Eastern cities including Kinston, Wilson and Farmville are investing in the arts to spur downtown development. Greenville is home to East Carolina, one of the state’s fastest-growing universities. History buffs can tour one of seven coastal lighthouses, Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington or the
Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk. But if relaxing by the beach is more your style, 300 miles of coastline awaits.
ATTRACTIONS
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Wright Brothers Memorial, the Outer Banks
- Carolina Beach Boardwalk
- Historic Tryon Palace, New Bern
- Battleship North Carolina, Wilmington
- Airlie Gardens, Wilmington
- 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse, Edenton
EVENTS
- North Carolina Jazz Festival, Wilmington, February
- Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, Fayetteville, April
- North Carolina Azalea Festival, Wilmington, April
- Hang Gliding Spectacular, Nags Head, May
- North Carolina Seafood Festival, Morehead City, October
- Cucalorus Film Festival, Wilmington, November
COUNTIES
Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson
INDUSTRIES
- Aerospace and defense
- Agriculture
- Biotechnology
- Marine trades
- Metalworking
- Textiles
- Tourism