Don’t miss these fun events happening this May across the state:
Smithfield Ham & Yam Festival
Smithfield, May 3, 2025
What originally began as a friendly competition between the ham producers of Smithville, N.C., and those across the state line in Smithfield, Virgina, has evolved into a North Carolina tradition. Johnston County isn’t just known for its pork, but it ranks top in the nation for sweet potatoes (which may be called “yams,” though technically the two are very different).
The annual Smithfield Ham & Yam Festival features a variety of fair food and local entertainment, as well as festival mainstays, like a sweet potato pie-eating contest, the 4-H barbecue cook-off and “What’s That Yam Thing?” contest, in which kids turn sweet potatoes into creative works of art.
This year’s activities kick off at 10 a.m. on May 4 in downtown Smithfield.
To learn more, visit hamandyam.com; or, call (919) 934-0887.
