We are always on the lookout for fun things to do with our little one and have discovered tons of kid-friendly events in North Carolina. While it may sometimes seem that happenings are typically geared towards adults, we figured we’d share our favorite family-friendly activities.
With a mix of indoor and outdoor fun, museums, fairs, and more, here’s our kid-friendly NC bucket list for the entire year!
Read More: The NC Bucket List
Kid-Friendly Events in North Carolina (by Month)
January
- Continued from November (see below), see the lights at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary and Speedway Christmas at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.
- First Day Hikes: To kick off the new year, all North Carolina State Parks hold a series of First Day Hikes (many guided) throughout the day.
- Watch the animals enjoy the enrichment during the Animal Park Tree Toss in Burlington.
- Book Harvest hosts its annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm at Boxyard RTP in Durham.
- Blowing Rock Winterfest and Haywood Ice Fest across Haywood County are two great winter-themed events in some special mountain towns.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in January
February
- February is Black History Month, and many events take place throughout the month!
- Of course, there’s no sweeter way to celebrate February than the Carolina Chocolate Festival in Morehead City.
- Learn all about the universe at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Astronomy Days. Throughout the year, a visit to this Raleigh museum is one of the city’s best free things to do.
- The Outhouse Races in Sapphire are the perfect cure for winter boredom!
- Go ice skating at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, one of our favorite outdoor places to visit in Queen City!
- Each year, the Anniversary Celebration of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge commemorates the first significant American victory of the Revolutionary War.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in February
March
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Wearin’ ‘O the Green Festival in Raleigh is a great way to celebrate the holiday for kids.
- Note: Large crowds and lots of noise are expected at these events.
- During the Viking Experience in Oxford, you’ll walk through Drekhiem Village, watch sword-fighting demonstrations, explore hands-on activities for kids in Children’s Cove, and more!
- The Fremont Daffodil Festival (near Goldsboro) celebrates spring’s arrival with music, food, crafts, entertainment, history, and more!
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in March
April
- The North Carolina Science Festival is produced by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. This annual month-long celebration includes over 500 community events, from the mountains to the sea.
- Walk the plank at PirateFest in Greenville. Grab some food and a pint at the area’s awesome restaurants and breweries while you’re out there!
- Greening Up the Mountains in Sylva features a variety of kid-centric events, including storytelling, arts and crafts, a big slide, games, covered-wagon rides, and a children’s stage.
- Get your fill of the big dill! NC Pickle Fest in Mount Olive (near Goldsboro) is fun for the whole family!
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in April
May
- Eat more ‘cue at the BBQ Fest on the Neuse in Kinston!
- Speaking of barbecue, head over to Johnston County for the Ham & Yam Festival, where there will be pig races, vendors, and of course, ham and yams.
- The Spring Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Pittsboro brings together an eclectic music lineup, crafts, dance workshops, kids’ activities, and food vendors.
- Celebrate Brevard‘s famed rodent during White Squirrel Weekend!
- The annual Wooden Boat Show in Beaufort features small wooden boats, historic vessels, nautical crafts, and demonstrations.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in May
June
- Burgaw’s volunteer-led NC Blueberry Festival has family entertainment, a street fair, a barbecue cook-off, and plenty of blueberries!
- Speaking of blueberries, the picking season lasts from mid-June to August. We have some truly great farms for blueberry picking.
- Also, the best time to visit and pick lavender is typically in June.
- The award-winning National Black Bear Festival in Plymouth offers over 30 bear-themed activities to celebrate the world’s largest black bears, which happen to live along our coast.
- Ever been to a Chicken Pickin’? The Butner Summer Festival’s chicken cook-off will introduce you to it, with family-friendly events and lots of live music!
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in June
July
- Take flight at the Wright Kite Festival in the Outer Banks!
- Take adorable, Instagrammable photos in the Raleigh Sunflower fields at Dorothea Dix Park. We also mention this in our guide covering things to do in Raleigh!
- The annual Southeast Old Threshers Reunion in Denton has tractor pulls, music, and train and even helicopter rides.
- North Carolina hosts numerous Fourth of July celebrations, including the Fourth of July Parade and Festival in Banner Elk. At this special event, kids can join the fun with Party in the Park and duck races.
- The Fair Bluff Watermelon Festival hosts a variety of yummy events, including contests to determine the largest and most delicious watermelon in our state.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in July
August
- Marion’s annual WNC Bigfoot Festival honors the legendary creature that may or may not wander the Northeast US and Marion’s surroundings.
- Watch as the young gold champs rule over Pinehurst! The U.S. Kids Golf World Championship brings 2,000 golfers, ages 5-12, from around the world to tee off.
- Moore County celebrates Robbins Farmers Day with music, food, carnival rides and more.
- The ever-growing Sourwood Festival in Black Mountain hosts dozens of vendors serving food for all palates, honey and bee demos, and some of that delicious sourwood honey.
- With a massive Kids Zone, the 7th Inning Stretch Festival in Uptown Shelby is guaranteed to be a good time.
- During the free NC Beach Blast Festival in Kings Mountain, celebrate summer in style with live music, family activities, food, and fun.
- While the beer is for the adults, we’ll say the choo is for the kiddos! Spencer’s Brew and Choo Beer Festival combines fun for everyone.
- Railroad Heritage Weekend at Tweetsie Railroad kicks off the last weekend of fun in August. The theme park honors the steam era with special attractions for rail travel lovers like me.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in August
September
- Skip down the yellow brick road in Beech Mountain! Open for multiple weekends in September, Autumn at Oz is a must-attend, family-friendly event in North Carolina. Of course, you’ll want to visit Beech Mountain during winter for some of the best skiing.
- Get your pride on in Gate City! The Greensboro Pride Festival features a KidZone to celebrate love for everyone.
- All aboard the ghost train! Tweetsie Railroad is great for families all year long but their Ghost Train is especially fun for those kiddos who love a little scare.
- Check out all of the local art at CenterFest in downtown Durham, complete with a kids zone!
- Creepy crawlers take over the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at BugFest.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in September
October
- The Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk hosts Woolly Worm Races, great food, and more.
- The annual Cary Flotilla is where community members drop off their carved pumpkins at the boathouse to be paraded around the lake at Bond Park.
- Corn mazes and pumpkin patches start opening up for the season! Check out Sonlight Farms in Kenly (Johnston County) for hayrides, a giant slide, and a full day of fun.
- 10 Days of fun and a huge midway, the Wayne Regional Agriculture Fair is a must for over 70 years!
- Street dancing, amusement rides, and tons of fun! Head to Roxboro for the Personality Festival.
- The annual Railroad Days in Selma is great for young train enthusiasts.
- Head to Spring Hope Pumpkin Festival in Nash County and show off your pumpkin decorating skills.
- Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville is a must-attend event for those of all ages. Live ye olde best life!
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in October
- Watch the fireworks and have a blast at Riverfest in Wilmington!
- The North Carolina State Fair is the state’s biggest agricultural fair and a family tradition for many.
- Carolina Balloonfest fills the skies of Statesville with hot air balloons and has a kids zone for the littles and wine and beer for the parents. This is one of the most amazing things to do in Statesville, if you ask us.
- There’s nothing better than puppies. Add in the regionally delicious livermush and you’ve got a rocking good time at Shelby’s Mush, Music and Mutts Festival.
- Fly a kite with hundreds of your friends! The Carolina Kite Festival at Atlantic Beach is a beautiful and memorable experience for kids. If you’d like to stay at one of NC’s best beaches, we recommend the very kid-friendly Atlantis Lodge!
- Lexington’s Barbecue Festival draws nearly 200,000 people each year. It’s one of the best things to do in Lexington throughout the year, with carnival rides for kids, live music, and plenty of delicious food!
Read More: Pumpkin Patches in North Carolina
November
- Aye! Aye, Matey! The Pirate Invasion in Beaufort offers sword fighting and events for all ages.
- The Whirligig Festival in Wilson is by far the best kid-friendly festival in November. Not only is it FREE, but it also has tons of bounce houses, food, and even an American Ninja Warrior course.
- November is also when many of our amazing Christmas lights displays turn on. Here are some of our favorites:
- Speedway Christmas in Concord
- Tweetsie Christmas in Blowing Rock
- Polar Express Train on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City
- Enchanted Airlie at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington
- It starts in late November, but throughout December and into January, you can see the lights at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary.
- Additional Christmas-themed events get started, too, including:
- Christmas on Main in Andrews
- Light Up Cornelius
- Downtown Lights up in historic Goldsboro
- Mooresville Christmas Parade
- Christmas in the Park in Blowing Rock
- Hangin’ with Santa and Kites with Lights at Jockey’s Ridge
- The NC Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach
- Midway through November, choose and cut your own from one of these Christmas tree farms in North Carolina.
- Celebrate North Carolina’s pecan growers at the NC Pecan Harvest Festival!
- Celebrate Southport’s heritage and maritime history at the Southport Wooden Boat Show.
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in November
December
- During Chetola Resort’s annual Festival of Lights, you can drive or walk around Chetola Lake, where glittering ice skaters, carolers, and more illuminations await.
- Visit the Christmas light display affectionately known as Christmas Town USA in McAdenville, in Gaston County.
- Just a few hours before the bigger, more adult-themed celebrations, New Year’s Noon at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington is a great time for you and the kids!
Read More: Things to Do in North Carolina in December
Ready for These Kid-Friendly Events in North Carolina?
There are plenty of ways to enjoy traveling in our state with children. We hope this bucket list of kid-friendly events in North Carolina gives you some ideas on how to enjoy yourselves all year long!
If you had to choose, which of these fun things top your “to do” list?
Also, is there anything we missed? If so, please kindly let us know in the comments section or send us an email.
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