9 Reasons to Visit the Goldsboro Area

If you are a pickle lover, you’ve probably heard of Goldsboro and nearby towns with their flavorful reputation. Home to the 96-year-old Mt. Olive Pickle Co., plus the historic Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro is southeast of Raleigh, northeast of Fayetteville and not quite to the coast. The area traces its roots to 1847 and is rich in agricultural and military heritage. And the barbecue and brews aren’t bad, either.

Carolina Pine Country Store Photo credit: Eric Waters

One fall weekend years ago, my family visited Goldsboro accidentally on the way from Charlotte to the Outer Banks. (If you know North Carolina, you realize Goldsboro is not technically on the way.) We didn’t realize we’d missed an important turn in Raleigh until we wound up in front of Mt. Olive Pickle, whose products have been in my refrigerator my entire life. That laughable experience forever endeared me to Goldsboro, which is known for the three P’s: pickles, pigs and planes.

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Read on for nine reasons to visit historic Goldsboro and nearby towns this fall.

See more: 8 Reasons to Visit the First Peak of the Blue Ridge This Fall

Mt. Olive Pickle

Lynn Williams, public relations manager of Mt. Olive Pickle, says the company was created with the good of the community at heart.

“Mt. Olive Pickle was founded in 1926 by a group of local business leaders who saw bumper crops of cucumbers going to waste in the fields, because there wasn’t much demand for them,” Williams says. “The company founders believed a new market for area farmers would benefit the whole community. Nearly 100 years later, we continue to honor those roots.”

In further support of the community, the company annually presents the New Year’s Eve Pickle Drop (Dec. 31) and the North Carolina Pickle Festival each spring (slated for April 29, 2023). In November 2023, a new event is on the schedule, known as Pickles, Pigs & Swigs.

Mt. Olive Pickles Photo credit: Eric Waters

“It’s a N.C. Pork Council-sanctioned, whole hog barbecue cook-off, paired with free pickles, local craft beer from R&R Brewing and live music,” Williams says.

If you can’t make an event, plan a visit on any given weekday to Mt. Olive Pickle’s small gift shop on the corner of Cucumber and Vine in Mount Olive (a 20-minute drive from Goldsboro). The company continues to support the community; its biggest beneficiaries include the University of Mount Olive and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

“We have generations of families in our employee group,” Williams says. “We like to joke that you can never talk about anyone at Mt. Olive Pickle because you just never know who they may be kin to.”

See more: Farm Facts: Cucumbers

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Photo credit: Eric Waters

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base

Located on 3,000 acres approximately 5 miles from Goldsboro, the base predates the U.S. Air Force. It’s named for Navy Lt. Seymour Johnson, a Goldsboro native who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and worked as a test pilot, with over 4,000 hours at the time of his death on March 5, 1941. The only Air Force base named in honor of a naval officer, today the base serves as home to the 4th Fighter Wing.

Adams Roadside Bar-B-Q Photo credit: Eric Waters

Authentic Eastern North Carolina Barbecue

We are talking about Eastern North Carolina, so it goes without saying there is barbecue in Goldsboro and it is Eastern-style pulled pork here. Consider a stop at one of these local piggeries while in town, and don’t forget your microbrew beer.

Barbecue fans should give Adams Roadside Bar-B-Q a try. The restaurant name doesn’t lie as Adams is literally on the side of U.S. Highway 70 in Mount Olive. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the restaurant serves authentic Eastern style pit-cooked barbecue, plus ribs, brisket and all the fixings – from collards and mac ’n cheese to Brunswick stew.

While in town, don’t forget about the iconic Wilber’s Barbecue. Wilber’s has attracted famous folks since its inception in 1962. When the restaurant closed in March 2019, more than a few people were devastated, but thankfully the restaurant reopened in 2020. Think whole hogs roasting on open pits, chopped shreds of delicate meat doused in spicy vinegar sauce, hush puppies and sweet tea.

Holly Grove Farms Photo credit: Eric Waters

Fun on the Farm in Goldsboro

If you’re a fan of goat cheese – or just goats – add Holly Grove Farms to your itinerary while in Mount Olive. The woman-owned farm in the rural community of Grantham has 1,000 dairy goats, and visitors can see them grazing and climbing on hay bales at the 40-acre farm during the day. Stop by the gift shop to stock up on fresh, creamy chevre made using the milk produced by their goats.

Back in Goldsboro, Odom Farming Co. offers plenty of fall farm fun, with a pumpkin patch, two corn mazes, a hay jump, wagon rides and even punkin’ chunkin’ contest. It’s open weekends from late September through early November. Other seasonal activities include pick-your-own strawberries in the spring and sunflowers in the summer.

See more: Apple Hill Farm Spreads Alpaca Love

Uniquely R’s Coffee Tea Wine Photo credit: Eric Waters

Historic Homes in Goldsboro

History buffs can enjoy a fall picnic at the Governor Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site in Fremont (a 15-minute drive from Goldsboro), which includes Aycock’s reconstructed childhood home, a one-room schoolhouse that dates to 1893, picnic tables and a gift shop.

Visit Chestnut Street in Fremont to see the neighboring Victorian homes built in 1875 for brothers Solomon and Henry Weil. Henry’s daughter, Gertrude Weil (1879-1971), gained fame for her social activism regarding the women’s right to vote. The suffragist, who is honored with a historical marker outside the home, also was active in a number of other political and humanitarian projects.

Paramount Theatre Photo credit: Eric Waters

Paramount Theatre

Consider a visit to Goldsboro’s Paramount Theatre, which dates to 1882. The structure was once the tallest building in town. The theater was destroyed by fire in 2005 and rebuilt three years later. Today, Paramount Theatre offers the Performing Arts Series and Paramount Movie Nights.

Neuse River and State Park

For natural history, plan a visit to the Neuse River in Seven Springs (a close to 30 minute drive from Goldsboro), the longest river in North Carolina. Don’t miss a trip to the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, where you can ponder prehistoric cliffs and take a tree-lined hike on five area trails, complete with the gorgeous autumn color North Carolina has to offer.

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park Photo credit: Eric Waters

Old Waynesborough Park

This historic village, located on the site of the original Wayne County seat in Goldsboro, features nine historic buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1920s. In addition to visiting the school, lawyer’s office, Quaker meeting house and more, you can also enjoy more than 4 miles of walking trails along the Neuse and Little rivers, including forests and a cypress swamp. The village is open on weekends and the trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

See more: Well-Crafted Fun in Hickory

Local Goldsboro Brews

For those who are thirsty for craft beer, consider R&R Brewing’s 3,000-square-foot brewery, taproom and beer garden in Mount Olive. Back in Goldsboro, try its famous Pickle Beer. Traipse over to Well Travelled Beer, a downtown bottle shop that offers a monthly retro pop-up shop and events like Metal Midnight. Or cruise through town to GBW Filling Station, a downtown microbrewery that operates out of a vintage gas station.

– Karsen Titus

Goldsboro Brew Works Filling Station Photo credit: Eric Waters