Pender County events receive Excellence Awards BURGAW - Pender County events and festivals took home honors from the NC Association of Festivals and Events (NCAFE) Annual ShowFest in Charlotte. NCAFE recognizes outstanding events and festivals from across the state. “We are thrilled to announce, that Ocean Fest and Burgaw’s New Year's Eve Blueberry Drop are the 2024 NC Association of Festivals...

Pender County Tourism partnered with Visit NC at the recent New York Travel and Adventure Show. These travel shows allow visitors to discover new travel options, learn the latest travel tips and advice, personalize your itinerary with destination experts, and maybe save big on your next trip. The Travel & Adventure Shows are the industry’s premier travel booking and planning events held throughout the United...

Moores Creek Battleground Association in collaboration with regional partners is actively planning a week of celebrating America’s 250 th and the 250 th Commemoration of the Battle at Moores Creek Bridge on Feb. 21-28, 2026. In 2026 the inaugural North Carolina First in Freedom Festival will celebrate more than 250 years of our Nation’s story and culture viewed through the lens of historical North Carolina...

We are very excited about this year's 2024 Visitor Guide! With more printed guides, we look forward to the 2024 guide being increasingly distributed locally, throughout the state, in the NC Visitor Centers, online, and more! View this year's guide here: 2024 Vistors Guide

The North Carolina Blueberry Festival will host its annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast fundraiser. The breakfast will be taking place at the Burgaw Fire Station, located at 109 N Walker St., On Saturday, February 10th, 2024. Blueberry pancakes, sausage, and a beverage of choice will be served from 8 am to 11 am, for $10 per person- Children under the age of 5 eat with a $1 donation. Tickets may be purchased in advance...

It was another fantastic New Year's Eve Blueberry Drop & Fireworks Display in Downtown Burgaw, NC! Thank you to all who came out to ring in their new year a little early with us. We had a fantastic time with great music provided by ACE Party Band, food trucks, fireworks of course the lowering of the biggest blueberry in NC! It was a record crowd in attendance helping celebrate the new year in Blueberry...

2023 New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop to add Fireworks Display BURGAW – Ring in the New Year in Burgaw! The Town of Burgaw, Pender County Tourism, Pender County Parks and Recreation, and the North Carolina Blueberry Festival will celebrate its 6th Annual New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop powered by W. O. Grubb Crane Rental. “The annual Blueberry Drop has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in...

Ghost Walk Awards Non-Profit Partners BURGAW – The Ghost Walk of Pender’s Past gifts its non-profit partners with proceeds from this year’s event. Stephanie Key, the Ghost Walk's artistic director, and the Pender County Tourism Office were pleased to award three non-profit partners with the earnings from the event’s October 2023 proceeds. All proceeds from the Ghost Walk are divided...

Celebrating the Holidays in Pender! We have all the great holiday events for you to enjoy giving you a merry and bright holiday experience! Happy Thanksgiving, Fill your table and your plate when visiting your family or your favorite local restaurant this Thanksgiving. Ready to enjoy bright & colorful Christmas lights? The epic lighted grounds celebration is back for its second year at Poplar Grove’s...

BURGAW – Tickets to the Burgaw Holiday Homes Tour are on sale now, the Pender County Historical Society announced today. The Burgaw Holiday Tour of Homes is set for Dec. 2, from 3-7 p.m. Tickets are $15 per adult and $5 for children ages 5 and under. “We will feature 11 sites, including 9 homes, the Historic Pender County Jail/Tourism Welcome Center, and the Burgaw Presbyterian Church on this year’s...

With Halloween behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to the upcoming holiday festivities. On Veterans Day weekend, a ceremony to honor our military will take place in Burgaw at the Historic Train Depot on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. That evening, turn your attention to the heroes of the Revolutionary War at the very site where the first victory was won by those seeking independence from British rule. Moores Creek...

TOPSAIL BEACH- The Topsail Beach Top Secret Hike was among the most popular hikes during the Year of the Trail celebration in Pender County. Due to popular demand, The Historical Society of Topsail Island, Missiles and More Museum, and Pender County Tourism will present the Topsail Beach Top Secret Hike again on Nov. 4. Hikes will step off from the Missiles and More Museum at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. ...

For the sixth year in a row the Ghost Walk: The Ghosts of Pender's Past was a sell-out on Oct. 28. "Its success can only be attributed to the almost 100 volunteers who make this event happen," said Stephanie Key, the Walk's artist director. Key is quick to add, without volunteers from the Historical Society of Topsail Island, the Pender County Historical Society, the Pender Arts Council, the...

Clint Smith, Brian Hemenway, and Reynaldo Gomez opened Surf City Brewing on Friday, Oct. 13. It’s not an unlucky thing for the community. The veteran-owned and operated brewery calls this area home and in 2019 they developed a business plan to bring high-quality beer in a community-friendly atmosphere. “This is home,” said Rey. “We’re engaged with the community.” “We...

34th Autumn With Topsail Festival October 20th, 21st & 22nd, 2023 The Autumn With Topsail Festival is held on the grounds of the Historical Society of Topsail Island and the Assembly Building which houses the Missiles & More Museum in Topsail Beach, NC. The festival features an Artists’ and Crafts Court with over 100 regional artists displaying and selling their work. Enjoy exciting live musical entertainment,...

We love every turtle that comes to us for care and hopefully a second chance. But right now a sizable adult loggerhead lady has stolen our hearts. “Titanite” was rescued from a research pound net on July 15th and it was immediately apparent that she had been the victim of a brutal shark attack, and a fairly recent one at that. She was missing a portion of her right front flipper, had large bite marks in...

Ocean Fest, To Surf & Protect October 13 & 14 Surf City, NC - FREE admission! An Award-winning, Nonprofit eco-friendly, surf, arts, & music festival. Ocean Fest continues to strive toward educating the community about the ocean and the ecological threats that exist for our marine environments while teaching and incorporating ways we all can better protect those environments. Ocean Fest is a two-day...

Take the Turkey Trek at Miller’s Pond Park ROCKY POINT- Have you ever called a wild turkey? It’s almost Thanksgiving and it’s time to learn how to call a turkey. Join Pender County Tourism and Pender County Parks and Recreation for the November family fun hike in celebration of the NC Year of the Trail and learn to gobble like a turkey along the way. The Turkey Trek hike will begin in the...

You don’t have to travel from Pender County to enjoy a wide selection of events and festivals. October features two of the nation’s best, the award-winning Ocean Fest in Surf City Oct. 13-14, and Autum with Topsail in Topsail Beach on Oct. 20-22. These two festivals are family fun. Both feature a great selection of live music, food, and beverages. As far as October events, our local farmers are gearing...

Tickets are on sale now for the award-winning Ghost Walk, Ghost Walk of Pender’s Past , a haunting tour around Burgaw’s historic cemetery. Tickets may be purchased online here . Tickets may also be ordered via phone with a credit card by calling 910-259-1278. Tickets are $15 per adult; admission for students ages 5-17 are $10 each. Children aged 4 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. The...

The Old Pender County Jail in downtown Burgaw at 106 East Wilmington St. is the home of the Pender County Tourism office. The newly restored Jail is right on the Courthouse Square, and as a visitor, you will have no problem finding the new Visitor Center. You will find information about what there is to see and do in Pender County with plenty of parking in front or behind the Jail. The building was built in 1924...

The greater Topsail area has a new watering hole. Hidden Ships Distillery, the first distillery to open in Pender County, is the creation of Amy and Andy Szwejbka. Their story sets sail when Andy retired from the Marines after a 20-year career. They loaded their four children and a dog into an RV and navigated the nation for one year. As the Szwejbka family visited unique breweries and distilleries, the idea of...

The Town of Burgaw is pleased to announce the first-ever Autumn Fest to be hosted in downtown Burgaw on October 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event is currently being sponsored by Burgaw Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Pender County Parks and Recreation, and the Burgaw Tourism Development Authority. Autumn Fest will feature numerous activities including craft vendors, kids’ activities and candy, pumpkin...

“Shellebrate” North Carolina Oyster Month all October long with a wide range of activities spanning our state. Connect with local oyster growers and harvesters, enjoy seafood restaurants, markets, and festivals, and support coastal conservation and education organizations as we kick off the start of the wild-caught oyster season. As a keystone species, oysters are crucial to North Carolina’s marine...

Attention Outlander Fans Join us on the Outlander Hike at Moores Creek National Battlefield! Fans of the Outlander series, based on novels by Diana Gabaldon, will want to walk the history of the popular television series. Gabaldon wrote about the American Revolution and Colonial North Carolina, noting the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. Wear your tartan and join Jason Howell on Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. for this fall Year...