I'd been to the Annual Lumbee Powwow before when it was at the Lumberton Farmers Market seven years…read moreago but it's since been moved to the Cultural Center in Maxton. I had a great time there in the past and I was excited when a powwow friend of mine who lives near me wanted to go. We loaded up our stuff and drove the 5.5 hours to get there. Parking was a little weird as the dancers had to register at the boys and girls club then drive over to the cultural center grounds. Spectators had to park at the club and take a shuttle over. We then had to register at the grounds to compete in the dance competition. The dancing throughout the weekend was great. There were many good drums in attendance, even one from as far as Washington State. Everyone was being polite and friendly but come competition time everyone had their game face on. The powwow committee even held special dance contests like Men's Eastern Woodland Dance and Men's and Women's Smoke Dance. It's not what you think so you'll have to do some research on it if you're a powwow noob. We didn't win but we had a good time dancing, meeting new people and seeing old friends. The grounds also had some reproductions of native dwelling structures and some demos of fingerweaving and farming but I really enjoyed the vendors. The Vendors were awesome! I bought 2 powwow shirts and almost bought some beads and wampum. But for me the real star was one food vendor, Sly Fox Den! They're from Massachusetts and they had a slew of seafood dishes. I had to get their Smoked Salmon and Smoked Scallops and I was good and full after eating both. We had a good time and I'll try to return again.

I and a couple of friends attended this pow wow. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was my first…read moretime, but since I'm temporarily living in the area, will go to a few more. I tried the collard sandwich and it was delicious. Whenever the next time another pow wow is held in the Maxton/Pembroke, I will try some other Native dishes. Lastly, I had never seen some of the animal skins in my life, and enjoyed seeing and touching them. It was a great experience.

The Charlotte Fair at ZMAX (on Bruton Smith Blvd) across the street from the Speedway was fantastic…read morethis year! I decided to get another notch on my champion's belt for auntie-of-the-year. After picking up my nephew's friends, we all headed to the fair. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 3pm. Parking wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. After I unloaded my car filled with 13-year-olds, we walked a very short distance to the front gate. I ordered everyone's ticket in advance online, so after their wristbands were put on, we breezed right in. The rides were super fun and appeared to be similar to Carowinds rides...meaning they were more sturdy than the average small-fair ride. There were lots of games, prizes, eating options, and a performance area. This fair left nothing on the table. It was worth the price. We will surely return next year!

I went to the Charlotte Fair with my mom, sister, and my friends in March 2026, and I got to say,…read moreit was great! We started out at easy parking, we checked in, then we went on some rides, like the zero gravity rides, the one that go upside down, and a lot more! Until we rode this ride that was themed to a taxi, as soon as the ride started, it was fast, it was so fast that I felt NAUSEOUS, I ran to find a hidden trash can so I could empty out my guts, then I felt nauseated for like 45 minutes until I felt fine again, then I went in a couple fun houses before we rode more rides, I rode the roller coaster at the park and it was FUN! After we rode the roller coaster, we got some hot dogs, and I prayed that I wouldn't get sick again, they me and my friend rode some more rides, and then it started to get dark so we head out and it was fun, I loved it and I hope I can go back soon

Much larger than I expected…read more Tons of food options from Thailand to Jamaican. The music on the stages was great as well as the dancers from all over the world. Only thing that I was disappointed in was the typical carnival food. Took away from all the international options. Lots of people and energy! Great afternoon!

As we walked around all I wanted to know was where are the restaurants of these cultures? I would…read morelove to have Nigerian fish stew. Lumpia is a favorite. Where are the empanadas?! It was wonderful to see the cultures represented, but how sad it is that they are only experienced over two days.

How I managed to live in North Carolina this long and not know we had a Cheerwine Festival is mind…read moreboggling to me. This was my first year attending the event. It was advertised that you could take a train to Salisbury, NC and then the festival was in walking distance. If you drove, you'd have to look for parking in the area and walk to the event. My friend and I arrived around noon. This. Was a good time, but in the fire I'd ago In my opinion they spaced out the different vendors well so it wasn't too crowded. You were able to move through the areas easily. At times, you would have to wait for people to move, but this is expected with any festival. I liked that their website listed the vendor participating and if the vendor created a Cheerwine themed item/dish. I believe it would've ben helpful it their website also included a map of where each vendor was so you could head to the vendor you wanted immediately. There was a main location at the festival that sold Cheerwine merchandise such as: beach towels, stickers, hats, t-shirts, and displays. They had a cash and card line. Some vendors took cash, but not all so it is good to have both on you. There were live performances occurring in their center city park. I was not prepared well for the event as I literally decided to go day of. In the future I'll make sure to pack a lawn towel or small chair to sit in the park and come earlier in the day when the event first starts so it's not as hot outside.

Bottom line: The Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury is a busy and popular street festival to celebrate…read morethe regional soft drink favorite. Saw lots of Cheerwine merch/logos everywhere but not Cheerwine itself. This festival is extremely crowded and there are long lines for absolutely everything, do know that going into this one. Bring cash, you'll need it. The Deets: My friends and I made plans to hit the The Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury, NC this year. Cheerwine is a local/regional soft drink favorite, a black cherry flavored soda. Cheerwine has been made since 1917 and has been produced by the same family in North Carolina for all those years (big accomplishment in the food/beverage industry). I've been a Cheerwine fan since childhood so I was up for going to a festival bearing its name. We went down and back on Amtrak as there is a train station near to the downtown area the festival is held. I recommend going by train if possible as finding parking is not that easy for this event. Salisbury is not a huge town so you would expect that to be so. If you are not a fan of big crowds and long lines, then this festival is not for you. This festival is very "people-y" and there are long lines for EVERYTHING...food, beer/beverages, merchandise, craft/art/novelty items, cash machines (bring cash, most things here are not cheap)...everything. Of course the sound stage had a crowd around it as well. We even ducked into a local bottle shop to find some peace (see my prior review for this business) which we indeed found. My pics I took are from a pocket of peace I found outside of the crowded area. Of note, I did see that there were plenty of port-a-potties everywhere, even down alleys between buildings. While I saw Cheerwine logos and merchandise a-plenty at the festival, I really can't recall seeing any actual Cheerwine itself. Sad face. Lots of beer opportunities...not Cheerwine though. If you love those crowded street festivals, this event is your golden ticket. I found it was great to visit and experience but I'm not sure I would go out of my way to come back again.

What a great event! I will go back when it comes back next t year and spend more time there. It was…read morea weekend event and only went on Sunday. Loved the dancing from different countries and enjoyed a samosa with mango lassi.

It was a beautiful event! The food options omg that was a hard one. I wish I had the stomach for…read moreeverything. The performances were really beautiful. I loved the Irish performance personally. Now for the food, I had the cubano and a donut cone ice cream ( think its a hungarian dessert) both were sooooooooo gooooooodd. Very fun and lively ^-^.

This festival (if you want to refer to it as such) is located along the waterfront in Little River…read more They offer shuttle services and rides by certain parking lots by golf cart. We were able to find welcoming parking on someone's property who was offering $10 spaces. There were quite a few places like this closer to the entrance and very nice home owners who were using this opportunity for visitors which seems to be a "win/win". $10 per person to get in the venue. We walked the entire area within less than an hour. We didn't purchase anything, but did see some interesting things. Of course there are blue crabs there (?), not like we expected and not at every booth --- but unfortunately- just a few carnival type vendors/food with some seafood dishes that may or may not have crab options. Had expected it to be more about those delicious BLUE CRABS with ALL the advertising & marketing. It is a small town, so I'll give them that. However, it's literally just like a farmers market with same type of stuff. Would not be a place I would return, but it was nice to have the opportunity to share this feedback and to see what it was all about. 44th Annual World Famous Blue Crab Festival. May- (check dates) 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Hosted in Historic Little River Waterfront 4468 Mineola Avenue Little River, SC. * Shrimp Fest (Seafood Festival) Os Held in October (check dates) same timeframe from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Little River Shrimp Festival is much larger than I anticipated. There is "pay to park" lots up…read moreand down the street's leading up to the festival many of which are on people's yards. It came st us about $10.00 for the day and some of the lots will shuttle you the several blocks down the road on golf carts. We found out later, there is also a bus shuttle available. The festival itself gets incredibly crowded but it really wasn't an issue. There are vendors everywhere selling everything from craft items to gutter systems. Actually, the one item I did buy was from a Tastefully Simple rep who had a booth set up. Oh, and there was a Puppy Kissing booth set up by the local shelter. As for the shrimp, we ended up in a bar/restaurant called Daddio's and got some decent shrimp but nothing special. It wasn't until we walked to the far side of the festival did we see food trailers with all sorts of delicious looking seafood. This festival is definitely worth a visit once a year.

This year was the 39th one. Admission is free, the grills are going outside, and the dining hall…read moreinside was packed wall to wall. I went to eat and here's what I had. First stop was inside. I grabbed a plate with spanakopita, dolmades, feta and pita. This plate was a stand out star for sure. This is what always brings me out to the Greek Festival. Then a cup of Greek fries on the way out, because you don't walk past fries without giving them a shot. The fries themselves weren't too uniquely flavored in any way but tasted great either way. Souvlaki. Meat on a stick. The festival marinates their skewers in lemon, olive oil, garlic and oregano, and I got them with Greek potatoes and bread. Grecian Cheese Steak. This was the one I was most curious about. Steak, peppers and onions on a big toasted roll. The stand out item this year for sure. I also grabbed a few desserts. So is the Greek Festival worth it? Every. Singel. Year. Is a yes!

Greek festival review: Pizza: 9/10, made quickly, flavor is…read morenice, quality texture, and a great taste. Would highly recommend Lamb Chops: 9/10 already ready, extremely flavorful, a nice taste, would highly recommend. Potatoes: 7/10 made fast, bland flavor, quite enjoyable, recommended if trying new things. Other: Good service, never rude and food was always finshed in a reasonable or excelling time frame, 8.5/10. Ambience was alright, everything was under white tents, didn't feel like Greece but still a good experience, 7/10. Overall: I feel like a 8.5/10 fits it, would recommend.

Four stars is per boyfriend since he's the nicer one between the two of us…read more We walked into the Dogwood Festival when it was just starting around noon, as we had just finished brunch at Circa and obtained great parking in front of the restaurant. - A ton of tents not set up yet at noon + A decent collection at the car show, featuring lots of fixed up older cars. + Portajohns were clean and had no lines! + Carnival area was decent and featured the typical fair games/rides, but there weren't any prizes that we wanted enough to play for. + Food area had your typical fair food. We got a pina colada in a coconut ($12). It was delicious! + Performers near the turnaround. We walked by as some bellydancers were doing their bit. Overall, it was just a decent fair for me. Boyfriend said for Fayetteville he was very impressed, so there's that.

Hmm...not sure what to write about this. The Dogwood Festival is an annual event held in downtown…read moreFayetteville. There aren't a whole lot of things I am impressed by in Fayetteville - however, the downtown area is one of them. A lot of money has been spent to refurbish buildings, build restaurants and renovate apartments. It is picturesque with a mix of historic churches, monuments and park areas. I don't really know what I was expecting for the "festival". There were a ton of food vendors in little trailers selling overpriced, deep fried crap. I am not above eating garbage, but even I don't do deep fried peanut butter cups and Oreos. There are also random things to buy like homemade knitted kitchen towels, candy, Bonsai trees, and various crafts. There is a "carnival" like area, but it closed at 7:30p. WTH? Not sure why they needed to close down so early. At Festival Park - there was a free John Michael Montgomery concert (guy was popular about 25 year ago). The "KidStuff" area was right outside of the park w/ free face painting and all kinds of "jump" house-type crud. I admit- I am weird. A big crowd of seedy people crammed in a small space doesn't do too much for me. I was just waiting to be trampled in a stampede or be shot. Closer to Festival Park - the crowd was so thick, thank God my friends wanted to turn around. It was about an hour before the concert, so there is NO way I would put myself in that type of situation with even more drunk people as the night progressed. We had a lovely dinner outside at Pierro's (review soon to come), but sure enough there was a fight out in the street before we left at the wicked late hour of 10pm. This fight starts and all these people come out of God only knows where running TOWARD the fight. Not sure if they were on Twitter, GangNet or what, but that's the kind of crowd I am referring to - not my scene. To the organizers' credit - there was a ton of security and Fayetteville Police Officers in the crowd on both foot and bike. I did read in the Fayetteville Observer that gang members were not excluded this year - I know an odd headline. I am sure that helped increase the festival's attendance. My friend and I both had on jeans and casual tops. Unfortunately, we did not know we had on way too much clothing. It amazes me how little clothing some wear in public - cover those rolls up! Oh well - not saying I would not go next year, but I wouldn't go out of my way either. The highlight was my company and dinner at Pierro's, but we could have done that any weekend. It's free and worth a walk around. I would not take any child down there at night - during the day might have been okay.

I was very excited to go to the Freedom Balloon Festival for the first time this year! We wanted…read morethe tethered balloon experience so we woke up at 5:30 and drove 40 minutes to get to Fuquay by 6:30! We parked about a mile away to avoid paying for parking. People were charging $10!! (Come on, this isn't the state fair) When we almost got to the park, directions were a bit unclear. We decided to just follow the crowd and we somehow ended up inside. When we got inside, again, things were unclear. We went early for the tethered experience and we couldn't find any balloons. Finally, we found one and we walked over there. It seemed like they were having issues with getting just one up. After waiting around 20+ minutes, we asked someone and was told that due to the weather, no balloons are flying. But she saw there were people in line to get the tickets for tethered balloon ride. We walked to the direction she told us but no one and no balloons were there. No one at that early of an hour were able to help us. We ended up just walking around. Since it was early in the morning, 90% of the vendors were unavailable. We waited 1.5 hours for the Disc Connected K-9 Frisbee Dogs. We enjoyed the dogs catching frisbees and hearing about their stories. All dogs with them were rescued, adopted, or fostered. Great show and great dogs. I think I would've had more fun had went in the evening with more vendors open. The only reason why we went early was for the tethered balloon ride since they only scheduled to do it either at 6:30am or 6:40pm. It would've been nice for them to post something on their website or Facebook page. I was quite disappointed. To Be fair, it did state on the website, weather pending but they didn't say what the appropriate weather would be. Other than the frisbee dogs, there were absolutely no activity available for people who came early. Maybe next year, I'll have better luck.

Awesome! Put this small town patriotic festival on your bucket list. It's FREE! Thanks to the…read morededicated group of volunteers running the event all weekend. The balloons were an awesome sight, especially the night time glow. The pilots and crew were friendly and informative. Great selection of food trucks at decent prices without ridiculous long lines. Two local breweries were selling cold beers for $5 each. The Fainting Goat (who we met) and Bombshell Brewery. Bring your bag chairs and hang out by the stage and enjoy the bands. Visit the vendors and if you bring the kiddos, there are plenty of activities for them too. We paid to park in a person's front yard for $10 and we were right by the park. My advice is arrive early on Friday--we got there about 4pm and plenty to do staying through the evening glow. Just be warned--balloons in flight depend on the weather and not just what's happening on the ground, but higher up. So be prepared that there's no guarantee on times and activities of the balloons. We lucked out--hope you do too!