Spring in North Carolina is breathtaking. This state has beautiful scenery, fun festivals, and so many activities! Spring is a great time to travel because flowers are in bloom, fields are coming back to life, and my favorite part – crowds tend to be lower than summer months!
For the best spring activities in North Carolina, I recommend:
- North Carolina Azalea Festival
- Outer Banks Beaches
- Gardens at Biltmore
Whether you are looking to explore the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains or try a local brewery, I have curated a list that is sure to make you plan for a spring in North Carolina!
Spring In North Carolina: 10 Things To Do In March, April, And May!
North Carolina Azalea Festival
The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington is one of my favorite spring festivals in North Carolina! A whole festival dedicated to flowers? Sign me up! The festival kicks off in early April with the crowning of the Azalea Queen and her court! Then they roll right into a plethora of fun events. Musical guests have included T-Pain, Chase Rice, Aaron Lewis, Sublime, and so much more!
The festival also has a street fair where you can buy local artisan craft goods! With over 250 booths, I always find the cutest things from homemade candles and soap to fun cheeses for my friends to try!
The performing arts stage has stunning cultural dancing such as ballet folklorico, Samrah and Anisah dance, hula and a handful more! There is also a mariachi band most years! The weekend ends with a fireworks show and it just such a fun filled festival dedicated to a beautiful flower. You must go!!
Biltmore Blooms
My spring is incomplete without a visit to Biltmore Gardens! North Carolina honestly has a lot of really beautiful botanical gardens, but the Biltmore Estate takes elegance and charm to a whole new level. The home is known as the largest home in America and the property transports you to a different time and place.
The grounds at the Biltmore have thousands of colorful blooms for you to explore. The area is self guided so I always take my time and get really beautiful pictures. There is a ton of rich history starting with its construction by the Vanderbilts over a century ago.
I have a whole post dedicated to my tips for visiting The Biltmore Estate. There you will find everything you need! The Biltmore Estate is one of my most recommended places to visit during spring in North Carolina, or anytime of the year!
Minor League Baseball Games
One of my favorite spring activities in North Carolina is going to watch one of the state’s ten minor league teams play a game! Divided between single and triple A baseball, these ten teams offer lovable mascots, smaller venues, and fun-themed games!
Some of my favorite teams are the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and the Hickory Crawdads. The teams span the state from the Asheville Tourists in the west to the Down East Wood Ducks and feed teams such as the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.
Grab some stadium food and spend the day outside in the gorgeous weather!
North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival
North Carolina in May is not complete without the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival! Usually hosted mid-May, this festival brings together two of humanity’s favorite things: beer and music! I think this is the perfect way to kick off summer with a day spent outside with friends!
There are usually about ten bands that they have going all through the weekend. The thing I love about this festival is the idyllic setting of Historic Rural Hill where you can camp to enjoy the whole weekend or just pop in for a day! Saturday is the big event day with unlimited tasting so if you can only choose one day, I definitely recommend that one!
Over forty breweries are on site to serve their delectable brews. You must try Stardust Cellars and Petty Thieves! You really can’t go wrong, North Carolina breweries are top notch!
Bud Break at North Carolina Wineries
The bud break at North Carolina wineries is when the buds swell on the vine and lots of the wineries have events and celebrations! There are a ton of wineries in North Carolina, so this is quite a special event! There is a couple ways you can go about enjoying this time of year!
First, you can find an individual winery that has a bud break event such as Linville Falls Winery in Newland. This winery is a great option because they have a wonderful brunch event and is one of my favorite events in North Carolina in April. Serving smoked salmon and friend chicken biscuits, this will be a treat for your tastebuds. Plus, the views of the rolling grapevines are stunning.
Second, you can attend the Budbreak Festival in Mount Airy. Hosted in May, this festival has twenty wineries that come out and they bring their best for you to sample! Perfect for a group with varying palettes, this event also has breweries in attendance. Stop at one of the local restaurants for lunch and then keep wine tasting! Both options are great spring events in North Carolina!
Explore Asheville in Shoulder Season
Shoulder season is the perfect time to explore Asheville! Shoulder season is the team between peak seasons when an area is less busy and impacted by tourists and Asheville is a very popular place, so shoulder season is one of the best times to go!
Spring in the North Carolina mountains needs a trip to Asheville. There are so many amazing hiking trails and some even have waterfalls! The food scene is off the charts! Make sure to grab a delicious breakfast before spending the day on the trails!
You should definitely make a weekend out of it and stay in a treehouse! Or they have plenty of really cute bed and breakfasts if you want to be more centrally located! I love Asheville and I know you will to!
Outer Banks Beaches
When I am in North Carolina in March, I always go to beaches in Outer Banks! The average temperature is 62 degrees Fahrenheit which is the perfect sweater weather for a beach stroll. The white sand beaches with the cooler weather is such a vibe.
This is the most perfect weekend getaway. Whether you are into camping or renting a house, the Outer Banks area has every accommodation imaginable. I already have you covered on the best restaurants in the Outer Banks as well! I am telling you, I love it here.
You must check out the Outer Banks beaches!! You will never run out of things to do.
Hiking Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
For some of the most beautiful views in all of North Carolina in spring, hiking through the Blue Ridge Parkway is the best thing you can do! My favorite thing to see while hiking here are all the stunning overlooks. To stand what feels like the top of the world and look down over rolling blue mountains and so much greenery is a humbling experience.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are huge! But do not worry, I have already round up the best hikes for you. There are some difficult ones, some easy ones, and everything in between.
Walk the Wildflower Trails
Spring in North Carolina means wildflowers! I love wildflowers. It is a sign of that we are coming out of winter, that warm weather is ahead. In my opinion, a field of wildflowers is in the top tier of beauty.
There are many place to see wildflowers throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A couple of my favorites are Porter’s Creek Trail, Big Creek Trail, and Oconaluftee River Trail. If you want to stick with the Blue Ridge Parkway, the best trail is Graveyard Fields.
North Carolina Science Festival
Every April in North Carolina, the North Carolina Science Festival is statewide. There are over four hundred events both in person and virtual! I have included a lot of outdoorsy stuff so I wanted to make sure and through in something for people who prefer the indoors!
The goal is to help spread science education through exciting, educational, and fun hands-on science events and they really do need the whole month to do it! The festival includes star parties at planetariums, festivals, nature walks, and more! There is sure to be something you are interested in.
My problem is being interested in too many of the events. I just consider it a reason to stay at one of the many amazing resorts in North Carolina!
15 Best Landmarks In Washington DC To Visit