The weather seems to finally be matching the season, and it's time to break out the flannel shirts and start searching for Halloween pumpkins. It's also time for fairs and festivals.
Many of us associate this time of year with a trip to the North Carolina mountains for apple picking and other events. The western part of our state is still recovering from flooding and devastation brought on by Hurricane Helene, but some areas are starting to encourage visitors to come back.
All state parks west of Interstate 77 are closed through at least Oct. 31, according to park officials, and most October events at state parks across the state have been canceled. Click here for a map of closures.
We've put together a list of things happening around North Carolina this weekend.
The wait is over! The N.C. State Fair opened its gates in Raleigh Thursday and will stay open daily through Oct. 27. Grab a funnel cake (or something else fried) and make your way to a high-flying ride.
More than 60 animals will be at the State Fair Ark. There's music, a miniature farm known as the "field of dreams," a dairy show, antique farm equipment and plenty of other exhibits and shows ready to entertain.
Related article: Peach cobbler pizza, live music and more: A look at the N.C. State Fair
Click here for tickets. Children age 5 and under are free.
It could take an entire day to really experience the fair in all its glory, or even longer if you wanted to check out every attraction and all the food.
Take a ride way up high or just watch brightly-colored hot air balloons glide through the sky at the Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville this weekend.
The festival is happening Oct. 18 - Oct. 20. There will be hot air balloon competitions, live entertainment, a kids' zone, an artisan village and marketplace and a wine and beer garden, event organizers said.
As a nonprofit and festival, event organizers said a percentage of proceeds from Carolina BallonFest will go to nonprofit organizations.
Tickets and balloon rides are separate. Click here for tickets. Click here to book a balloon ride.
Festival hours are 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m Friday, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Crafts by more than 100 artists, music, children's inflatables, food, a silent auction and a beer and wine garden are all things you'll find at Autumn with Topsail this weekend.
It's a 3-day festival and tickets start at $7 for a single day. The Autumn With Topsail Festival is held on the grounds of the Historical Society of Topsail Island. It started in 1988.
Friday's hours are 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday's hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday's hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Shuttles are also available for the event.
Get your tastebuds ready. In North Carolina's mini "Napa Valley," Yadkin Valley is holding a wine festival this weekend.
Admission is free.
The festival is happening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Yadkinville. There will be wine tasting, entertainment, food and vendors.
For those who want to try a variety of wines, tasting tickets are $20 in advance. It's $25 at the door and $20 for those with a military I.D.
A photo I.D. is required for all tasters.
Click here for information about tickets, shuttle service and parking.
Pumpkin picking at Holder Hill Farm
Halloween is nearing so it's a good time to head to the patches and pluck that jack-o'-lantern to be! Holder Hill Farm, like many other pumpkin patches across the state, is embracing the season with hayrides, walking rails and of course, pumpkins!
The 7-acre patch is filled with a variety of gourds of all shapes and sizes.
The farm is open seven days a week through Nov. 3.
Tickets are $16, and those age 2 and under are free.
Admission includes the hay ride, corn maze, nature trail, corn crib, hay mountain, tractor land, a visit with farm animals, and a pumpkin.
There are also plenty of corn mazes to get lost in. One in Shelby has a haunted maze on weekends in October.
The Shelby Fall Festival has an 8-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, U-pick flowers, farm animals and more than 40 attractions.
Expect food, fun and family entertainment.
Tickets start at $15 for those age 3 and older.
Here are some other corn mazes cropping up around the state:
McKee Cornfield Maze - Rougemont, N.C.
Hubb's Farm Corn Maze - Clinton, N.C.
Naylor Family Farm & Corn Maze - Fuquay Varina, N.C.
Grab a turkey leg and take a step back in time! The Carolina Renaissance Festival is going on in Huntersville Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 24., from 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. The festival opened last weekend.
"Adventure awaits with games and rides, valiant jousting knights on horseback, majestic falconry, beautiful mermaids and fairies, friendly dragons, feasting, and so much more," event organizer posted.
With over 140 vendors, there's jewelry, arts and crafts available at the event's open-air market, and the opportunity to rent a costume for the day. Event-style food, like bread bowls, and beverages are available too. From tomato-tossing to a jousting show, entertainment is scattered through the park.
Tickets can be purchased ahead of time. Event organizers say they often sell out. Children under age 4 are free.
Carowinds transforms into a haunted amusement park at night with haunted houses, mazes, "scare zones," roaming monsters and live performances.
"Hungry hordes of zombies and bloodthirsty vampires lie in wait, ready to turn unsuspecting guests into their next macabre feast. Their sinister screams echo throughout the park, an inescapable chorus of terror," SCarowinds organizers posted.
Carowinds recommends only those age 13 and older attend. Gates open at 6 p.m. and close at midnight.
For younger kids and for those who prefer more family-friendly activities, the park has "Tricks and Treats" and Oktoberfest events during the day on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month. Rides are open and there's pumpkin decorating, a pumpkin patch where children can choose a pumpkin, a parade, and a Halloween costume contest. Kids are encouraged to bring something to hold their candy in if they want to participate in the "trick or treat trail." The event is noon to 6 p.m. The park opens at 10 a.m. both days.
Tickets vary in price and are free for those who hold certain season passes.
The park is at 14523 Carowinds Blvd. in Charlotte.