North Carolina Travel Blog

Since its inception in 1980, the North Carolina Jazz Festival continues a tradition of bringing world-class jazz musicians to Wilmington, North Carolina.

During the weekend of February 5 through 7, 2009, the 29^th Annual North Carolina Jazz Festival will present concerts by more than a dozen traditional jazz artists who will perform in a cabaret-style setting at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside’s ballroom. Aficionados can see and hear their favorite traditional jazz musicians perform live, along with opportunities to meet and mingle with the artists.

Joining this year’s lineup of superb talent for the first time are Israeli clarinet and saxophone player Anat Cohen and Italian pianist Rossano Sportiello. Also new to the 2009 festival are Judy Kurtz and Gypsy Jazz Caravan bassist Mike Weatherly. Returning this year for the all-star lineup on Friday and Saturday evenings are Butch Miles, Randy Reinhart and Nicki Parrott.

Back by popular demand are festival favorites Ed Polcer (trumpet/cornet), Joe Ascione (drums) Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), John Cocuzzi (vibes and piano), Houston Person (saxophone), and Wycliffe Gordon (trombone).

The 2009 North Carolina Jazz Festival’s Thursday night opening event includes a special half-hour performance of swing music by the UNC-Wilmington Big Band, with a tribute honoring Benny Goodman’s 100^th birthday. Joining the UNCW Big Band is Mike Waddell, a UNCW music professor and former clarinetist with “The Dukes of Dixieland.” Following the opening set, headliner Ed  Polcer & His Swingtet will perform “Lionel, Red, and Bunny: A Tribute to Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, and Bunny Berigan.”

Presented in partnership with the Cape Fear Jazz Society, the N.C. Jazz festival is the only traditional jazz festival of its size on the coast from Virginia to Georgia. Advance reservations are recommended, as this event often sells out. Individual concert ticket prices vary: Thursday ($30 per person; $15 student rate); Friday and Saturday ($50 general admission, $15 students, each night). Patron tickets ($175 each) include admission to Friday/Saturday concerts and the Patron’s Musical Brunch with all-star musicians (Saturday). Patrons may include Thursday night’s special event concert for a total ticket price of $200. For tickets and information about the N.C. Jazz Festival, call 910-793-1111 or visit www.ncjazzfestival.com. Tickets may also be purchased at Audio Lab (5732 Oleander Dr., Wilmington; 910-392-1200). All events take place at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, the festival’s host hotel (301 N. Water Street, Wilmington). For hotel reservations and special festival room rates, call 910-763-5900 or visit www.wilmingtonhilton.com.

Wilmington and North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast are famous for their holiday flotilla’s — lighted boat parades that capture the region’s nautical essence. There’s the Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach and the Island of Lights Holiday Flotilla in Carolina Beach. What’s more, you can enjoy everyone’s annual favorite, Enchanted Airlie in Wilmington.

This is the stuff great holiday memories are made of. These spectacular nighttime holiday flotillas are very popular, with thousands of cheering visitors enjoying the spectacle of sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes from rowboats to yachts. Here’s what is in the offing this year:

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North Carolina is fortunate to have THE largest community of working potters in the country — in the charming small town of Seagrove. Potters have worked in this area for literally hundreds of years. What’s special this year? 2008 is the inaugural Celebration of Seagrove Potters and it will be held indoors at the historic Luck’s Cannery.

Here’s the schedule right from Susan Greene, Publicity Co-Chair: 

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NC travel HOT TIP! Here’s a great offbeat event “down east” in Wilmington, North Carolina. Head to downtown Wilmington for ChowdaFest — Saturday, November 8, in Historic Downtown, 12:00 Noon. It’s a local, colorful celebration of all things chowder. As they say, How’dya Like Ya Chowda? Hot clam chowder on a cool fall afternoon sounds like the ingredients for a popular festival in these parts. As a matter of fact, the Sixth Annual ChowdaFest serves up three kinds of clam chowder on the patio behind Fat Tony’s Italian Pub at 131 N. Front Street in downtown Wilmington.

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Here’s a new exhibit you might want to consider if you want to do your part to help improve the environment. Experience the Carolina Living Green Expo on November 21st through November 23rd at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord, North Carolina. This is a new expo concept built around living green. Admission is FREE.

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Craft shows are very popular. One of the best is taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s The American Craft Show at the uptown Convention Center, October 31 – November 2, 2008. New artists, new work, and a Green Craft component will be on display. Celebrating its 14th year in Charlotte, this much-anticipated event delivers the nation’s leading 200 artists and their latest designer jewelry, furniture, clothing, home decor and more, to the public. You can indulge in daily raffles and live demonstrations and meet the artists who create these one-of-a-kind treasures. 

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I don’t know about you but I have a particular fascination with Renaissance Festivals. And Charlotte, North Carolina hosts one of the nation’s absolute best. It’s called The Carolina Renaissance Festival and it’s happening now through November 16. Punch into your GPS Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road in Charlotte.

If you are not familiar with this type of event, The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a 16th century

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Fayetteville, North Carolina is the proud home of the 82nd Airborne and America’s first name in defense. This is truly a city that knows what it means to be ready at a moment’s notice. 

Along that same vein, six of Fayetteville’s finest area golf courses and seven of its best hotels have enlisted in a new marketing campaign called “Golf – On the Ready” to offer some of the fastest tee times, best deals and easiest accommodations along I-95 and the East Coast.

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Get to Kersey Farms near High Point, North Carolina now for Spookywoods – a 55 acre visual extravaganza rated as one of the nation’s premier haunted attractions. As featured in the October issue of US Airways in-flight magazine, this is the “must see and do” fall event in North Carolina. Haunt World Magazine – yes, there is such a publication — and the thousands of horror fan subscribers voted Spookywoods in the coveted Top 13 haunted attractions in the world in 2007 and 2008. That’s huge! The Top 13 haunted attractions list has made the world’s most respected newspapers and TV shows, including the CBS Good Morning show, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and many many more. continue reading…

High Point, North Carolina is well known for its furniture industry – and home to the highly-respected High Point University. But that’s certainly not all. There’s the superb High Point Theatre (http://www.highpointtheatre.com). I just checked out its upcoming calendar for the holidays and here’s what’s on tap:

November 7-9 – High Point Community Theatre presents Sound of Music.

This simple story has inspired generations with its encouragement to face life’s fears with courage—and a song or two.

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North Carolina’s fabled Outer Banks is known as one of the world’s most unique wildlife environments, particular for migrating birds. Talk about a great North Carolina road trip. Head to the Outer Banks for A Celebration of Wildlife & Wildlands in Eastern North Carolina. The annual Wings Over Water Festival is slated this year for November 4-9.

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Have you checked out Old Salem, North Carolina? Old Salem offers a fascinating historical experience that showcases how people worked and lived in the early South. Old Salem is within sight of downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Old Salem Museums & Gardens will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Old Salem Toy Museum.  There will be a number of special events and activities throughout October and November to commemorate the anniversary. continue reading…

North Carolina barbecue. Yum! Billed as one of the top ten food festivals in the US by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the 25^th Anniversary Barbecue Festival is set for Saturday, October 25 in Uptown Lexington, NC. The festival includes exhibits and great entertainment. This year’s headliner is Lee Ann Womack. continue reading…

Find the treasure of your dreams in North Carolina at the Moore County Historical Association’s 48th Annual Antique Show and Sale to be held at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst, NC October 31 through November 2. Antique dealers from New York to Florida will fill the historic Fair Barn, continue reading…

Pinehurst Resort, the venerable North Carolina golfing mecca and site of two recent US Open Championships, has received another gold star. The resort has been ranked Number One by the readers of Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine as their top choice for their next golf trip above any other in North America. The Resort — which features the stunning Carolina Hotel with recently remodeled rooms and a world-class Spa — was also ranked by readers as the “best resort for a buddy trip” in the Southeast. The Resort boasts a new golf school facility to complement its eight championship golf courses. Within easy walking distance of the Resort is the quaint Village of Pinehurst, offering boutique shopping and excellent dining establishments — including the Holly Inn, Pinecrest Inn and Magnolia Inn.