Morganton Festival
September 11 & 12, 2026
Friday 12:00-11:00pm AND Saturday 9:00am-10:00pm
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
The 44th Annual Morganton Festival is set for Friday, September 11th from 12:00-11:00pm and Saturday, September 12th from 9:00am-10:00pm in downtown Morganton, North Carolina. The festival features 2 stages with free music each evening on the Courthouse Square Stage, dancers, acrobats and theater talents on the Pepsi Stage and wonderous amazements on the Kid Zone stage. In addition to the entertainment there is fun with rides and games, food for all ages, plus over a mile of arts and crafts vendors!
ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE! Entrance into the festival grounds are FREE!
Be a part of this memory making event and mark your calendars for a great weekend of fun, September 11th & 12th in downtown Morganton. The festival is an animal-free event and will go on rain or shine.
Thank you to NC Tripping for featuring the Morganton Festival in their recent article titled “40+ Things to Do in North Carolina in September.” Be sure to go check out the article to see the shoutout & all there is to do this month in NC.
Festival Information
The Morganton Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day. In 2026, the event is set for Friday, September 11th from 12:00-11:00pm and Saturday, September 12th from 9:00am-10:00pm.
The 44th Annual Morganton Festival wouldn’t be complete without the show stopping musical lineup for which the festival is known and loved! Stay tuned for the 2026 lineup!
Follow us on Facebook for updated information.
2025 Morganton Festival Press Releases and other information:
2025 Festival Brochure/Map, Press Releases – General Press Release 2025, 2025 Main Stage Lineup
Rules for having fun
These rules apply to all visitors at the Historic Morganton Festival and do not supersede but work in conjunction with the rules for those who have applied and been confirmed for a space within the Festival grounds/boundaries.
- No personal coolers
- No pets
- No smoking
- No solicitation
- No weapons of any kind
- No amplification
- No oversized signs [considered larger than letter sized (8.5″ x 11″) paper]
- No distribution of literature of any kind (such as flyers, letters, business cards, petitions, raffles tickets, etc.)
ZERO TOLERANCE for non-compliance with these rules
Vendors
Applications for the 2026 Morganton Festival will be available February 1st. Please note that applications submitted online will require a processing fee. For HMF, Inc Vendor rules and application, please click here.
All novelty and professional food vendors are booked by invitation only. For consideration email a photo of your booth setup along with your menu and prices to info@morgantonfest.org
Festival Happenings
Bring a chair & enjoy free music!
Food Court opens at 12:00pm on Friday
Have Fun!
Free Concerts
Dancing under the sunset
Over a mile of craft vendors
Entertainment
The Festival is known for its mile of arts & crafts vendors, mouth-watering food, and FREE entertainment. Talent is set to perform on 3 stages – Courthouse Square Stage, Pepsi Stage, & Kids Stage.
Teen & Kids Zone
Kid Zone features carnival rides, games, free activities in Litter Critters and the Kids Zone Stage. The Teen Zone features obstacle courses, climbing towers, mechanical bull, axe throwing and various other competitive attractions.
Come Play in our Streets
A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
