Festivals & events in North Carolina 2026–2028

Next on the North Carolina calendar is North Carolina State Fair 2026, Oct 15–25, 2026. Eleven days of fair in Raleigh, and the one month the fairgrounds campground shuts to campers.

After it come Lexington Barbecue Festival 2026 (Oct 24, 2026) and MerleFest 2027 (40th) (Apr 29 – May 2, 2027).

4 of these 7 pages quote the organizer's own words for the dates, with the day we read them; for the others, check the organizer's site before you book.

Coming up in North Carolina

Oct 15–25, 2026
North Carolina State Fair 2026
Eleven days of fair in Raleigh, and the one month the fairgrounds campground shuts to campers.
Oct 24, 2026
Lexington Barbecue Festival 2026
The heart of Lexington-style pork shoulder — one October Saturday, six stages, a whole town of pit smoke.
Apr 29 – May 2, 2027
MerleFest 2027 (40th)
MerleFest 2027 — 40th anniversary Americana + bluegrass weekend in the Blue Ridge foothills.
May 15 – Sep 15, 2027 · Outer Banks
OBX summer + Hatteras window 2027
Outer Banks peak season, with 4WD beach driving on Hatteras.
Sep 3–6, 2027
Labor Day — Outer Banks
Labor Day on the Outer Banks — last big beach weekend before fall rates drop.
Sep 25 – Oct 31, 2027
Blue Ridge Parkway Fall Foliage 2027
America's most visited scenic road at its peak — weeks of color rolling down the mountainsides.

1 more dated North Carolina eventIn date order, after the ones above.

Oct 1–3, 2027
North Carolina Seafood Festival 2027
Morehead City's free waterfront seafood weekend, on the first full weekend of October since 1987.

Food festivals and fairs in and around North Carolina

The next ones on our calendar in this state and the states around it, soonest first.

By kind of trip Fall foliage Summer travel Beach season

Rig guides for these eventsEach event, then the rig you would drive.

North Carolina State Fair 2026: RVs Towables Trucks & vans
Lexington Barbecue Festival 2026: RVs Towables Trucks & vans
MerleFest 2027 (40th): RVs Trucks & vans
OBX summer + Hatteras window 2027: RVs Trucks & vans Off-road Boats
Labor Day — Outer Banks: RVs Trucks & vans Boats
Blue Ridge Parkway Fall Foliage 2027: RVs Towables Trucks & vans Classics
North Carolina Seafood Festival 2027: RVs Towables Trucks & vans Boats

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Asked about North Carolina events

What is on in North Carolina next?

North Carolina State Fair 2026 (Oct 15–25, 2026), Lexington Barbecue Festival 2026 (Oct 24, 2026) and MerleFest 2027 (40th) (Apr 29 – May 2, 2027) are the next dated events on the North Carolina calendar; 4 more follow in date order on this page.

Are the North Carolina dates confirmed?

4 of these 7 pages quote the organizer's own words for the dates, with the day we read them; for the others, check the organizer's site before you book.

Where do I sleep near North Carolina events?

Each event page names the verified campgrounds in its own town when there are any. We verify 10 North Carolina campgrounds that take RVs, each with its rig limit and fee on the state's campground page.

Which rig fits North Carolina's events?

7 of the 7 upcoming events here list RVs first. Each event page names the rig it suits and why.

North Carolina rules · last verified 2026-05-10

State rental tax: 7% · not collected by PickRV
Min driver age: 18+ std · 21+ Class A
Gravel roads: Allowed — disclosure required
Generator quiet: 22:00-07:00

More North Carolina guidesCosts, campgrounds and places worth a detour.

Nearby & related

Keep planning North Carolina

Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of North Carolina trip planning.

The full events calendar

Festivals and events in North Carolina