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Oxford: NC Hot Sauce Festival
What: Can you handle the heat? Enter the NC Pepper Eating Contest at this festival in downtown Oxford on September 14. Or just taste some of the state’s best barbecue with a side of hot sauce. Beer and other spiced-up foods will also be served.
When: September 14
Where: Downtown Oxford, North Carolina
For more information, visit nchotsaucecontest.com.
Rose Hill: Grape Stomp
What: Squish grapes between your toes at this 43rd annual grape-stomping celebration at Duplin Winery. Dance to live music, enjoy wine tastings, and tour the winery.
When: September 14
Where: 505 North Sycamore Street, Rose Hill, NC 28458
For more information, visit duplinwinery.com/event/grape-stomp.
Clemmons: NC’s Big Pour
What: Listen to live music and enjoy a variety of craft beverages — from coffee and tea to cider and beer — at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. You can even take a class to learn how to make a craft beverage at home.
When: September 14
Where: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012
For more information, visit bigpournc.com.
Maggie Valley: Smoky Mountain Elk Fest
What: This festival commemorates the reintroduction of elk into the Great Smoky Mountains in 2001 after years of overhunting. Celebrate the occasion with an educational hike, an elk tour, and cultural performances in Maggie Valley.
When: September 13-14
Where: 3374 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC 28751
For more information, visit visitncsmokies.com/smoky-mountain-elk-fest.
Pinehurst: Live After 5 Concert
What: Grab a blanket and some friends, and listen to a free beach music concert by the Band of Oz at Tufts Memorial Park in Pinehurst. Bring your own picnic or try food truck fare.
When: September 13
Where: 1 Village Green Road West, Pinehurst, North Carolina 28374
For more information, visit ncfestivals.com.
Blowing Rock: Blowing Rock Music Festival
What: Jam out to live Americana, folk, blues, rock, and jazz at The Blowing Rock attraction.
When: September 14
Where: 432 The Rock Road, Blowing Rock, NC 28605
For more information, visit theblowingrock.com.
For our full list of September events, check out our Carolina Calendar.
In North Carolina, spring brings the scent of fresh-cut grass and memories of helping Dad mow the lawn.
Nostalgic burger joints are like time machines, delivering something extra special that keeps us coming back.
This tiny city block in downtown Greensboro once had a gigantic reputation. Not so much for its charbroiled beef patties — though they, too, were plentiful — but for its colorful characters and their wild shenanigans.
In the 1950s, as Americans hit freshly paved roads in shiny new cars during the postwar boom, a new kind of restaurant took shape: the drive-in. From those first thin patties to the elaborate gourmet hamburgers of today, North Carolina has spent the past 80 years making burger history.
