North Carolina Ultimate Excursions

PINEHURST

AUTO PASSION
Saturday, April 30 
| Concours d’Elegance
 | PinehurstConcours.com
Concours d’Elegance, a French term meaning “competition of 
elegance,” dates back to 17th-century French aristocracy. Today’s Concours d’Elegance is staged on the lush fairways of the historic Pinehurst Resort. This stunning vintage car showcase features rare and pristine collector automobiles, which are judged by professionals who carefully consider each vehicle’s historical importance and condition. After taking in the breathtaking beauty of these unique automobiles, you can groove to the funk and soul music of one of Motown’s top bands, the Commodores.

EQUESTRIANS AND RED BERRIES
May 13-15 | Horse Carriage 
Competition & Parade | 
4th Annual Strawberry Festival | CarriageClassicInThePines.net
Spectators embrace the romance and splendor of a bygone era when the Moore County Driving Club presents The Carriage Classic in the Pines, a horse carriage driving competition that harkens back to 1895. This elegant celebration of the art and sport of traditional carriage driving is held at the historic track facility near Pinehurst Village. The grand finale of this magical weekend is the stunning beauty and pageantry of Sunday’s Carriage Parade. To add to the fun, you can treat your taste buds to all things strawberry—jams, jelly, scones, ice cream, and more—at the 4th Annual Strawberry Festival that’s also held on Sunday, May 15.

WALK IN PAYNE STEWART’S 
FOOTSTEPS
Pinehurst No. 2 at Pinehurst Resort

Pinehurst No. 2 is one of the world’s most celebrated championship golf courses and home to Payne Stewart’s exhilarating 1999 U.S. Open victory. A 2010 restoration has returned the course to its designer’s (Donald Ross) original vision. No. 2 is famous for its crowned, undulating greens, which are some of the most complex in the world. Golf enthusiasts can experience this amazing course by staying at or visiting the Pinehurst Resort, known as the cradle of American golf.

McLendon Hills

Monday, May 30 | 
Memorial Day Celebrations | McLendonHills.com
Residents of McLendon Hills 
celebrate Memorial Day with a strengthening of community ties. Neighbors gather in backyards and along the lakefront with picnic baskets, potluck favorites and refreshment-filled coolers to welcome new residents and enhance old friendships. Some take to their kayaks or fishing boats and a “dock hop” regatta may spontaneously occur. Others prefer to lounge in their lawn chairs and swap stories until sunset brings a peaceful end to their day of reflection.

WILMINGTON

SOUTHERN BEAUTY IN BLOOM
April 6-10
 | North Carolina Azalea Festival
 / NCAzaleaFestival.org
The North Carolina Azalea Festival gets off to a regal start with the Queen’s Coronation. Cape Fear Community College hosts the musical talents of the Avett Brothers and Chase Rice. Recognized by Southern Living magazine as one of the best garden tours in the South, the 63rd annual Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour opens at Greenfield Lake with more than a 100 Azalea Belles in their antebellum dresses. Take a leisurely self-guided tour of 12 fabulous private residence gardens, and surround yourself with colorful azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, and magnificent dogwoods. Enjoy family fun at the Street Fair with live entertainment, festival food favorites, and arts & crafts booths. The Azalea Festival Parade winds its way through historic downtown Wilmington with floats, marching units and bands, clowns, horses, visiting celebrities, and the parade’s crowning touch—Queen Azalea and her court and the Azalea Festival Princess. Fireworks light up the sky over the Cape Fear River to celebrate the festival’s grand finale.

INSANELY GOOD FOOD & WINE
May 5-8 | 4th Annual Wilmington Wine & Food Festival
 | WilmingtonWineAndFood.com
The extraordinary Bellamy Mansion is the setting for the exquisite pairing of notable wines from around the world and delicious food from the best locally owned restaurants in Wilmington. The festival offers a diverse range of epicurean events such as the Bourbon & BBQ Cocktail Party, the Corks & Forks Grand Tasting Event, and the Bubbles, Brews & Street Eats. Live music adds to the fun, so join the party and celebrate Wilmington’s rich history and culture.

SPRING INTO ART
May 28-29 
| 21st Annual Orange Street | Artsfest WilmingtonCommunityArts.org
The largest arts festival in the Port City bursts on the scene in historic downtown Wilmington over Memorial Day weekend. Take in the amazing work of more than 80 talented artists and enjoy live entertainment, food, wine, and beer. From acrylic, oils, and watercolor to sculpture, metal work, and mixed media, this celebrated arts festival will dazzle you with its diverse beauty and creativity.

Brunswick Forest

Brunswick Forest |  
Saturday, June 4 
| 6th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta | BrunswickForest.com
Ahoy, neighbors! Brunswick Forest residents, and maybe a few nautical guests, race their homemade and lavishly decorated cardboard boats across Hammock Lake for fun and prizes. The family event includes kayak and paddle board demonstrations, food and Italian ice vendors, a disc jockey and local celebrity judges.

OCEAN ISLE

OFFSHORE ANGLERS…IT’S ON!
June 17-19
 | The Jolly Mon King Classic
 | OIFC.com/tournaments
Imagine bringing your boat in to Ocean Isle Fishing Center with a large King Mackerel on board. You take your catch to weigh in, and the crowd cheers when it’s announced that you and your crew are the Jolly Mon King Classic Champions! Be a part of the excitement at this family-oriented event that brings anglers together for great food, fun, and fishing. The awards ceremony honors winners in several categories with prizes, and all Junior Anglers receive a trophy to commemorate their catch. This event is the pinnacle of offshore tournament fishing in 
Brunswick County.

Compass Pointe

Compass Pointe | Leland, NC
May 28-30 | Memorial Day Golf Event CompassPointeNC.com
Compass Pointe will be celebrating the Grand Opening of their golf course during their Memorial Day Weekend Property Release Event.  This weekend of fun activities for guests includes driving and putting contests, golf course tours, builder showcase home tours, area tours, gourmet meals, and much more!  Prior to this public Grand Opening, Compass Pointe residents will enjoy a special premier release of the course, which will include tournaments, 
contests, games, and giveaways.

NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS

OUTDOOR SUDS & TUNES

May 19 through September 15  | Rhythm & Brews Southern 
Concert Series, 
Hendersonville, NC | 
DowntownHendersonville.org
This awesome event has made such a splash that it has earned NC Main Street honors as Best Downtown Special Event statewide! The concerts take place on the third Thursday of each month starting on May 19. With fantastic music ranging from bluegrass and blues to country, soul and Southern rock, this popular event draws music lovers of all ages. The event also features a Singer-Songwriter Showcase, great food and beer, and a Hands-On Kid Zone.

GARDENERS REJOICE!
May 28-29 | Garden Jubilee Festival Hendersonville, NC  
| HistoricHendersonville.org
The Garden Jubilee Festival is a spectacular two-day lawn and garden event that showcases more than 200 vendors lining Main Street. Local and regional nurseries will be selling thousands of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, and hard-to-find plants. If you want to enhance the beauty of your garden with ornamentation, you’ll find a variety of handmade lawn furniture, yard art, planters, birdhouses, hanging baskets, and pottery. National Gardening experts will give free garden talks, and even little gardeners can start digging at the hands-on children’s clinic.

ANTIQUE HEAVEN
Saturday, June 25 
25th | Annual Antique & Vintage Show, 
Hendersonville, NC
 | DowntownHendersonville.org
Beautiful downtown Hendersonville is the place for amazing antique finds when the 25th Annual Antique & Vintage Show comes to the 
sidewalks of Main Street. Hundreds of dealers from around Western North Carolina and beyond offer enthusiastic shoppers a wonderful diversity of antique and vintage goods: clothing and jewelry, furniture, precious metals, vintage toys, pottery, art glass, quilts, and signs. You’ll also enjoy the permanent 
antique shops on Main Street, such as the Village Green Antique Mall and Jane Asher Antiques.

CREATIVE FLOW
May 21-22 | 
River Arts District Studio Stroll, 
Asheville, NC | RiverArtsDistrict.com
Watch more than 200 artists at work in their studios, which are located in 22 former industrial and historical buildings along a one-mile stretch of the French Broad River. You can meet the artists and discuss their creative process while they make exquisite fine art, including textiles, wood, ceramics, basketry, glass, and paintings.

LAKESIDE ART
May 28-29  | Lake Lure Arts & Crafts Festival, 
Lake Lure, NC | 
LakeLureArtsAndCraftsFestival.com
Renowned for its gorgeous setting, the festival is held across from the beach overlooking beautiful Lake Lure and the Blue Ridge Mountains. For over 30 years, the event has celebrated the rich tradition of hand-made Appalachian arts and crafts. More than 100 artisans exhibit and sell their paintings, photography, wood, jewelry, textiles, pottery, soaps, and candles. Children’s activities, live music, and great food add to the fun.

KALEIDOSCOPE OF BLOOMS
March 19-May 26 
| Biltmore Blooms Festival of Flowers
, Asheville, NC | Biltmore.com
Waves of gorgeous blooms color the majestic Biltmore Gardens in spring! Celebrate the legacy of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his final project—George Vanderbilt’s magnificent Biltmore Gardens. Awash in the steady progression of blooming flowers, the festival includes a thousand orchids, towering forsythias, 15,000 dazzling daffodils, 75,000 vivid tulips, a 20-acre azalea garden, and 75 varieties of fragrant roses. Enjoy live music and daily seminars at A Gardener’s Place. There’s no better time to visit the Biltmore Gardens.

MAGICAL WORLD MUSIC
May 12-15
| LEAF Festival-Black Mountain, 
Black Mountain, NC | TheLEAF.org
Get in the groove with music from around the globe, including Cuban, African, Latin, Appalachian, Cajun, Celtic, Blues, Bluegrass, French, and more. LEAF Festival takes place on the site of the old Historic Black Mountain College, set amidst the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and stunning Lake Eden. Discover the artistry and passion of world music during this three-day festival that also offers healing arts, poetry, African drum circle, Family Adventure 
Villages, and gourmet international fare.

DANCIN’ THE TRADITION
July 2, 9, 16, and 23  | Shindig on the Green
, Asheville, NC | FolkHeritage.org
Relax under the summer stars at this popular event in downtown Asheville. The music of the Southern Appalachian Mountains will have you dancing on the green! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to the Roger McGuire Green at Pack Square Park and enjoy an exhilarating mix of bluegrass, old-time string bands, big circle mountain dancers, cloggers, ballad singers, and storytellers. Musicians gather to jam in small groups and everyone is welcome to play and sing along. Join generations of families who attend this festival to celebrate the musical heritage and mountain culture.

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