Honey Festival · October 11–12, 2030 · Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington — North Carolina's largest coastal city at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in New Hanover County — anchors a longleaf pine savanna, Carolina bay wetland, and maritime forest landscape where beekeepers harvest gallberry, tallow tree, saw palmetto, and coastal wildflower honeys distinctive to the Lower Cape Fear region. This fall festival at Airlie Gardens celebrates Southeastern coastal beekeeping traditions, featuring honey from New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, and Columbus County producers, tours of the Airlie Oak pollinator garden and longleaf restoration plantings, sea-to-table honey and seafood pairings, and presentations by UNCW environmental science faculty on pollinator ecology in coastal Carolina ecosystems. The event spotlights the ecological importance of longleaf pine savanna restoration for native bees and honey quality across the Cape Fear coastal plain, where historic gallberry honeycombs once drove a thriving 19th-century honey trade through the Port of Wilmington.
Type: Honey Festival
Date: October 11–12, 2030
Location: Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road, Wilmington, North Carolina
Official website: Wilmington Cape Fear Honey & Longleaf Pine Coastal Festival 2030
Honey festivals feature tastings, vendor booths, educational talks, and family-friendly activities celebrating local honey production and beekeeping traditions.
Discover 210+ honey varieties before attending, or learn how to read honey labels to make informed purchases. Explore our North Carolina Honey Sourcing Guide for local variety recommendations.
Find local honey sources near the event, explore the best honey for your needs, or take our honey personality quiz to find your perfect variety.
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