19 Incredible Southern Festivals Worth Adding to Your Bucket List
From the soulful strumming of bluegrass in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the spicy sizzle of Cajun cuisine along the Gulf Coast, the American South pulses with a vibrant, eclectic spirit, best experienced through its many festivals.
Festivals in the Southern U.S. often center around food, art, or music. While you will find some of these festivals celebrate one thing exclusively, many include several different facets making them even more fun to attend.
Forget fleeting tourist traps; these festivals are worth building an entire trip around, promising unforgettable experiences that will leave you craving the warmth, flavor, and rhythm of the South long after you’ve returned home.
The Original Round Top Antiques Fair
Over 100,000 people visit Round Top, Texas for The Original Round Top Antiques Fair. The fair is held three times a year once in each season except summer. From home accessories to art to bespoke furniture, endless aisles of tailgate-style tents sell everything you can imagine.
Plus, don’t miss out on the Big Red Barn where they have 30,000 square feet of incredible antiques.
Artsplosure
Held in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, Artsplosure is one of the Southeast’s biggest celebrations of visual art and live performance.
The festival features hundreds of artists working across mediums like painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and sculpture, along with live music, large-scale installations, food vendors, and family-friendly activities.
Its lively downtown setting makes it a standout spring event in North Carolina.
Spoleto Festival USA
Check out this unique 17-day celebration of a different kind of art! Charleston, South Carolina is home to Spoleto Festival USA, which is a showcase of the performing arts.
Everyone from churches to operas to symphonies gets in on the act taking over multiple venues to celebrate the city’s diverse talents.
Hot Luck Fest
Founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Aaron Franklin, this Austin, Texas festival has something for everyone. Spanning three days over Memorial Day Weekend, it showcases a lineup of top chefs from across the country and includes performances by 22 bands at various venues throughout the city.