Memorial Day kicks off fun in the sun for North Carolinians. Get started with these affordable ways to spend your weekend of remembrance.
With the weather predicted to be pleasantly in the 70s, Memorial Day weekend in North Carolina is shaping up to be a lovely one. And as you keep in mind and honor the fallen service men, women, and people who have shaped our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, you can also (hopefully) enjoy much-needed time off to relax and rejuvenate.
North Carolina might just be the ultimate state to enjoy a long weekend, especially before the heat of the summer, and if you need some inspiration to get you started, we have some suggestions. We rounded up some affordable and fun ways to spend Memorial Day weekend in North Carolina, with everything from making like a pirate to enjoying a natural waterslide to picking strawberries. And of course, we included some formal Memorial Day events to remember why we celebrate. Here are 10 budget-friendly ideas for enjoying your Memorial Day weekend.
1. Cool off at a public pool or splashpad
Memorial Day weekend marks the long-awaited opening of many NC public swimming pools, like the beloved Dr. Wesley Grant Community Center in Asheville. The pool’s opening day is May 23 at 11 a.m., and while the official opening day for the city’s splash pad (located in front of City Hall) is not listed on the event calendar just yet, it typically opens in early May. So chances are, if you’re planning a Memorial Day visit, you will be able to visit both attractions.
Admission to the pool is only $3 for the day and includes access to the lounge deck, changing rooms, picnic tables, and a toddler water play zone. The splash pad is entirely free and features fun, interactive water-play elements, along with flashing lights.
2. Walk (and slide) to a waterfall
North Carolina is packed with waterfalls—one count has the state clocking in over 1,000 waterfalls—so Memorial Day marks the perfect time to explore one. Many of the waterfalls are located within state parks, which offer free or annual state pass admission.
A North Carolina must-see favorite is Sliding Rock, a 60-foot natural rock “waterslide” complete with a swimming hole at the bottom that reaches up to seven feet deep, so you don’t have to worry about, well…the bottom hurting your bottom. Sliding Rock opens on Memorial Day weekend, and for extra peace of mind, the Forest Service even staffs the area with lifeguards so you can slide and splash safely. You can visit North Carolina’s official visitor site to see a full list of NC waterfalls to explore.
3. Plod in a pirate’s footsteps
I feel like every kid goes through a pirate phase. In fact, my daughters were obsessed when they were four and two. Now, looking back, it’s a bit strange for two sweet preschoolers to fangirl over plundering thieves, but that didn’t stop me from baking them a pirate cake.
Pirate-loving-preschooler or not, history buffs can appreciate that the infamous Blackbeard the Pirate once called North Carolina home, and the state does not shy away from that association. In fact, they celebrate it by offering a full Blackbeard-inspired itinerary to follow with stops that include the pirate’s rumored temporary home in Bath and even the spot where he met his eventual demise on Ocracoke Inlet. (Blackbeard’s body and ahem, head, are rumored to also be buried somewhere on the island.) You can visit the stops on your own or join a guided tour, and even add on another pirate adventure, like a boat or ferry ride.
4. Spend a day as a squirrel
If you’re wondering if you read that correctly, you did. Proving that there is a festival for all interests, White Squirrel Weekend in downtown Brevard is a three-day festival that celebrates, well, squirrels. The annual festival specifically honors white squirrels, a type of squirrel that accidentally found its way to Brevard following a carnival wreck near the area.
Even if you’re not a white squirrel aficionado, the event promises “unique and nutty” fun to kick off summer with free live concerts, food, and small business vendors, crafts, and family-friendly entertainment like a pirate ship escape room and hula hooping contests. People, do in fact, dress up as squirrels, and we have even spotted some Kentucky Derby-esque headwear with stuffed squirrels atop.
5. Admire some art
The Downtown Asheville Festival of the Arts, running for its fifth year, is taking place over Memorial Day weekend. The free event brings together everyone from local artists to national artisans to display their crafts, art, and other wares.
You and your family can admire everything from dazzling glass jewelry to traditional portraits to even sculptures from artists. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find something to inspire you!
6. Board a battleship
The Battleship North Carolina is a National Historical Landmark and site of a real WWII battleship that served as home to 2,000 soldiers and earned 15 battle stars over her six-year naval service. Today, the ship is permanently stationed and now serves as a museum and memorial to the 11,000 North Carolina military personnel who died in service during WWII.
You can visit the memorial anytime to tour inside, interact with the exhibits, and learn more about the men and women who served upon it. Admission for kids five and under is free, and military personnel receive a discounted rate of $10. (A typical experience takes about two hours.) And on Memorial Day, the Battleship will be hosting a special ceremony in remembrance of all North Carolinians who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Battleship and will include a special guest speaker who will deliver a talk on female American fighter pilots who fought in WWII.
7. Find a spot to watch fireworks
The Boardwalk in Carolina Beach features live music and a free fireworks show every Friday night during the summer, with the festivities kicking off Memorial Day weekend on Friday night. The live music entertainer that evening is a Beatles tribute, and there will also be plenty of food options at the SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar. Music kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with fireworks at around 9 p.m.
8. Make room for a lakeside movie night
The Carolina Beach Lake Park also kicks off its free summer movies at the lake series on Sunday, May 24, with a free showing of Zootopia BYOB! (Blanket, that is.) Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase if you forget to pack your own or are really craving a slushie. The movies typically start at dusk, around 8:45 p.m.
9. Get up close and personal with a carnivorous plant
I know we all learned about Venus flytraps in school, but have you ever really stopped and thought about how weird it really is that we have plants on this planet that can eat small mammals? Like, honestly, what a wild circle of life we’re all a part of.
My plant-musing aside, you can see carnivorous plants up close and personal, and hunt for the plants in bloom at the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington. May’s carnivorous plant specialties include the Purple Pitcherplant, the Hooded Pitcherplant, the Sweet Red Pitcherplant, and, of course, the classic Venus Flytrap. The garden is located on the Piney Ridge Nature Preserve, and admission is free and open to the public year-round.
10. Welcome spring with strawberries
We can’t think of a better way to usher in warm weather, sweet summertime, and a remembrance to American service men and women than with bushels and bushels of strawberries? And thanks to the Memorial Day celebration at Dobson Farms in Dobson, all retired and active military personnel can get free admission to enjoy strawberries to their hearts’ content.
Grab pre-picked options for an extra fee or head out to the gardens and get picking to fill your bucket up with strawberries warmed by the sun. Pay for what you pick, and we won’t tell if you sneak a berry or two. When you’re done, enjoy the farm’s play area and children’s attractions, animals, and even add-on experiences like fishing or mining for gems.
