Travel NC

BBQ Festival on the Neuse 2015 Kinston

North Carolina’s largest BBQ cookoff festival! The 34th Annual BBQ Festival on the Neuse 2015 takes place May 1-2, 2015 in Kinston, NC. More than 80 BBQ cook teams will be at the festival competing for the top honors of best BBQ. Come to the festival so you can enjoy the BBQ, the cook off competition, arts and crafts market, wine garden, vendor, classic car show, children’s activities and amusement ride and live entertainment.The two day festival is held in downtown Kinston.

BBQ Festival on the Neuse is the largest BBQ cookoff festival held in North Carolina. The kick off concert to start the festival is April 30th with North Carolina’s own country singer Kellie Pickler, as well as David Kroll and Mickey Guyton.

The car show will feature over 100 Classic Cars and Trucks, Art Fest, Farmers’ Market, shopping among the 100 vendor’s with items for sale, meet Piggly Wiggle’s Mr. Pig has he stroll around the festival, enjoy the amusement rides (Ferris Wheel, Super Shot Drop Tower, Swing Ride, Dragon Wagon, and Merry Go Round), Fish Fry, tour the brewery at Mother Earth Brewing, and see the dance performances. Plus the always North Carolina favorite Steve Hardy’s Original Beach Party in the ArtFest area.

The BBQ Festival also includes the Sauce Boss competition, the Southern Sides Competition and Festival Wine Garden. For more information, tickets or a list of all the exciting events and full schedule go to BBQ Festival on the Neuse.

Liberty Antiques Festival Last Weekend of April

Antiques lovers take note! The Liberty Antiques Festival takes place in Randolph County April 25-26, 2015. Over 400 tents with antiques vendors selling antiques of all kinds. If you love antiques this festival is a must. So many antiques from every kind, toys,furniture, wooden barrels, signs, pottery, machinery, glass and more. This is just antiques, no crafts and no reproductions. Sellers are coming from over 35 states to sell their antiques. Buyers come from all over to show here at the Liberty Antiques Festival.

Plenty of parking and parking is free. Food vendors providing food and drinks. Admission is $7 to get in the festival. This festival was voted the best antiques show in the Mid-Atlantic region. The festival is held regardless of weather-rain or shine.

Festival Hours:
8:00am until 5:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday

Takes place on the Pike Family Farm in Liberty, North Carolina.

Oriental Boat Show at Oriental Harbour Marina

The 7th Annual Oriental In-Water Boat Show takes place in Oriental, NC on April 10-12, 2015. Plus there will also be a Nautical Flea Market and Wooden Boat Exhibition. The boat show includes power and sail boats, cruising and fishing boats, more than 100 nautical and maritime exhibitors and in-water boat trials. The three-day boat show takes place at Oriental Harbor with the flagship sponsor River Dunes. The Oriental Boat Show started in 2009 and has become “one of the largest and most successful in-water shows between Annapolis and Savannah”.

There will be about 95 exhibitors this year at the boat show. Just some of them include: All Things Canvas from Bryson City, Beta Marine US, from Minnesott Beach, Bluewater Yacht Sales from Beaufort, BridgePointe Marina from New Bern,Mike’s Dive Service from Beaufort, Cape Lookout Yachts & Charters out of Oriental, Inner Banks Sails and Canvas out of Oriental, Matthews Point Marina & Yacht Sales, Havelock and Morehead City, United States Coast Guard Station Hobucken  and many more.

Oriental Boat Show Hours

Friday April 10,2015         12:00pm- 6:00pm       Flea Market opens at Noon
Saturday April 11, 2015    10:00am – 6:00pm      Flea Market opens at 10:00am
Sunday April 12, 2015      11:00am – 3:00pm      Flea Market opens at 11:00am

Admission Cost

• Adult admission $5.00
• Children 12 and under FREE admission

The Oriental Boat Show takes place in the village at Oriental Harbor Marina. See the map below for location and directions. For more info about exhibitors see Oriental Boat Show.

Map and Location of boat show

Azalea Festival Wilmington NC 2015

The Azalea Festival in Wilmington NC  is April 8-12, 2015. Celebrate the arrival of spring at the North Carolina Azalea Festival. For more than 60 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you’re invited! There’s something for everyone of all ages among the community’s array of artwork, gardens, history and culture. Over 200,000 people are expected to attend the popular two-day spring festival in Wilmington this year. Last year approximately 100,000 lined the streets to watch the Festival Parade and the traditional arrival of Queen Azalea.

A parade, parties, art, tea party for the kids, coin show, street fair, circus, fireworks, Cole Bros Circus, music and concerts and so much more this year at the North Carolina Azalea Festival in beautiful Wilmington on the Cape Fear River. Alan Jackson concert takes place April 9, 2015.

The fun starts April 8 and last through Sunday April 12, 2015.

For more information, tickets and complete list of events see NC Azalea Festival

Waterfowlers Outdoor Expo Wilson Fairgrounds This Weekend

Jep Robertson will be at the Waterfowlers Outdoor Expo taking place this weekend April 10-11, 2015 at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. The three-day event will have many different exhibits on hunting, the outdoors and for the gun enthusiast. See, test, learn about and purchase Waterfowl hunting and outdoor products. Exhibits will include local and national manufactures.

Some of the special events taking place will be:

Dock Dogs canine aquatic competition, duck calling contest,educational seminars, product testing, gun and gear wall raffle, a kids zone with wild life art classes and a concert on Saturday night only. The concert will feature country artists Josh Thompson and Joe Diffie.

Ticket Prices:

$10 at the gate
Children 13 and under get in FREE if with a paid adult

Waterfowlers Outdoor Expo Hours:

Friday: 1pm-8pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

Sunday: 10am-6pm

Some of the exhibitors include: Allen Blevin Calls, Bad Duck, Bass Pro Shops, BuckFin, Delta Waterfowl, Camo Extreme, Field and Stream, Knives Ranch, Overton’s and NRA.There will be 2 sessions to meet and greet Jep Robertson from A&E’s Duck Dynasty. This event is expected to bring hundreds of people to Wilson. To find out more see GoldLeaf Waterfowlers Outdoor Expo.