wine & Food Shuckapalooza 2026

Beaufort Hotel

Nov 7

Coast

106th Oldest Veterans Day Celebration in America

Warsaw Veterans Memorial Park

Nov 7

Coast

106th Oldest Veterans Day Tours

Duplin Veterans Museum

Nov 6 – Nov 7

Piedmont

Cozy Cottage Craft Show

Kernersville Community House

Nov 5 – Nov 8

Piedmont

59th Annual Holly Day Fair

Crown Expo Center

Nov 10

Mountains

Task Force Pineapple Productions presents 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express

CoMMA Performing Arts Center

Sep 11 – Nov 13

Piedmont

18th Annual Field of Honor

U.S. Army Airborne Special Operations Museum

Nov 14

Coast

American Music Festival Concert Series – Erinys String Quartet

First Presbyterian Church

Nov 14

Coast

Breakfast with Santa

American Legion Fairgrounds

Nov 14

Coast

Dan Finch Potter’s Market

Downtown Spring Hope

Nov 12 – Nov 14

Coast

Crystal Coast Wine Expo

Carteret Community College

Nov 14

Piedmont

Caswell County Farm Tour

Various locations in Caswell county countryside

Nov 14

Piedmont

Adam Pascal: Broadway Unplugged

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Nov 14 – Nov 15

Coast

2026 Beaufort Pirate Invasion

NC Maritime Museum Gallants Channel Annex

Oct 27 – Nov 15

Piedmont

Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour Preview Show

Hillsborough Gallery of Arts

Nov 22 – Nov 21

Piedmont

Handmade for the Holidays

James W. Warren Citizens Center

Nov 21

Piedmont

79th Annual Burlington Christmas Parade

Downtown Burlington

Nov 21 – Nov 22

Piedmont

44th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival

Seagrove Elementary School

Nov 27 – Nov 28

Mountains

Christmas in the Park & Parade

Downtown Blowing Rock

Nov 28

Coast

Winter Wonderland at Hertford Supply

Hertford Supply

Dec 3

Piedmont

Christmas By Candlelight

Textile Heritage Museum

Dec 3

Piedmont

Christmas with Sandi Patty

James W. Warren Citizens Center

Dec 4

Coast

Core Sound Chow Down

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum

Dec 5

Coast

Friends of the Maritime Holiday Flotilla

Friends of the Maritime Museum

Dec 5

Piedmont

Terri Clark Christmas

James W. Warren Citizens Center

Dec 5

Coast

Christmas Open House

Cypress Bend Vineyards

Dec 4 – Dec 5

Mountains

Holiday Sip & Shop

Grovewood Gallery

Dec 4 – Dec 6

Coast

Annual Core Sound Waterfowl Weekend

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum

Dec 5 – Dec 6

Coast

38th Annual Core Sound Decoy Festival

Harkers Island Elementary School

Nov 27 – Dec 6

Coast

Christmas Holiday Laser Show

Carteret Speedway

Dec 8

Coast

A Taste of France on the Crystal Coast

Carteret Community College Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center

Dec 11

Mountains

Holiday Stroll

Downtown Blowing Rock

Dec 5 – Dec 11

Coast Piedmont

Highland Holidays: A Scottish Christmas Music & Dance Show

Various locations

Dec 12

Mountains

A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration

Downtown Waynesville

Dec 12 – Dec 13

Coast

14th Annual Gingerbread Festival Magic of Christmas

Crystal Coast Civic Center

Dec 11 – Dec 13

Piedmont

Little Women by Firebox Theatre Co.

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Dec 12 – Dec 14

Mountains

Christmas at Lake Junaluska

Various locations

Dec 17 – Dec 19

Piedmont

Shaun Johnson & the Big Band Experience

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Nov 27 – Dec 30

Mountains

Tweetsie Christmas

Tweetsie Railroad

Nov 27 – Dec 30

Mountains

Tweetsie Christmas Opens

Tweetsie Railroad

Nov 27 – Dec 30

Mountains

Tweetsie Christmas

Tweetsie Railroad

Oct 10 – Dec 31

Mountains

No Rain, No Flowers: The Art of Taylor Robenalt

Grovewood Gallery

Nov 14 – Dec 31

Mountains

Top of Their Game: Handcrafted Games by Master Makers

Grovewood Gallery

Dec 31 – Jan 1

Mountains

New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at App Ski Mountain

Appalachian Ski Mountain

Feb 6 – Feb 7

Coast

24th Annual Carolina Chocolate Festival

Crystal Coast Civic Center

Sep 12 – Sep 13

Mountains

Biannual Grovewood Village Studio Tour

Grovewood Village

Tips for making your celebration memorable, delicious and safe

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On The House

Be an Energy Efficient Grill Master

Take the cooking (and the heat) outside

Feature Story

10 Steps to Hostin’ a Pig Pick’n

Organizing a Carolina tradition doesn’t have to be complicated

Feature Story

Baked beans for flavor fireworks!

Carolina Gardens

Bug Off with Mosquito-Repelling Plants

Plus Garden To-Do’s for May

Carolina Living

How to Deep Clean Your Grill

Boost that grill flavor with regular maintenance

Carolina Living

How to grill meats, fruits and vegetables

Grilling offers a convenient and heart-healthy way to prepare food, if done right.

Carolina Living

Celebrate with a Bang, Not a Burn

Enjoy fireworks safely this holiday season

Carolina Living

Be the Grill Hero

Master your next cookout with these ribs and kabobs

Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday

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Carolina Living

Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies

Hispanic American achievements continue to shape the nation

Carolina Adventures

Honoring 250 Years of Independence

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with history, heritage and fun

Feature Story

Where the Bison Once Roamed

An American icon’s return to NC

Feature Story

North Carolina and the Founding of Our Nation

Test your know-how with NC Revolutionary War trivia