Backroad Bulletin: March Events 🌸
A chuck wagon cook-off, cherry blossoms, and the ‘Viking Experience’
March blows in with cultural festivals, ethnic foods, spring blossoms, and more. Here are some events to help you usher in the warmer days ahead.
North Carolina Rice Festival
March 4-7, 2026; times vary by day
Brunswick County, North Carolina
Set at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, the North Carolina Rice Festival honors Gullah Geechee heritage and rice-growing traditions in rural Brunswick County with cultural exhibits, storytelling, drumming, dance, hands-on demos, food vendors, and a riverside walk celebrating agricultural history.
Pigeon Forge Chuck Wagon Cookoff
March 6-8, 2026; times vary by day
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
This unique cowboy-themed event in the Great Smoky Mountains features a chuck wagon cook-off competition, live dinner concerts, a luncheon, a cowboy church service, and western heritage activities. Special guest Barry Corbin, best known for his roles in Urban Cowboy, Lonesome Dove, and Northern Exposure, headlines the event.
The South Carolina Pimento Cheese Festival
March 14, 2026; 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Columbia, South Carolina
The South Carolina Pimento Cheese Festival celebrates the South’s beloved spread, held annually in Columbia at scenic Saluda Shoals Park. This free event features creative pimento cheese tastings, innovative dishes from food trucks, and local vendors showcasing signature recipes. Attendees enjoy live music, a bustling arts and crafts fair, games, and entertainment suitable for all ages.
Highland County Maple Festival
March 14-15 and 21-22, 2026
9 a.m.-5 p.m. both Saturdays; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both Sundays
Monterey, Virginia
Virginia’s Highland County Maple Festival celebrates the southernmost U.S. maple-producing region in the U.S., with events countywide, including free sugar camp tours, syrup demos, pancake feasts, and buckwheat cakes. Enjoy bluegrass music, clogging, artisan crafts, and maple treats amid scenic backroads.
International Cherry Blossom Festival
March 20-29, 2026; times vary
Macon, Georgia
Dubbed the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World,” Macon explodes with pink blooms this time of year and hosts a festival that includes parades, concerts, food, arts, and unique blossom-themed events celebrating the region’s vibrant Yoshino cherry trees.
Suwanee Beer Fest
March 21, 2026; noon to 5 p.m.
Town Center Park
Suwanee, Georgia
This festival at Town Center Park spotlights hundreds of U.S. craft beers from 100-plus breweries. Enjoy live music, cornhole, axe-throwing, food trucks, and local vendors. The Georgia Beer Garden features over 70 homegrown favorites from up-and-coming Georgia brewers.
The Church Hill Irish Festival
March 21-22, 2026; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Historic Church Hill neighborhood
Richmond, Virginia
This community-focused Irish heritage festival in Historic Church Hill celebrates St. Patrick’s Day traditions with live Celtic music, Irish dancing, authentic Irish food, crafts, family activities, and cultural exhibits.
The Viking Experience Festival
March 21-22 and 28-29, 2026
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays
Oxford, North Carolina
Granville County’s immersive Viking-themed festival features live combat demos, historical encampments, axe-throwing competitions, mead tasting, music, dancing, artisan vendors, and hearty food. It’s a unique, family-oriented celebration of Norse heritage in a rural setting.
Wing & Rock Fest
March 21-22, 2026
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday
Canton, Georgia
The Southeast’s largest wing festival celebrates its 18th year during this free, family-friendly extravaganza at Etowah River Park. The Wing & Rock Fest presents food from over 25 vendors, tribute bands like the Stone Temple Pirates and Thunderstruck, DJ sets, arts and crafts, a farmers market, a kids zone, and wing-eating contests.
Ironweed Bluegrass Festival
March 28, 2026; gates open at 1 p.m.
York, South Carolina
Hosted by the Arts Council of York County in historic downtown York, this rural-rooted bluegrass celebration honors Appalachian-influenced food, music, and community spirit. Enjoy live bands like Radio Flyer and Deeper Shade of Blue.
Yadkin Valley’s Winter Wine & Beer Passport
Through March 29, 2026
Participating wineries in Dobson, Elkin, and Mount Airy, North Carolina
Passport purchasers receive either one or two tastings at each of twelve participating locations plus discounts at local restaurants, accommodations, and businesses. Experience eight wineries and four breweries with the passport, which is valued at $350.
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