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- Your weekend starts here — Beaufort waterfronts, hidden murals, and Memorial Day weekend plans
Your weekend starts here — Beaufort waterfronts, hidden murals, and Memorial Day weekend plans
Before summer crowds arrive, this is the week to make the drive east.
Frank Jones
May 20, 2026
Hello, ENC Explorers!
Late May in Eastern North Carolina feels like the reward for surviving spring pollen season. The mornings are still comfortable, sunset hangs around a little longer, and Memorial Day weekend is close enough that everyone suddenly wants to be outside again. This is one of the last stretches of the year where you can take a spontaneous day trip without battling full summer crowds or 95-degree afternoons.
The coast is especially good right now. Beaufort has not fully shifted into peak tourist mode yet, parking is still manageable on weekdays, and the waterfront has that slower pace that disappears once school lets out. If you have been waiting for the right weather window to make the drive east, this is probably it.
Closer to home, small-town Eastern NC is showing off a little too. Farmville keeps adding colorful public art, downtowns are staying busy without feeling packed, and there are still places around ENC where you can wander for an hour without spending much money at all.
This week: a Beaufort museum visit built around pirate history and waterfront views, a surprisingly fun mural hunt in Farmville, and a few Memorial Day weekend events worth getting on your calendar early.
⚓ NC Maritime Museum + Beaufort WaterfrontLocation: 315 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516 If you have been looking for a coastal day trip before peak summer crowds arrive, this is probably the week to do it. The NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort recently reopened after renovations, and the updated exhibits make it one of the best low-cost museum visits in Eastern North Carolina right now. The Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit is the highlight, featuring real artifacts recovered from Blackbeard’s ship off the coast of Beaufort, alongside exhibits covering shipwrecks, maritime rescue history, and North Carolina’s connection to the water. After the museum, spend time walking Beaufort’s waterfront along Taylor’s Creek. Front Street is lined with small shops, historic homes, and waterfront restaurants that feel especially good this time of year before tourist season fully kicks in. Grab lunch overlooking the water, watch boats move through the harbor, and if conditions are clear, you may even spot wild horses across the creek near the Rachel Carson Reserve. Pro Tip: Weekday mornings are still the quietest time to visit Beaufort this time of year. Parking is usually easiest farther down Front Street away from the main restaurant cluster, and comfortable walking shoes make the waterfront stroll much better. | 🎨 Farmville Mural Hunt + Downtown LunchLocation: Downtown Farmville, NC 27828 This is the kind of family outing that feels simple at first and somehow turns into an entire afternoon. Farmville has quietly built one of the more fun small-town public art walks in Eastern NC, with colorful murals scattered throughout downtown on building exteriors, alley walls, and side streets. Pull up the current mural map or Farmville Arts page before you leave Greenville, then turn it into a scavenger hunt by seeing who can spot each mural first. The nice part is how walkable everything is once you arrive. Downtown Farmville has enough antique shops, coffee stops, and small local businesses mixed between the murals that the outing never feels repetitive for kids or adults. Once everyone finishes the mural hunt, grab lunch downtown and take your time wandering the side streets before heading home. Pro Tip: Go earlier in the day before the pavement heats up, especially with younger kids. Free parking is easy to find throughout downtown, and checking Farmville Arts social media before visiting helps make sure you catch the newest murals. |
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🥩 Barbara J. recommends: Nahunta Pork Center in Pikeville for the real thing
Nahunta Pork Center sits on Bertie Pierce Road in Pikeville and has been supplying Eastern North Carolina with fresh pork since 1975. Locals know it as the kind of place you do not fully understand until you walk inside for the first time — long meat counters, country hams hanging overhead, homemade sausage, smoked products, and more fresh pork cuts than most grocery stores around Greenville carry in an entire department. They call themselves the largest all-pork retail market in the eastern United States, and honestly, it feels believable once you see it.
It is about 40 minutes west of Greenville off US-264 and makes for an easy Saturday morning drive if you enjoy cooking or just want to experience one of those old-school ENC institutions that has managed to survive while everything else modernized around it. The kind of place where people still load coolers into the back of the truck before heading home.
They are open Monday through Friday from 8am–5pm and Saturdays from 8am–3pm, closed Sundays. If you go on a Saturday, earlier is usually better — especially before the lunch crowd starts rolling through Pikeville.
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We want to hear from you! What’s your favorite spot in and around Greenville, NC? Whether it’s a hidden gem, a local eatery, or a scenic park, your input could be featured in an upcoming City Guide!
ENC EVENTS THIS WEEK
Your week in Greenville & ENC: May 20-27
Location: Downtown Aurora, NC
Cost: Free admission (some activities may require tickets or purchases)
Time: Saturday, May 23 from 11am–9pm | Sunday, May 24 from 10am–4pm
The NC Fossil Festival is one of the most unique small-town festivals in Eastern North Carolina and a surprisingly good Memorial Day weekend day trip for families. Aurora sits on one of the richest phosphate fossil deposits in the world, and every year the town turns that history into a weekend full of fossil digging, shark tooth hunting, live entertainment, food vendors, craft booths, and family activities spread throughout downtown.
What makes the festival fun is that it never feels overly polished or touristy. Kids usually end up covered in dirt searching for fossils while adults wander vendor booths, grab festival food, or listen to live music nearby. It feels more like an authentic ENC community festival than a typical commercial event, which is part of why people come back every year.
Pro Tip: Earlier in the day is usually the best time to go before the afternoon heat and larger crowds settle in. Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes, and something to carry any fossil finds home in.
Location: 4560 County Home Road, Greenville, NC
Cost: Free to browse
Time: Saturday, May 23 from 8am–12pm
The Leroy James Farmers Market is one of the easiest ways to slow down and enjoy a Saturday morning in Greenville before the heat settles in for the day. Local farmers, bakers, growers, and small businesses fill the market with fresh produce, homemade baked goods, flowers, jams, honey, and seasonal items that change week to week depending on what is coming out of Eastern NC fields right now.
Even if you are not planning a full grocery run, it is worth stopping by just to walk through with a coffee and see what local vendors have brought in for the weekend. This time of year usually means strawberries, fresh greens, homemade breads, and plenty of plants for anyone trying to revive their porch or garden before summer arrives.
Pro Tip: Arriving earlier in the morning gives you the best produce selection and cooler temperatures. Bring cash just in case, although many vendors now accept cards and payment apps.
Location: Town Common Memorial, 105 E 1st Street, Greenville
Cost: Free
Time: Monday, May 25 at 11:00 AM
The Pitt County Veterans Council Memorial Day Observance Ceremony brings the Greenville community together to honor the men and women who gave their lives in military service. Held at the Town Common Memorial along the Tar River, the ceremony includes remarks from local leaders, veterans, and this year’s keynote speakers Brigadier General JR Gorham and North Carolina State Senator Dr. Timothy Reeder.
While Memorial Day weekend across ENC usually centers around cookouts, beach trips, and the unofficial start of summer, this ceremony offers a quieter and more meaningful moment to reflect and recognize the sacrifices behind the holiday. The waterfront setting at the Town Common gives the event a respectful atmosphere while still feeling connected to the broader community gathering downtown.
Pro Tip: Arrive a little early for easier parking and seating near the memorial area. Since the ceremony takes place outdoors near midday, bringing water, sunscreen, and sunglasses is a smart move if temperatures climb.
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— The ENC Explorer Team