The 9 Best Small Town North Carolina Festivals You’ve Never Heard Of

There's nothing better than the excitement of watching a parade from a sidewalk or eating food that's deliciously bad for you from a local vendor — and North Carolina has plenty of opportunities for you to do just that. From a festival celebrating fuzzy worms to the Tour de Pickle — these small town shindigs are sure to pique your interest.

1. Liver Mush Festival, Shelby

Love it or hate it, Liver Mush is a celebrated dish in the Tar Heel State. The town of Shelby even hosts a two-day festival dedicated to the sausage-like food. Attendees will enjoy live music, a liver mush eating contest — even a Miss Little Liver Mush pageant.

2. Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk

And they're off to the races!! Woolly Worms that is. Each year the town of Banner Elk celebrates the tradition of using the fuzzy bugs to guess how long and how rough the winter will be. Attendees enter their favorite worms into hysterically fun races where the worms climb strings. The winning worm is used to determine winter's length.

3. Seagrove Pottery Festival, Seagrove

Often called the Pottery Capital of the U.S., the small community of Seagrove shows off its best work during a two-day pottery festival. You'll find more than 100 area potters gather on location to sell their unique pieces of art. There are also several live demonstrations.

4. NC Pickle Festival, Mount Olive

Experience all things pickle at the annual NC Pickle Festival.

Events include a pickle eating contest and the Tour de Pickle bike race. There's also a dedicated Pickle Trail to follow that features snackables like pickle flavored snow cones and dill popcorn.

5. Benson Mule Days, Benson

Benson Mule Days offer fun for the whole family with something for everyone. The weekend is full of rodeos, carnival rides, crafts, live music and of course, a mule pulling contest! The highlight of the festival is the parade.

6. Sonker Festival, Surry County

Indulge in a local staple at the annual Surry County Sonker Festival. Sonker is a dessert similar to cobbler made specifically in the region that dates back to the early settlers. Today, it's celebrated for an entire day that's full of the sweet treat, live music and more.

7. Dirty Dancing Festival, Lake Lure

Every year the town where Dirty Dancing was filmed brings the iconic movie back to life with a two-day festival. Guests can show off their best dance moves during one of the festival's competitions or just for fun. There's even a lift competition in Lake Lure — where the famous lift scene was actually filmed.

8. Carolina Balloon Fest, Statesville

For three days, balloons of all shapes and sizes take over the skies of Statesville for the annual Carolina Balloon Fest. Guests can take a tether balloon ride, book a private hot air balloon ride, enjoy a local brew at the beer and wine tent or peruse the artisan marketplace.

9. Mayberry Days, Mount Airy

The small town of Mount Airy turns into Andy Griffith's Mayberry for a week during Mayberry Days. Over the seven days there are plenty of activities to choose from including trivia contests, special guest appearances and a parade featuring the iconic sheriff's car.

What's you favorite small town festival?

If you want to know more about Sonker — here's where you can find the best in the world.