June, 2024
Festivals display a community’s culture through shared experiences around music, food, crafts and entertainment, creating unique memories for all of their attendees. These festivals in Burke County are staples to the culture of the area and are a fantastic way to introduce your family and friends to the best of our small towns.
In Valdese, every year in August, the town celebrates the Waldensians, a group of people who escaped religious persecution in Italy and eventually settled the town of Valdese. The local theater company, the Old Colony Players, acts out an outdoor drama called From This Day Forward, that beautifully tells the story of the Waldensians in their pursuit of freedom. You can see it each Friday and Saturday from mid July to the second week in August when it culminates with the Waldensian Festival. The Waldensian Festival honors Waldensian Tradition by highlighting local craft vendors, hosting their annual bocce tournament and serving their delicious food. The festival includes live music, a classic car show on Friday, amusement rides, and more. Everything will take place in downtown Valdese this year on the 9th and 10th of August. For more information visit
www.visitvaldese.com
This year the city of Morganton, the county seat of Burke County, will host the 42nd Historic Morganton Festival. This festival takes place September 6th and 7th. This year’s festival will feature three different stages for free music, including original country artists Brandon Bethel and Drake Milligan as well as cover artists Boy Band Review and Chris Taylor; dancers, acrobats, a kid zone with rides and over a mile of arts and crafts vendors. For the full list of events visit morgantonfest.org