It's November and before we get into the stretch of holiday events and visits with family, there are lots of fun things happening to pencil in on the calendar.
Below are events happening around North Carolina this weekend.
Start checking off your holiday shopping list and support college students at the same time at the Down East Holiday Show in Greenville. More than 180 small businesses will be selling handcrafted items, holiday decorations and food! You'll also be contributing to educational opportunities and scholarships for students at Pitt Community College.
The show is happening Nov. 7-10 at the Greenville Convention Center.
Taste wines from nine different wineries in Yadkin Valley, North Carolina's mini "Napa Valley."
The tour started Nov. 1 and will run through Dec. 31.
Tickets are $100 but can be shared between two people. A ticket includes a visit and tasting of five wines (1 oz. pours) or a flight of four wines (2 oz. pours) at all nine of the participating wineries. Each ticket also includes a custom ornament from each winery.
Event organizers recommend checking each winery's hours of operation and private event closings before traveling to the winery.
Participating wineries include:
- Brandon Hills Vineyards
- Cellar 4201
- Dobbins Creek Vineyards
- Divine Llama Vineyards
- Hanover Park Vineyards
- Midnight Magdalena Vineyards
- Sanders Ridge Vineyards
- Shadow Springs Vineyards
- Windsor Run Cellars
Shop drastically reduced furniture at the Fall After Market Sale in High Point.
The event is happening at the Hickory Furniture Mart in Hickory on Nov. 8, 9 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Nov. 10 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"There will be new one-of-a-kind Market samples and overruns brought in from the manufacturers’ Fall High Point Furniture Market showroom displays," the website states. "These Market samples are not available anywhere else in the world."
The event is free to attend! There is also a cafe and coffee shop serving up local eats and drinks to enjoy while shopping. There's even an art gallery to peruse!
Click here for a list of participating stores and discounts being offered.
Motorco Radical Healing Benefit
Check out your local music hall and catch a show. In Durham, Radical Healing is hosting a benefit, where profits from the show go toward more accessible health care. The event is happening Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are being offered in tiers to increase attendance.
Enjoy performances from Gemynii, Shirlette Ammons and H.C. McEntire.
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. to 5 p.m.
"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 organizers posted.
With over 140 vendors, there's jewelry and 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 said they often sell out. Children under age 4 are free.
Five North Carolina state park sites that had been closed since Helene moved through have reopened. Crowders Mountain State, Gorges State Park, Grandfather Mountain State Park, Lake Norman State Park and Rendezvous Mountain State Park are now open again.
Related article: Five state parks reopened in western North Carolina after catastrophic Helene