If you’ve been searching for a place to live that has a deep sense of community and town pride, look no further than Burgaw. This small town seat of Pender County has drawn in all sorts of new residents over the last few years. Some are homebuyers looking to skirt suburban lifestyles in Wilmington, but be close enough to have those amenities. Burgaw is a 30-minute drive along the interstate to Wilmington. Here you can enjoy town traditions, history, the occasional television and movie sets, but most importantly neighbors and friends who aren’t afraid to wave hello. 

Festivals and Parades

Burgaw has a few notable festivals and parades each year — but one put the town on the map. The North Carolina Blueberry Festival brings thousands of people to this small town for a hot June weekend. There is a parade, festival booths, and something the locals flourish — a full lineup of live music. The festival is really the town’s whole personality. As Burgaw is situated in the heart of North Carolina’s blueberry country, you’ll find blueberries adorning the whole town. There are blueberry events throughout the whole year too – like an annual blueberry pancake breakfast and The New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop (see below.)

Autumn Fest brings the whole town together in October with trick-or-treating and costume contests as the leaves turn to bright orange. 

In December gather around the town square for a fantastic parade. You’ll see local farmers deck their tractors in lights, local churches will belt Christmas hymns as they float past and Santa makes an appearance on a fire engine at the end. 

This parade is growing in popularity each year, so be sure to arrive early and claim a spot on the sidewalk. 

The Blueberry Drop

On New Year’s Eve you can head to the town square with your fellow neighbors, hear some live music, and watch on as a giant blueberry drops. But don’t expect this big celebration at midnight. The blueberry usually drops sometime around 7 p.m. Don’t you need to move here just to tell people you went to this? How much more precious do you need? 

Good Eats

Fantastic eats around Burgaw include (but are certainly not limited to) MeMa’s Chick’n’ & Ribs, Burgaw Brewing, Fat Daddy’s Pizza and Brown Dog Coffee Company. 

Financial investors into Burgaw’s future recently held a nationwide own-your-own-restaurant contest. Chefs competed in multiple rounds of competition with community tastings and a panel of judges. The winner, Chef Karoline Schwartz, won a million dollars and a large downtown restaurant space. She plans to open Outland, a chef-driven restaurant to spotlight locally-sourced ingredients. 

Shops and character

We love spending an afternoon sipping Brown Dog Coffee and meandering around the heart of Burgaw. Burgaw Antiqueplace has two stories of fine antiques and treasured furniture and art pieces. A few doors down, The Glass Cloche has an eclectic mix of vintage finds and gifts. Around the corner head to The Old Farm Shed to shops gifts, jewelry and impressive selection of cowgirl boots. 

Need help deciding where to look for homes around Wilmington, NC? Check out the neighborhood guide I created to help newcomers find their perfect community.