Last year’s Cheerwine Festival welcomed over 100,000 guests. ( R Henry PR)
Discover some eccentric things in this list of fascinating North Carolina festivals in 2025, including whirligigs, wooly worms, pirates, and racing in outhouses.
Nothing matches the food, drink, family time, and fellowship that comes with a good festival. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t matter what’s at the center of the celebration, festivals provide us a reason to get out and share in a good time with the community.
In the last month, we’ve provided you with a guide to some of North Carolina’s more niche festivals, including more than 40 music festivals scheduled for the Tar Heel State this year, not to mention Renaissance fairs and the like.
But now it’s time to tap into the strange side of the Old North State with the below list of 16 weird and wacky North Carolina festivals happening in 2025. These celebrations center on any number of unexpected subjects, from vikings and pirates to whirligigs and outhouses. Yes … outhouses.
So strap in because things are about to get weird.
1. Great Outhouse Races
Ski Sapphire Valley, 127 Cherokee Trail, Sapphire
Feb. 15
Have you ever gotten into a porta-potty and thought to yourself, “They should put this thing on skis and race it down a hill?” Neither have we. But the great minds at Sapphire Valley ski resort do just that every February with the Great Outhouse Races, inviting participants to decorate their very own commodes and prepare them to race.
The race typically involves teams of at least three people, with one person skiing (“pooping” in official race terminology) while sitting on an outhouse and the others pushing the outhouse from behind to get it started.
Residents come from all over to cheer on their favorite teams, which often give creative names to their structures like Yabba Dabba Doo Doo and join in on the other festivities and activities such as food and drinks, music, and games. The event is a fun and unique way to celebrate winter and bring the community together.
2. The Viking Experience
1045 Walnut Grove Rd, Oxford
March 22-23 & March 29-30
The Viking Experience NC is a historically inspired entertainment group that provides an immersive experience, allowing fans to interact with its characters and camps. Though they host a variety of events throughout the year and are even available for private affairs, the festival, held each March on the group’s own grounds, is the real experience.
Modeled on the Viking lifestyle of 1,000 years ago, the Viking Experience Festival takes place on 15 acres of partly wooded land and features interactive characters, reenactors, music, fairy glen, dancing, games, vendors, food, classes, axe throwing, mead tasting, fight pits, skits in the Village Drekhiem, and the After Hours Show.
Add-on tickets are available for additional experiences such as Battlefield Training by The Misfits of Fortune ($20), Adventure Quest by Caverns and Campfires ($20), Dragon Hunting by Ed’s Dinosaur Live ($10), The Mead Experience ($12), a Persian Dance Class by Ethereal Ginnie Fae ($15), and more.
3. Loch Norman Highland Games
Historic Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville
April 12-13
The Loch Norman Highland Games is a traditional Scottish festival that takes place annually at Historic Rural Hill, located near the shores of Lake Norman, where competitors take to the fields to compete in games that can be traced back as far as 4,000 years. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the event.
Visitors can enjoy Highland dancing, bagpipe bands, a giant kids’ zone, Scottish merchants, haggis, Celtic rock and traditional performers, historic reenactments, Scottish country dancing, Sunday church service, hearth cooking, NC beer and wine, whiskey tastings, kilted running events, Scottish clan societies, shooting long bows and blowguns, throw battle axes, and more.
BONUS: If you can’t make it in the spring or perhaps you just couldn’t get enough Scottish celebration, a separate event called the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is also held in Linville each summer—July 10-13 this year—complete with a Parade of Tartans, torch-lighting ceremony, a fiddle competition, and all you could expect from those whose passion is to bring “a wee bit of Scotland to the High Country of Western North Carolina.”
Photo via Loch Norman Games on Facebook
4. Festival of Legends
Sugg Farm, 2401 Grigsby Ave, Holly Springs
April 26-27
Fairy festivals are kind of like Renaissance fairs, but different, as they celebrate mythology, folklore, and fairy tales (with a dose of current popular fiction) and passionately present an eclectic blend of artistry, music, dance, fantasy costuming, and play.
The mission statement for Festival of Legends, located just below the Triangle in Holly Springs, declares that organizers strive “to provide an escape from the world while working to improve it at the same time.”
The 12th annual celebration of this fairy festival has a theme: Journeys. So if you were thinking about making a long drive to make a first-time visit this April, there’s your sign.
This year’s vendors include Crimsonmoon Costumes and Embroidery, Eli Rainwater Books, jewelry from TK Eyecatcher, Reyen Design Studios, and Holy Smoke Incense, among many others. Detroit-based Wakefire, a blend of Celtic rock, Slavic punk, and Americana pop, will perform at this year’s festival as well.
5. Cheerwine Festival
Downtown Salisbury
May 17
Created in 1917 by L.D. Peeler, Cheerwine is a one-of-a-kind soft drink and the South’s favorite cherry soda. In 2017, to mark the 100-year anniversary of the company’s founding in Salisbury, the town launched the Cheerwine Festival. It has since become a staple for the community, drawing more than 100,000 visitors in 2024 and generating $6.3 million for Rowan County.
This year, the iconic 108-year-old soft drink’s award-winning event will feature over five hours of live musical entertainment from local and regional acts, Cheerwine-inspired food and drinks, family-friendly activities, arts and crafts, and more.
“We’re excited to welcome everyone back to Cheerwine’s birthplace for a day full of great entertainment, delicious food and family fun,” stated Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing for Cheerwine and fifth-generation founding family member, in a press release announcing this year’s fest. “There’s nothing better than seeing our community come together, and we can’t wait to celebrate with old friends and new faces while sharing the unique charm and hospitality that makes Salisbury so special.”
Photo via City of Salisbury
6. Rogalla Kite Festival
Jockey’s Ridge State Park, 300 W Carolista Drive, Nags Head
June 6-7
What better spot to fly a kite than the Atlantic Coast’s highest living sand dune system? Kitty Hawk Kites hosts the annual Rogalla Kite Festival, which allows participants to bring a kite of their own or take part in free walk-up stunt kite lessons. There are also activities like kite coloring for kids of all ages, or you can just take a seat and enjoy the show as Kitty Hawk Kites will bring dozens of amazing kites ranging from 30 to 100 feet long.
The festival honors Francis Rogallo, the NASA scientist who invented the flexible wing, leading to the invention of hang gliding and inspiring the eventual development of stunt kites, power kites, and contemporary hang gliders that are flown today. If you’re a real flight aficionado, why not take the opportunity to drive a couple of minutes up the street and visit the Wright Brothers Memorial, located at the site of their first flight? Just be warned: You will get sand in the car.
7. Endless Yard Sale
US 301
June 20-21
It started as a 30-mile event between Kenly and Benson in Johnston County, but now the 301 Endless Yard Sale really feels endless, as it offers more than 100 miles of yard sales so you can turn one person’s trash—or many people’s trash—into your treasure.
Drive the route and stop when you spot a stall that intrigues you, or search Johnson County’s website for specific vendors across the five participating counties. Each day goes from 7 a.m.-5 p.m., so you’ve got 20 hours to explore as many stalls as you can across 100 miles.
Photo via Endless Yard Sale on Facebook
8. WNC Bigfoot Festival
Marion
Aug. 23
For years, Bigfoot 911 has explored the mountains of western North Carolina and beyond searching for the illusive Bigfoot. After several close encounters with Sasquatch, the nonprofit group was inspired to hold the WNC Bigfoot Festival for believers and non-believers alike in the group’s hometown of Marion.
Skeptics be warned: You might leave this free, larger-than-life festival a believer. Spend the day taking notes at the Bigfoot Calling Contest, listening to paranormal speakers, jamming to live music, and enjoying Bigfoot-inspired food and art. Don’t forget to take a photo with Bigfoot himself so you can tell everybody you found him.
The merch table at the WNC Bigfoot Festival in 2024. (Photo via WNC Bigfoot Festival)
9. Ayden Collard Festival
Ayden
Sept. 5-6
One would think that the Ayden Collard Festival was created to center collard greens, but it actually all started because the fine residents of Ayden nearly 50 years ago wanted a festival and the festival needed a name. The local newspaper ran a ballot, and Collard Festival won out against other options like Cucumber Festival and Progressive Ayden Day.
The first event was held on Sept. 13, 1975, drawing 6,000 people and featuring a large street dance, amusement rides, and booths filled with fun activities. That makes this year the 50th annual celebration, and they’ve got a fun time in store.
Despite the haphazard way that the festival gained its name, collards still have their place at their namesake event, with a collard eating contest taking place for the last 40 years. There’s also live music every day and an art show that has become one of the weekend’s largest draws.
10. Mayberry Days
Mt. Airy
Sept. 22-28
As many fans of the show know, the famed fictional town of Mayberry seen in “The Andy Griffith Show” was actually based on Griffith’s very real hometown of Mt. Airy. The townsfolk play up the connection anytime you visit, but if you really want to celebrate Mayberry, you’ll want to show up in September for Mayberry Days, when the town is truly transformed.
You can almost hear the famous whistle in the air as Mt. Air classically celebrates “The Andy Griffith Show” in true Mayberry style. The weeklong festival will fill your soul with nostalgia with events such as apple-peeling and pie-eating contests, live music featuring songs from the show, The Emmett golf tournament, and a parade that often includes special guests.
Take note: Most Mayberry Days events take place at or around the Andy Griffith Playhouse, Historic Earle Theatre, Arts Center, Andy Griffith Museum Theatre, and Blackmon Amphitheatre.
11. Autumn at Oz
1 Yellow Brick Road, Beech Mountain
September 5-6, 12-13, 19-20
The Land of Oz was a fully operating theme park from 1970 to 1980, when it closed down and was left abandoned. In 1993, the property owners began opening the grounds for the annual Autumn at Oz Festival each September, but the park stood mostly deserted for the rest of the year, with adventurous visitors known to sneak on the property to steal relics from the old park (including yellow bricks).
Having celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023, the Autumn at Oz Festival has expanded to multiple weekends over the years, becoming the largest Wizard of Oz-themed festival in the world.
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12. Denim Days
Erwin
Oct. 4-5
The town of Erwin was once hailed as “The Denim Capital of the World” thanks to its booming denim cloth business, cultivated by the Erwin Cotton Mill. Although that mill shut down years ago, townspeople and visitors alike still pay tribute during the first weekend in October every year for Denim Days, inspired by the old annual Overall Days celebration held by the mill owners for their employees.
Folks in Erwin know how to turn an everyday action into a party by putting on their best pair of blue jeans and enjoying live music, carnival rides, crafts, food from local vendors, and several contests including “Baby Denim.”
13. Wooly Worm Festival
Banner Elk
Oct. 18-19
For generations, High Country residents and visitors have been studying the black and brown bands on those fuzzy caterpillars we call wooly worms to determine what kind of winter to expect, with the 13 bands thought to represent the 13 weeks of winter.
Jim Morton founded the Wooly Worm Festival, which started off with just three to four vendors but now draws 20,000 visitors, 160 vendors, and 1,000 worm trainers to Banner Elk for a weekend of celebration.
A race up 3-foot strings is held during this festival every October to determine which crazy crawler will be crowned the official woolly worm of the year. There’s also a 10K Woolly Worm Wace for humans, local crafts and food, and live entertainment.
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14. North Carolina Whirligig Festival
Wilson
Nov. 1-2
The North Carolina Whirligig Festival was created in 2004 to encourage community spirit and unity, centering on local craftsman Vollis Simpson’s iconic Whirligigs, which had become uniquely Wilson symbols. Since then, the festival has been held annually during the first full weekend in November to celebrate people and art in motion.
Though Simpson passed away in 2013, the community has kept his spirit alive through the festival. They were so inspired by the annual turnout that they created the now-famous Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum.
Having celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, the festival always keeps things fresh. This year they’re expecting about 40 food vendors, from Wilson staples to those arriving in town from far off, a kids’ zone, extreme inflatables, art vendors, local musicians, bands, and more.
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15. Beaufort Pirate Invasion
Beaufort
2025 dates TBD
Ahoy, mateys! This reenactment of the 1747 Spanish Attack on Beaufort, in which the local militia finally drove the pirates away months later, has become the town’s largest annual event.
Nearly 200 professional performers (including magicians, sword fighters, and musicians), vendors, mermaids, and various peg-legged pirates entertain visitors of all ages the whole weekend—now you know why they call it the Beaufort Pirate Invasion. Special events include a Pirate Parley (Friday movie night), and dinner and a show on Saturday night.
16. NC Poultry Jubilee
510 N. Sycamore Street, Rose Hill
2025 dates TBD
Home of The World’s Largest Frying Pan and headquarters of longtime chicken producer House of Raeford Farms, Rose Hill is a logical choice for the annual NC Poultry Jubilee, held every November.
Enjoy carnival rides, shag music, the NC Poultry Jubilee Pageant, and a wing-eating competition. You can also cross an item off your foodie bucket list that you didn’t even know you had: Eat fried chicken out of that huge frying pan. It can fry 365 chickens at one time and they sell it by the bucket.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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