Festivals & Events
1st Fridays on the Lawn
249 Nash St NW
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 399-2308
1st Friday (Jul-Oct): 6PM – 9PM The 1st Friday of each month during our season (July through October) join us on the Wilson County Library Lawn in Downtown Wilson for a FREE community concert, family entertainment and educational opportunities. The Wilson community comes together to relax, enjoy and get to know each other a little better. Using music and festivities to bring our diverse community together. Offering live bands, food vendors and community entertainment, and you just might learn something too!
ACT! for Youth Wilson Arts Center:
124 Nash St SW
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 291-4329
Providing live theater opportunities for the youth of Wilson County and surrounding areas. Productions are open to children in kindergarten through high school age who live in Wilson County, or whose parent(s) live or work in Wilson County, or those who are contributors to the Arts Council. Performances are open to the public and school day performances are also offered during the school year.
Arts Council of Wilson
124 Nash Street SW
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 291-4329
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Wilson County by providing cultural leadership and opportunities in the arts. Visit us at: www.wilsonarts.com.
A Banker’s Holiday
124 W Nash Street
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 291-4329 An annual event to benefit the Arts Council of Wilson, held the first Friday in December. Visit us at: http://www.wilson-nc.com/events.cfm.
Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
264 Governor Aycock Rd
Fremont, NC 27830
(919) 242-5581
The Charles B. Aycock historical site features the governor’s mid-nineteenth century farmstead, including a smokehouse, pantry, kitchen, corn barn, school house and stables. Admission is FREE.
Country Doctor Museum
6642 Peele Road
Bailey, NC 27807
(252) 235-4165
Tues – Sat: 10AM – 4PM Located in two small restored physician offices circa 1857, The Country Doctor Museum contains the Apothecary Shop, physician’s office, exhibit area, and a medicinal herb garden.
Dan Finch Pottery
5526 Finch Nursery Lane
Bailey, NC 27807
(252) 235-4664
Dan Finch Pottery is located on a family farm devoted to growing blueberry plants, pottery production and building bluebird nesting boxes. In addition, the farm is also the location of Homes for Bluebirds, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted solely to the preservation of bluebirds. All pottery is made, glazed, and fired at the farm studio.
Downtown Alive
201 Tarboro Street
Wilson, NC 27893
A summer concert series located in Historic Downtown Wilson and sponsored by the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation. Food and beverages are available for purchase.
Library Rose Garden
249 West Nash Street
Wilson, NC 27893
Open Daily: Sunrise to Sunset Founded in 1987, the Library Rose Garden features 24 varieties of Hybrid Tea Roses. Many of the varieties were designated as “All American Rose Selections” or have received other significant awards. Eight beds contain over 120 plants providing a continuous blooming season from mid-April until November.
The Playhouse of Wilson
108 Nash Street NE
PO Box 7505
Wilson NC 27893 A community theatre group, our actors are from all walks of life, each bringing a unique flavor to the stage. We produce three shows a season and are always looking new talent for the stage and behind the scenes. If you are interested in becoming part of The Playhouse family, please contact us.
P.L. Woodard House Center Street
Black Creek, NC 27813
(252) 236-5578 Open 2nd Sundays: 2PM to 4PM A restoration of the P.L. Woodard House in Black Creek, it is located downtown on Center Street. Porch Tours (252) 243-8440 Wilson offers walk by Porch Tours through Historic Neighborhoods. The architectural treasures have been enjoyed for centuries. Expect to find ornate brackets, turned, chamfered, fluted & tapered columns, large wrap around Victorian porches and bungalow homes.
Theater of the American South Wilson Art Center:
124 Nash Street SW
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 291-4329
A celebration of the culture of the South that spotlights fine Southern plays. This annual spring festival features two plays in repertory, as well as Southern cooking, a speaker series, quilt display, and other cultural events showcasing the richness of the Southern way of life.
Tobacco Farm Life Museum Hwy 301 South
Kenly, NC
Mailing address: PO Box 88 709 North Church Street
Kenly, NC 27542
(919) 284-3431
Sun – Mon: CLOSED Tues – Sat: 9:30AM to 5PM
The Tobacco Farm Life Museum demonstrates how families lived and worked in the tobacco industry. Visit an authentic farmhouse, see artifacts, or smell the sweet aroma of cured tobacco. Admission charged. Visit us at: http://www.tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org/.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
1806 Goldsboro Street SW
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 237-0113
Open Daily: Sunrise to Sunset Located at the Wilson County Agricultural Center, the Garden was started in 1997 as a resource to educate visitors on the diversity of plant material that can be used in landscaping residential property. The Garden is comprised of a tree collection, five different turf grass species evaluation, and bird and butterfly gardens, along with display gardens, as has over 235 plant species and will continue to expand from the J.C. Raulston Arboretum Collection. No pets, please.
Wilson County Fair, Inc.
2331 US Hwy 301 South
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 237-8443
Founded in 1933, Wilson County Fair, Inc. is a private, notfor-profit organization committed to serving the citizens of Wilson County and the surrounding areas. American Legion Post 13 elects 12 of its members to serve on the Fair's Board of Directors. Six community leaders are elected by the Fair Board to complete the 18-member Fair Board of Directors, which is charged with maintaining the fairground and facilities while promoting activities of interest to the community in addition to the annual agricultural fair.
Wilson Farmers Market
Locations during season: (April through September) 207 W Green Street
Wilson, NC 27893
2331 US Hwy 301 S
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 237-0111
Every Wednesday (Green St location) 8:00AM – 1PM Every Saturday (Fairgrounds) 7:30AM – 12PM
A market for growers to come together and offer consumers fresh local produce and local foods. It gives consumers a chance to purchase products directly from the grower who produced them. In this age of imported food safety concerns and economic concerns, the Wilson Farmers Market gives consumers a chance to look right across the table from the people who grew and harvested the products. Seasonal April – September. Visit us at: http://wilson.ces.ncsu.edu.
Wilson Whirligig Festival Mailing address:
200 Nash Street NE
Wilson, NC 27893
Email Contact: WilsonWhirligig@gmail.com An annual arts and crafts festival held the first full weekend of November in Wilson, NC. The festival began as the Golden Leaf Festival celebrating the history of tobacco in Wilson. Over time the festival shifted focus and transformed into an energetic down-town street festival focusing on arts and whirligigs! Each year the festival has grown and expanded to an estimated attendance of 20,000 people. Visit us at: www.whirligigfestivalnc.org.
Wilson Rose Garden
1800 Herring Avenue E.
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 399-2261
An All-America Rose Selections Public Garden, offers over 1,100 rose plants, consisting of 165 varieties of various types of roses ranging from historic old garden roses to modern hybrids, to David Austin’s modern English roses. Included are 63 varieties of All-America Rose Selections award winners. A picnic area adjoins the garden. Wilson
Winter Lights Children’s Secret Garden:
Wilson Botanical Gardens
1806 S. Goldsboro Street
Wilson, NC 27893
(252) 237-0113
Event is held rain, snow or sunshine. Showing handcrafted botanical decorations and housing flashing water features. Also providing music, lights, and visit with Santa. Visit us at: http://www.wilson-nc.com/events.cfm.