Benson's Mule Days festival, captured here in 2022, is a multi-day celebration of this eastern NC town's agricultural tradition, features rodeos, parades, food, and more. (Photo by Madeline P. Gray for Cardinal & Pine)
The 2025 calendar of fall festivals in North Carolina is full. Here are eight of our favorites, from the coast to the mountains of NC.
In North Carolina, there’s a reason why festivals wind down in the summer and crank back up in the fall.
We are a state with four distinct seasons. Fall—with its foliage, bountiful crops, and cooler temperatures—is an ideal time for gathering in the street and celebrating what makes your town great.
That’s why the calendar fills up this time of year with local festivals in North Carolina.
We’ve run through the calendar and picked out eight of our favorites, which you can read below. But in a state with literally 100 counties, there are too many to fit in one space. For a more complete listing of local festivals, check out Visit NC’s running listing of local festivals and events.
Mayberry Days
Monday, Sept. 22 – Sunday, Sept. 28
Mt. Airy, NC
Free
Andy Griffith is an icon in North Carolina. “The Andy Griffith Show”—the sitcom he’s best known for—was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, which was based off Griffith’s hometown in Mount Airy, NC.
“Mayberry Days” is a celebration of Mayberry culture. In other words, small, local, and friendly. Expect visits the Andy Griffith Museum, movies, comedy, a parade, music, and lots and lots of nostalgia.
(Photo via Visit NC)
Benson Mule Days
Thursday, Sept. 25 – Sunday, Sept. 28
Benson, NC (Johnston County)
Most events are free, other events prices vary between $5-$30
This long-running Johnston County celebration, like the animal it’s named after, is a stubborn survivor, making it through a pandemic that shuttered many local gigs just like this.
This year’s incarnation features rodeos, a parade, a carnival, and a million other ways to honor Johnston County’s agricultural tradition. The festival was named for the often-overlooked mule, which historically served as many local farmers’ primary draft animal.
Put simply, Benson isn’t Benson without Mule Days, and vice versa. Long live Mule Days.
Madeline P. Gray for Cardinal & Pine
International Folk Festival
Saturday, Sept. 27
Fayetteville, NC (Cumberland County)
Free
Fayetteville’s annual International Folk Festival turns 47 in 2025. That’s a hard, hard thing to do, and it’s a testament to the long hours local artists and community leaders have put into recognizing Cumberland County’s culture, and its place in a big world filled with artists.
This year’s festival, like always, features performing artists, music, arts for kids, and a chance to celebrate the diversity of North Carolina, which has long been a melting pot of immigrants from all around the world.
Check out the exhibits line-up here.
(Photo via Visit NC)
Scotland County Highland Games
Saturday, Oct. 4
Laurinburg, NC (Scotland County)
Purchased on day of the Games: Adults: $25, Children 5-12: $5 (under age 5 are free) Purchased in advance: Adults: $22, Children 5-12: $3
The popular show “Outlander” revived interest in North Carolina’s history of Highland Scots, but the state’s Scottish history has been well-documented for years.
One of the most important settlements for the Scots was in the Laurinburg area, which is located in the aptly-named Scotland County.
Naturally, the local Highland Games are a celebration of that. Expect food, history, music, and feats of extraordinary athletic prowess.
Halifax County Harvest Days
Friday, Oct. 17 – Saturday, Oct. 18
Halifax, NC (Halifax County)
Free
This is an agricultural state. If you didn’t know that by now, then you must not live here.
Halifax County’s Harvest Days is a celebration of one eastern NC community’s deep and storied connection with the soil. This free party includes farm equipment, which is an automatic crowd-pleaser for kids, as well as food, music, and cool agricultural demonstration of peanut-threshing and corn-shucking.
Wooly Worm Festival
Saturday, Oct. 18 – Sunday, Oct. 19
Banner Elk, NC (Avery County)
Adults: $10.00, Children 6-12: $5.00, Children 5 and Under: Free
The wooly worm, aside from being cute and fuzzy, is believed by some to be an indicator of how harsh or mild a winter might be, based on the color of this little creature, which is actually the larvae for the Isabella tiger moth.
Whatever stock you put in that, this Banner Elk tradition is centered, adorably, around wooly worm racing. But it’s also a great way to celebrate the local highland community with your friends, family and neighbors.
Check out the schedule and more info here.
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Onslow Veterans PowWow
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 2
Jacksonville, NC (Onslow County)
Free
North Carolina has a proud history of service in the military, but it’s often overlooked how many Native and Indigenous peoples have served.
Onslow’s Veterans PowWow, in the heart of our state’s military country, is a great way to honor that heritage.
It’s free, beautiful to look at, and a lovely way to check out how what it really means to be a melting pot of culture and peoples.
(Photo via Onslow Veterans PowWow)
Cape Fear Kite Festival
Friday, Nov. 7 – Sunday, Nov. 9
Kure Beach, NC (New Hanover County)
Free
Beaches aren’t beaches without kites.
Every year, Kure Beach in New Hanover County honors that immutable fact with a kite festival featuring thousands of colorful high-flyers.
This free festival is great for people of all ages, with a beautiful view both day and night.
Photo via pleasureisland.org
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