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Johnston County, or JoCo to us locals, is likely one of the largest counties in North Carolina. It’s made up of 11 cities, and is thought for being the location of the final main battle of the Civil Warfare, and the final battle to take maintain on NC soil.
Though identified for historic sights and landmarks, there are such a lot of issues to do in Johnson County for anybody who visits.
On this information, we share a few of our favourite sights and actions in JoCo. We’ve separated this information by every city, and included a useful map on the finish that can assist you plan your journey.
On this information, we now have shared our favourite locations in Clayton, Benson, Kenly, Smithfield, 4 Oaks, Selma, and Pine Degree.
There are 4 cities in Johnson County we missed off as a result of they’re so small, barely a handful of streets, and never price visiting (in our opinion). These are Micro, Archer Lodge, Princeton, and Wilson’s Mills.
Issues to do in Clayton, NC
Clayton is a small city group that has been booming with transplants since we moved right here in 2014.
It has a small city group vibe with reasonably priced property that’s roughly a 20-minute drive to downtown Raleigh.
Downtown Clayton is the place you’ll discover boutique shops, historic buildings, charming southern properties, and hipster cafes and bars with artful cocktails that deliver a wholesome stability of champagne, grapefruit and sage.
It reminded us quite a lot of Franklin, Tennessee close to Nashville. And if it retains rising with the identical vibe and maybe begin to usher in extra native music, it simply stands out as the subsequent Franklin.
1. Store The Market at Three Little Birds, Clayton
It’s uncommon that you just discover a retailer that oozes sophistication and magnificence. We fell in love with The Market at Three Little Birds in Downtown Clayton.
The one different time a retailer has wowed me like that was Magnolia Market in Waco, and Magpie’s, the kids’s boutique retailer in Franklin, Tennessee.
We popped in for a fast look, and almost an hour later walked out with T-shirts, jewellery, coozies, and a wall hanging to indicate our love for our house in NC, and a smaller one to enter our RV.
Three Little Birds was began by an area, who gathers collectively distinctive, handcrafted gadgets from over 70 native artists. Even the women beloved shopping the three ranges of indicators, jewellery, garments, and residential furnishings.
It’s an area full of many messages of affection and hope, a sense JoCo offers to all who go by with phrases of gratitude and blessings. .
2. Discover the Sculpture Path and Group Backyard
Scattered alongside Fundamental Road in Downtown Clayton is a self-guided sculptural path that includes sculptures by native artists which are modified yearly.
The sculptures alongside the free, self-guided path are modified every year.
Begin on the lovely art-filled group backyard. It’s not only a area you develop your herbs and greens.
Volunteers assist preserve this tranquil, inventive area that gives a bench or two if you wish to take in the second softly.
3. Stroll alongside Boulevard West
In your hipster café expertise, head to Boulevard West the place you’ll discover locals on their laptops on the bar consuming all manners of espresso concoctions.
At night time, nicely even within the day should you please, these coffees swap over to beer and wine.
On the day we visited an 80’s live performance was occurring that night time within the park throughout the street, adopted by an 80’s themed get together in Boulevard.
It was going to be the place to be and we have been unhappy to not throw on our leg heaters and facet pony tales to make it after our film night time.
Boulevard has an honest cup of espresso and a stunning outside seating space with a great deal of sunshine!
4. Pumpkin choosing at Boyette Household Farm
What a enjoyable expertise this household run farm in Clayton was.
Put together for extra fall enjoyable with pumpkin choosing, hay rises, bouncing pillows, slides, wheels, and the Home of Goals with probably the most unbelievable painted 3D home I’ve ever skilled.
Truly, I’ve by no means skilled something prefer it earlier than and it’s nicely price visiting Boyette Farm simply to see it.
We walked by way of it the primary time utterly wowed by the element within the vivid neon work that coated each black painted partitions of the shed. We had no thought till the top, that it was truly a 3D artwork expertise.
We discovered the glasses, popped them on and walked by way of once more, shocked at how the work sprung out from the partitions and surrounded us.
We have been strolling by way of this world of jack within the containers, tigers, scary clowns and spiders.
Don’t miss the Worry Farm, the ONLY haunted Halloween scream park in The Triangle space. It options eight scary haunted sights together with the Slaughterhouse and Worry Farm Academy.
We didn’t get to expertise it, however we bought to see the decorations in place for it, and it seems epic enjoyable.
5. Get candy treats from Nancy Jo’s Bakery
Nancy’s Bakery was began out of necessity as a consequence of a household well being disaster and the necessity to create cash to pay for medical prices.
David and his mom started promoting truffles on the Raleigh Farmers Market. They nonetheless have a retailer there and now have two different places in Clayton and Greensboro.
Nancy’ Jo’s has been an area’s favourite for a few years.
Every part is do-it-yourself utilizing native merchandise each time doable. Johnston County is legendary for its hen salad, so don’t go up the chance to have it for lunch.
Go away room for a do-it-yourself ice cream or milkshake after.
6. Clayton River Stroll
Stroll the Clayton River Stroll, one of many many greenways in Johnson County, and hugs the shores of the Neuse River.
This four-mile path is a part of the Mountains to Sea Path, which extends from the Nice Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks, is a paved path with scenic river views.
It’s a fantastic spot for a run, bike journey, or fishing. Learn extra of our ebike tour alongside the greenway in Clayton!
7. Get pleasure from craft beers at Deep River Brewing Firm
Deep River Brewing Firm is Johnston County’s first authorized brewery, opening its doorways in 2013 in a repurposed textile manufacturing plant.
It has a novel, industrial-chic vibe and a family-friendly environment.
They use native components of their craft beer, incorporating North Carolina merchandise similar to candy potatoes and watermelon.
The taproom is full of life and energetic, they usually even have meals vehicles and reside music.
8. Attend Clayton Harvest Competition
The Clayton Harvest Competition is likely one of the most beloved annual occasions in Johnson County, and is thought for its vibrant environment and scrumptious meals.
It’s held within the coronary heart of downtown and runs over a weekend in October. The pageant celebrates the top of a harvest season and celebrates the wealthy heritage and agricultural tradition of the area.
It has reside music, stalls promoting distinctive crafts and merchandise, and many tasty meals choices, from conventional Southern fare to worldwide delicacies.
There’s additionally normally a youngsters’s zone with carnival rides and video games, making certain enjoyable for the entire household.
Issues to do in Benson NC
Benson is mid-way between New York and Florida on the crossroads of I-95 and I-40.
It has a captivating downtown and is well-known for its annual Benson Mule Days pageant held in September.
9. Get pleasure from a JP’s Pastry
We beloved assembly JP and studying extra in regards to the enterprise he began as a consequence of his personal private well being concern with gluten.
JP’s Pastry is now a thriving bakery enterprise that’s the solely licensed gluten free bakery in North and South Carolina.
Sure, a bakery with utterly stuffed with gluten free merchandise, and a few vegan merchandise.
Not solely did we love assembly him, BUT we beloved consuming a lot of his treats. And I imply many. It’s not typically I get to eat a purple velvet cupcake, or a pumpkin cheesecake, or an apple blossom, or a brownie.
Our youngsters, who normally refuse to go close to something gluten free I bake couldn’t get sufficient and requested I study to prepare dinner like that!
If you happen to’re passing by the I-95, don’t let JP’s Pastry go you by. Cease in, take a look on the amenities, fill up in your goodies.
He additionally distributes his goodies all through the Southeast Area, together with many Entire Meals shops. See extra places right here.
10. Purchase your boots in Benson
If you happen to love cowgirl or cowboy boots, you don’t wish to miss Dixie Divas Boutique in downtown Benson. This was a random discover for us as we have been wandering down Fundamental Road.
The pink sparkly shows beckoned us to step inside and we have been greeted as is customary in JoCo with smiles and conversations and an abundance of assist.
After spending a fortune in cowgirl boots in Nashville, I used to be upset I by no means knew about this place earlier than. It’s a lot cheaper and the boots are simply as vivid and colourful.
As soon as the three pairs I’ve put on out, I’ll be again right down to Benson to get my new pair from right here.
Savannah was enamored with the trendy pair of trainers she purchased that make a tapping sound each time she walks. She in fact does something to listen to that sound extra!
Why did I let her get the heeled boots?
11. Drink or store at Salvaged Heirlooms
I can’t go by a white stucco constructing that has a craft beer signal pointing me inside.
Just like the Three Little Birds, Salvaged Heirlooms is an eclectic little common retailer is full of native artists that remind you of the heat of NC and the greatness of your self.
Seize a regionally brewed beer as you wander the shop to seek out your subsequent Western model shirt, your vinyl report, a aromatic soy candle, a classic e-book of Aesop’s Fables, or some Day of the Useless model inventive coasters.
Angel, the proprietor, greeted each individual with a smile, and “Let me know if I can get something for you.”
We chatted with him for a while about his life and the way he returned to his house of Benson after a quick stint in California.
“It was approach too overpopulated and over polluted. I couldn’t justify spending on daily basis sitting in site visitors for an hour to solely go twenty minutes down the street.”
So he picked up his goals and concepts and began the shop in downtown Benson to provide locals a cool place to hang around in, much like the locations he was seeing popping up in every single place in Raleigh.
Why ought to the individuals of Benson miss out on so many cool NC craft beer choices?
So right here we stood on the bar on the entrance of the shop consuming an Avocado Toast Ale created from Bombshell Brewery 40 minutes down the street in Holly Springs, the primary feminine solely brewery in NC. Though the identify sounds unusual, the style was mild and refreshing.
Salvaged Heirlooms additionally hosts cool group weekly gatherings like musical bingo. I like the artistic innovation the youth can deliver.
12. Style whiskey cocktails at Broadslab Distillery
The Broadslab Distillery in Benson is a farm-to-bottle distillery the place you possibly can style high-quality whiskey and cocktails.
They use native components each time doable, and their whiskies have received quite a few awards.
You can too take distillery excursions to study extra about how they make their spirits.
13. Sip espresso at Cornerstone Café and Espresso
Cornerstone Cafe and Espresso is a household run café in Benson that has the everyday JoCo welcoming group environment.
Service is heat and well mannered and the meals is contemporary and do-it-yourself.
It introduced again the previous acquainted heat of lunch dates with my trainer mates on our trainer workday. My hen spring salad with mandarins, feta cheese, cranberries and toasted pecans was contemporary and scrumptious.
Cornerstone is well-known for its waffles at any time of the day, its mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches.
We additionally grabbed a espresso on the run within the mornings which was good.
14. Style Southern delicacies at The Redneck BBQ Lab
It’s exhausting to imagine a enterprise that’s been round for simply over a yr might have received so many awards, together with a fourth place within the very prestigious Kansas Metropolis BBQ Society.
That’s an indication you’re in place (if the lengthy traces weren’t a powerful sufficient indication!)
All BBQ meats are smoked on the property at Redneck BBQ Lab and nothing is grilled or fried.
We had a large platter of meats to pattern, and boy have been all of them scrumptious.
Our favourite have been the St Louis Ribs. The meat slipped off the bone and and was so tender and scrumptious with the candy BBQ sauce. Kalyra known as Yummy Yum Yum.
Don’t miss the ribs, the Brunswick stew, and BBQ pork, which is the best way the Carolinas love to do BBQ. The Burnt Ends are vastly common and solely offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
15. Get pleasure from film nights within the Singing Grove
We have been lucky to time our go to with Benson’s month-to-month film night time.
The Singing Grove is the city’s park, which additionally holds celebrations for Benson Mule Days and the Benson State Singing Conference.
We grabbed our picnic blankets and a free bucket of popcorn and snuggled down to look at Coco. It was my first time seeing it, and I beloved it.
It was an exquisite solution to finish our day exploring JoCo collectively. Simplicity giving households cherished reminiscences.
16. Meadow Lights Christmas Lights
The most important and oldest Christmas mild show in Japanese NC is at Meadow Lights, a sweet retailer in Benson.
It’s household owned, beginning out greater than 40 years in the past.
Go to the “Previous Nation Retailer” and store for quaint sweet, with greater than 300 varieties to select from.
From November to December, head outdoors to see a show of Christmas lights spanning over 30 acres and take a practice journey by way of 10 plus acres. You may see extra about Meadow Lights in our Christmas in JoCo put up.
Issues to do in 4 Oaks NC
4 Oaks is a small city in named after 4 oak timber that grew from a single stump!
It’s very small and solely has 29 buildings within the 4 Oaks Business Historic District, however it’s listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
17. Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Website
The most important battle within the Civil Warfare occurred close to Bentonville in Johnston County.
The Battle of Bentonville was additionally the final full-scale motion of the Civil Warfare wherein a Accomplice military was in a position to mount a tactical offensive.
The Bentonville Battlefield is now an historic website and a part of the Civil Warfare Path.
You are able to do self-guided auto excursions, or guided excursions, of the world and there’s an app, which is able to inform you the importance of every spot, together with the accomplice and union military traces and Normal Sherman’s headquarters.
The Bentonville Fall Competition was on whereas we visited. Interactive guides have been wearing Civil Warfare interval costume and informed us about issues like farming, drugs and Morse code.
There have been wagon rides and video games arrange like nineteenth Century baseball, pumpkin tic tac toe and ring toss, which the women beloved.
If you happen to occur to be visiting in March, the Bentonville Battlefield Anniversary takes place over a weekend, the place 5,000 residing historians from throughout the nation come collectively to reinact the Bentonville Battlefield.
It’s one thing I undoubtedly wish to expertise. Study extra about it right here.
March can also be Black Historical past Month, and there are a lot of occasions and reveals on show all through the month that honor the contributions and legacy of black historical past in Bentonville.
18. Howell Woods Environmental Studying Middle
The Howell Woods Environmental Studying Middle is a 2,800-acre nature protect the place you possibly can participate in academic applications and study in regards to the pure world.
It’s open to the general public year-round, and there’s no cost for admission.
Issues to do in Smithfield
Smithfield is located alongside the Neuse River, and is the seat of the county and the hub of enterprise exercise.
It’s additionally the city the place I taught for 3 years so I do know the group fairly nicely.
Seven million guests benefit from the financial savings at Carolina Premium Shops yearly. So when you are popping in to buy when you drop, you’ll want to go to these locations.
19. Study at Ava Gardner Museum, Smithfield
“I normally skip by way of museums however for this one I’m actually taking note of all the pieces” – Savannah Makepeace
Ava Gardner was generally known as probably the most lovely film star of her time within the 40’s and 50’s.
She starred in quite a few Hollywood motion pictures alongside main males similar to Gregory Peck, Clark Gable and Grace Kelly.
She was additionally, for a short while, married to ‘Ole Blue Eyes’. Sure the Legend Frank Sinatra. They’re mentioned to be the loves of every others lives, however they only couldn’t reside with one another and so sadly their marriage ended.
Ava Gardner was from Johnston County and there’s a museum on Downtown Smithfield devoted to telling the story of her life, loves and careers.
It’s exhausting to imagine that I taught a number of blocks away and by no means visited, though I undoubtedly heard so much about Ava from the proud locals who declare the wonder as one among theirs.
I completely loved studying extra about her.
The Ava Gardner Museum begins with a brief movie sharing her life and inside the museum are shows showcasing film posters, costumes, scripts and private results.
I beloved studying the letter to her handwritten by Princess Grace who was her good friend. It was an intimate reminder that celebrities are simply regular individuals too.
There’s a Scavenger hunt the youngsters can do to seek out out extra about Ava. I favored this contact and the women loved doing it.
Savannah was enamored with the wonder!
20. Dine at Easy Twist, Smithfield
For a twist of Southern and American meals created from contemporary, regionally sourced produce don’t miss Easy Twist on Fundamental Road, Smithfield.
Easy Twist is likely one of the hottest restaurants in Smithfield NC. It started with one thought for a restaurant and has now grown to 3 Easy Twist places and a bottle store and faucet room serving beer from JoCo and NC craft breweries.
We ate Sunday brunch, and loved a scrumptious easy twist of Southern shrimp and grits. You may all the time pair yours with a mimosa.
21. Sip craft beers at Double Barley Brewery, Smithfield
If you happen to’re on the lookout for native craft brew, head to Double Barley Brewery in Smithfield. It’s been opened for 5 years and has received a number of awards for his or her beers.
Touche is an award profitable IPA that we sampled.
This brewery is family-friendly with an outside seating space and a large recreation of jenga.
Additionally they do appetizers and sandwiches so should you’re on the lookout for different places to eat in Smithfield NC, who’ve reside music on varied days all through the week, contemplate right here.
Issues to do in Selma NC
Selma was a historic railroad city, and is positioned in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. Though a historic city, it’s most well-known for being the birthplace of Lunsford Richardson, the inventor of Vick’s Vapo-Rub.
22. Stroll round downtown Selma
Downtown Selma is the charming fundamental hub of the city, and has a well being mixture of small-town appeal and revitalized vitality.
It has tons of historic character with old school buildings, which have been changed into distinctive vintage outlets, locally-owned boutiques, and scrumptious Southern-style eating places.
I like simply strolling down the streets and window buying and taking photographs in entrance of the colourful murals on the buildings.
23. Dine at Previous North State Meals Corridor
One among our favourite locations to eat in Selma is the Previous North State Meals Corridor.
Housed in a superbly restored historic constructing, this meals corridor has a wide range of locations to eat, every with a deal with providing North Carolina delicacies and utilizing native produce.
Whether or not you’re on the lookout for basic barbecue and Southern consolation meals to worldwide delicacies, you can find all of it right here.
24. Run a 5K on the annual Polar Bear Run
Yearly in January, Selma hosts a 5K run known as The Polar Bear Run to boost cash for a charitable trigger.
The race is to boost cash for Bailey’s Human Rescue, an area animal rescue group in Johnston County.
Even should you don’t run, it’s nice to look at, and many individuals deliver their pooches alongside for the race too.
Issues to do in Pine Degree
Pine Degree is one other tiny city in JoCo which has a inhabitants of lower than 2,000 individuals.
It doesn’t boast quite a lot of sights, however it’s price heading this solution to see…
25. Wine tasting at Hinnant Household Winery
Hinnant Household Vineyards is a household run winery in JoCo who use the Muscadine grape, a range native to the southeastern United States.
They’re the oldest and largest Muscadine winery within the state, spanning over 100 acres of vines, a few of that are over 45 years previous!
The Hinnant household has been cultivating grapes right here for almost 50 years, and their wines have received quite a few awards.
You’ll want to cease in and pattern a glass, or perhaps choose up a bottle to take house. See extra on this date experince in Johnston County.
Issues to do in Kenly
Kenly is on the northeastern fringe of Johnston County and has a proud farming historical past which you will notice within the sights on supply.
26. Expertise Americana truck life at Kenly 95 Petro
The Kenly 95 Petro is a little bit of an establishment. Located on the I-95, it’s a well-liked place for passing vacationers to restock, and truckers to relaxation awhile (truly, 4,000 individuals go by way of as we speak).
It has gasoline, eating places, retail, showers, laundry amenities and even a health heart.
However, it’s not simply that, they typically have concert events and festivals on the Petro. In case you are a truck fanatic then you definately’ll love the memorabilia inside the retail area.
27. Fall farm enjoyable at Sonlight Farm, Kenly
Agribusiness is the #1 trade within the North Carolina brings in $84 billion every year, and lots of of these farms could be present in Johnston County.
Fall is the season when many farms divulge heart’s contents to the general public for Fall enjoyable.
Sonlight Farms presents actions like corn mazes, tractor rides, and pumpkin choosing and video games like corn gap, pedal kart racing, and bouncing castles.
Our ladies beloved the corn crib at Sonlight farm, and we couldn’t discover our approach out of their corn maze both!!
We have been in a position to take a pumpkin house with us, and somebody in our Instagram group gave us a fantastic thought to put in writing issues we’re grateful for on the pumpkin.
I’m grateful to be spending time collectively as a household and supporting the native JoCo group. (See extra pumpkin patches and farms within the Triangle and past. )
28. Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Kenly
NOTE: The Tobacco Farm Life Museum is closed briefly now by way of no less than Could of 2025. It’s being umbrellaed beneath the state’s Cultural Assets dept. which implies it can reopen as a state website.
The Tobacco Farm Life Museum offers you an perception into numerous historical past of the North Carolina household farm.
And extra particularly tobacco farming, which continues to be the largest money crop in North Carolina alongside of candy potatoes (over 50% of the international locations candy potatoes are grown in NC)
Tobacco farming sprung up when the colonists realized they might earn fairly a bit of cash promoting it to Europeans.
The federal government needed to put limits on how a lot could possibly be grown as farmers started to show away from different essential crops like meals to maintain the colony thriving.
Our journey to the Museum started with a brief, but attention-grabbing, video describing the rising course of for tobacco (very lengthy and cumbersome course of).
The Museum gallery additionally has a number of shows and reveals describing tobacco manufacturing and life within the rural Johnston County communities.
The surface museum area is the Brown Farmstead together with a smokehouse, indifferent kitchen and restored home.
All buildings aside from the pack home and blacksmith store are 100 years previous and present the everyday household farmstead of the early twentieth century.
You may wander across the grounds and buildings, they usually have totally different occasions and lessons yr spherical – a quilt portray class was occurring in one of many buildings after we visited.
The place to remain in Johnston County
We stayed on the trendy Hampton Inn at Benson, which sits proper on I-95 and a brief drive to downtown Benson.
The rooms have been very comfy with trendy model and facilities. Breakfast is included and the health heart had sufficient to maintain your exercise routine working!
The city of Benson NC is sort of a central location to get to the principle areas of Johnston County.
Map of those sights in Johnson County
Remaining Ideas
I didn’t understand how a lot I missed that rural Southern appeal till this go to to Johnston County.
Retailer homeowners nonetheless greet you with a hearty “Welcome! How y’all doing as we speak?” after which ship you in your approach with “We hope you may have a blessed day. Come again and see us all now.”
Folks have time to provide you right here.
To ask you a bit of about your story should you’re a stranger, or ask how your family members are doing should you’re a good friend.
It’s a county that’s stuffed with grace, good manners, and delicate residing. Don’t Move JoCo by!
Video: Issues to do in Johnson County
Take a look at Johnston County in our three half video collection:
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