Spring Color

Spring Festivals

Celebrate Flowers, Music, Pirates, Wine & More

Nature does spring’s heavy lifting. She banishes the chill, lengthens the day and otherwise sets in motion the glorious changes that lead us outside. No wonder gardeners and event organizers are inspired to great heights.

Here’s a selection of North Carolina events that soar this season. Find more in our events calendar.

Birdhouses on Parade
March 21-April 8
If you were a bird, you could probably find your dream house in Chapel Hill at the Carolina Inn’s showcases of one-of-a-kind birdhouses and feeders, all created by North Carolina artists. Azaleas, dogwood and other spring bloomers enhance the beauty of one of America’s prettiest college towns and add to the reasons to visit.  

Ramps Celebrations
March 31, April 29, May 6
Call them what you like — spring onions, wood leeks or wild garlic — you won’t need a dinner bell if you fry some up with potatoes or eggs or cook a mess with freshly caught trout. Celebrate the harvest at one of these events in the North Carolina mountains: Rainbows & Ramps, March 31, Cherokee, 828-554-6471; 50th annual Ramp Festival, April 29, Robbinsville; 78th annual Ramp Festival, May 6, Waynesville, 828-456-8691.

Biltmore Festival of Flowers
April 7 to May 20
The gardens at George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre Asheville estate come alive with more than 100,000 tulips as poppies, pansies, snapdragons and acres of azaleas chime in. Roses begin a reign that runs through summer, and natural gardens and walking trails showcase native and exotic blooms. Designer presentations, seminars and accessible experts add take-home value to the experience, which is accompanied by concerts and other activities. 

Triple Steeplechase
April 7, April 14, April 28
Admire the nimble horses that run the course and enjoy the competition for fanciest hat and finest tailgate feast — it’s all part of the American jump-racing tradition. North Carolina has three steeplechases: the Stoneybrook Steeplechase, April 7, Raeford (near Pinehurst); the Blockhouse Steeplechase, April 14, Tryon; and the Queens Cup Steeplechase, April 28, Mineral Springs (near Charlotte). 

North Carolina Azalea Festival
April 11-15
The historic city of Wilmington pairs spring’s burst of azaleas with a bevy of belles in antebellum gowns, a fleet of visiting boats at the dock, and a pageant with a royal list of past winners (Kelly Ripa, Phylicia A. Rashad, Polly Bergen). Home and garden tours, arts and crafts, a parade and even a circus play into this uncommonly stylish Southern festival. 

Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival
April 11-15 
Amid the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the village of Blowing Rock presents pleasures from regional wineries in tastings, seminars, cooking classes and winemakers’ dinners. Highlights include the final round of the Fire on the Rock Chef Challenge and a demonstration by cookbook author Teresa Giudice, star of “Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

PirateFest
April 13-14
East Carolina University in Greenville chose the Pirate as its mascot in recognition of Blackbeard and others who sailed into North Carolina history under the black flag. The city’s lively spring festival features the Buccaneer Bash, swordfights, a costume party and a pirate market — and warms up the crowd for summer’s pirate-inspired activities up and down the coast.  

MerleFest
April 26-29
Songs are in the air at Wilkesboro, home of one of the world’s finest traditional music festivals. Guitar master Doc Watson created the four-day event in memory of his music partner and son, Merle, who died in 1985. Headliners for the 25th rendition include Vince Gill, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Alison Kraus and Union Station, Sam Bush and Watson himself, but this family-friendly festival’s true magic comes as much from its spirit as star names. 

Paddle for the Border
May 5 
Hundreds of colorful canoes and kayaks ease into the darkly beautiful waters of the historic Dismal Swamp Canal for a 7½-mile paddle from South Mills across the Virginia border to Chesapeake. And as uninviting as the name “Dismal Swamp” might sound, be advised that this event typically fills up quickly.  

Carthage Buggy Festival
May 12
Buggies were big business after the Civil War, and the Tyson and Jones Buggy Factory in Carthage produced top-of-the-line carriages. The town celebrates this heritage with the Buggy Festival, which includes a display of Tyson and Jones models, a doctor's buggy and several built by Amish communities. Entertainment, contests, crafts and other activities round out the event. 

Tour de Falls
May 12
To see DuPont State Recreational Forest’s splendid falls (and, incidentally, sites where "The Hunger Games" was filmed), people normally hit the trails on foot or mountain bike. The Tour de Falls allows less active sightseers a rare bus ride to scenic spots in the forest — High Falls, Triple Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Julia. DuPont is between Hendersonville and Brevard.

added: March 28, 2012

updated: April 5, 2012