Wilmington Fall Festivals 2024 – NC Fall Events

Cucalorus Film Festival - Wilmington, NC - Nov 20 to Nov 24, 2024
Founded in 1994 this annual festival screens over 200 films at several area venues. Dress up for the red carpet and enjoy your nights out. Recent addition can help venture capitalists and entreprenteurs meet at the Cucalorus Connect conference, which featured more than 50 events (in addition to the film festival) such as panels and workshops.

North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival - Whiteville, NC - Nov 2 to Nov 2, 2024
Events to kick off the festivities occur throughout the week. Highlights include the Celebrity Queen’s Luncheon, tour of the elegant homes of Whiteville, parade, live entertainment, 5k walk/run, pecan cooking contest, kids block, car show, antique tractor show, art show, and more, plus of course, pecans and other food offerings!

Calabash Oktoberfest - Calabash, NC - Oct 26 to Oct 26, 2024
Activities include Bavarian costume contest, arm wrestling contest, horse drawn carriage, best bier stein contest, and children’s entertainment. Enjoy authentic German food and Munich beer.

Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival - Wilmington, NC - Oct 25 to Oct 26, 2024
Sample from 100 craft breweries and wineries in one place. Held for over 15 years in Wrightsville Beach. Don’t miss the Voracious & Rare Beer Festival the day before!

Lighthouse Voracious & Rare Festival - Wilmington, NC - Oct 25 to Oct 25, 2024
They’ve selected 50 breweries through a rigorous selection process, selected to pour their favorite limited release beers [read as: beers you’Â’ll never have otherwise]. Also included in the evening is dinner, delightfully rare voracious brews, and live music. Followed by the larger Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival the next day.

NC Oyster Festival - Ocean Isle Beach, NC - Oct 19 to Oct 20, 2024
Local cuisine, arts and crafts, children’s activities, live music, oyster stew cook-off and the oyster shucking contest. Describes itself as a food festival, arts festival, oyster festival and a music festival. Admission is $5 (cash only) and free for children.

Wilmington Oktoberfest - Wilmington, NC - Oct 19 to Oct 19, 2024
This annual Oktoberfest will include authentic German food and beer, wiener dog races, live music and kids zone. Admission is $5 – admission money goes to local organizations.

Autumn with Topsail - Topsail Beach, NC - Oct 18 to Oct 20, 2024
Over 100 regional artists in a juried Artists and Crafts Court, plus exciting live entertainment, amazing food plus beer and wine, inflatables and crafts for children, and more!

Swansboro Mullet Festival - Swansboro, NC - Oct 12 to Oct 13, 2024
The Swansboro Mullet Festival, the oldest festival in the Crystal Coast, began in 1954. The weekend centers around the small, bony fish that appears as having a purplish-blue tint when found in Eastern North Carolina waters. Swansboro natives remember days long ago when mullets were hauled to shore in nets hooked to tractors along the beach. Today, the Swansboro Mullet Festival has expanded into a two-day festival that offers locals and visitors a glimpse into history combined with a modern celebration of all things mullet. The festival is free and visitors may enjoy a parade, entertainment featuring beach music and live bands, children’s activities and a lot of food, especially fried mullet.

Columbus County Fair - Whiteville, NC - Oct 8 to Oct 13, 2024
Acrobatic thrill shows, live music, Old McDonald’s Farm, hypnotist shows, horticulture and livestock exhibits, children’s entertainment, arts and crafts, fireworks, contests and midway rides for all ages. Held at the Columbus County Fairgrounds.

Wilmington Riverfest - Wilmington, NC - Oct 5 to Oct 6, 2024
250,000 visit the two-day celebration located from Market Street to Cape Fear Community College. Take in live music, dancing and more on multiple stages. The kids zone includes facepainting, airbrush tattoos, mardi gras mask making, inflatables and more. Other offerings include craft vendors, concession booths, fireworks, Miss Riverfest, and more.

Oktoberfest Under the Bridge - Wilmington, NC - Oct 5 to Oct 5, 2024
Waterline Brewing Company brings back the huge tent, the region’s best Oom-pah band, games (including the famous Stein holding competition), food, liter steins, their annual Oktoberfest Beer, “Most Festively Dressed” contest and more

BFF Pink Ribbon Run - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sep 28 to Sep 28, 2024
This family friendly event has walking and running events, and raises funs for breast cancer research and treatment. Celebrate with those who are fighting and surviving breast cancer, and honor those who have passed on. Pick your BFF (Breast Friend Forever) and run with a purpose! This 5K and 10K run/walk will inspire you, and you’ll inspire others

Muscadine Festival - Kenansville, NC - Sep 28 to Sep 28, 2024
Celebrate North Carolina’s State Fruit at Duplin County Events Center. Amateur wine making contest, cooking contest, live music, food, arts, crafts, fun and over 30 local wineries.

9-11 Candlelight Vigil - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sep 11 to Sep 11, 2024
Commemorate loved ones that fell victim to the 9-11 attacks at the annual 9-11 Candlelight Vigil. The ceremony begins at 7:00 pm at the Horseshoe (end of Main Street). Spectators line the streets holding American Flags as the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle group, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Color Guard, and more travel down Main Street to the Horseshoe. After the presentation of a remembrance wreath by the North Myrtle Beach Public Safety and Fire Department, join everyone on the beach for a twenty-one gun salute by the Marine Corp League. Complete silence and only a glow from the crowd’s candles light up the night as Taps is played and the dedicated wreath is taken out to sea for our fallen Americans to rest.

Oak Island Art Guild Arts & Crafts Festival - Oak Island, NC - Aug 31 to Aug 31, 2024
Come on down to the soccer field behind Middleton Park and Town Hall for over 100 arts and crafts vendors, as well as festival food! This event offers free admission and benefits the Art Guild’s philanthropic activities

Onslow Oktoberfest - Jacksonville, NC - Oct 27 to Oct 28, 2023
The community fundraiser for Onslow Community Outreach includes live music and 5K run. Children’s area offers entertainment, amusement rides, games, micro racing, animal park and home improvement workbench/clinics. The festival was started in 2008. Location: Riverwalk Crossing Park, 421 Court Street, Jacksonville, NC

Halfway There Craft Beer Walk - Wilmington, NC - Sep 17 to Sep 17, 2023
Join the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance to celebrate the halfway point to Cape Fear Craft Beer Week (March). Local breweries will be setup at different venues in Downtown Wilmington to each release a new beer. Exciting seasonals, first ever releases, and carefully crafted one-offs will be available for purchase at each designated location.