North Carolina's 'Barbecue Capital' Is A Vibrant Town Full Of Delectable Foods, Festivals, And Character

There are many reasons to plan a visit to North Carolina — whether you're inspired by "One Tree Hill" or a Nicholas Sparks novel. Maybe you want to visit a nice sandy beach, you are intrigued by the state's charming small towns, or you are looking for new craft beers to try. Another reason? Barbecue. Whether you want to embark on the ultimate North Carolina foodie road trip or just hit up one stop for some tasty grub, Lexington, North Carolina needs to be on your list. About a 2-hour drive west from Raleigh, the state's capital, Lexington is known all over for its delicious food. So much so that it hosts a yearly festival, the Lexington Barbecue Festival, centered all around barbecue and the city's special way of making it.

Along with its BBQ Fest, Lexington also hosts an annual Multicultural Festival featuring food vendors, live performances, family-fun activities, and exhibits. For literary lovers, the Lexington Book Festival offers panels and signings with various authors each year. During the summer, Lexington holds a free concert series called Alive After Five, offering fun for the whole family with each show featuring a different genre of music. When it comes to the holidays, Lexington goes all out with its Christmas Open House, a festive affair filled with decorated shops, Christmas carriages, visits with Santa, delicious food and drinks, and a tree lighting.

All year long, you can scarf down delicious Lexington-style barbecue at one of the many no-frills, all-taste restaurants in the area, including Barbecue Center and the aptly-named Lexington Barbecue. What makes Lexington-style barbecue different from the rest is how it's prepared and the type of meat usually used. Normally, cooks will use only the pig shoulder and slow roast it before serving it with a side of red sauce dip, made with a mix of spices and tomato, pepper, and vinegar. This is also usually used as the base for the red slaw — red sauce mixed with coleslaw — that accompanies their barbecue.

There's much debate about which city has the best barbecue — from Kansas City, Missouri to Lockhart, Texas, over to Memphis, Tennessee and right here in Lexington, North Carolina. The official city website even boasts that it's known as the "Barbecue Capital of the World." Since 1984, the town has been working to help prove that with an annual festival dedicated to Lexington-style barbecue. The Lexington Barbecue Festival celebrates the history of the beloved cuisine and shows off the best of the best that it has to offer. Every October for more than 40 years, the city's downtown turns into an even bigger barbecue hub than it already is year-round.

In true festival fashion, the event goes above its barbecue offerings by providing a slew of other activities for guests to participate in. Throughout the years, the affair has also featured car shows, axe throwing, a wine-and-craft-beer garden, a dog stunt show, a bicycle stunt show, a 50-ton pig sand sculpture, and multiple stages for live music. There are also hundreds of vendors set up throughout the festival selling food, drinks, and unique gifts.

At this point, your mouth's probably already watering and your fingers are likely itching to pull the trigger and book the trip. Once the arrangements are made, you get to just sit back and count down the days until you can enjoy all the delicious barbecue and fun events the community has to offer. If you live nearby, turn your trip into a full adventure by stopping at a few other beloved North Carolina towns, like Cary, which is right outside Raleigh and known for its urban spaces, and Salisbury, which is between Charlotte and Greensboro and perfect for art lovers. If you're coming from farther away and don't want to drive, the closest airport to fly into is the Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) in Greensboro, which is 40 miles northeast of Lexington, or you can try the larger Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) for more options. As the name suggests, the latter is located in Charlotte and is only about 60 miles southwest of Lexington.

Once in Lexington, you'll have plenty of options on affordable places to stay, ranging in prices from about $70 to $170 per night. In the southern part of town, you'll find a cluster of hotels to choose from, including 2-star options like Days Inn by Wyndham, Quality Inn & Suites, and Red Roof Inn. For a 3-star spot, you can go with either Comfort Inn & Suites or Hampton Inn. If you want to be closer to another part of town, there's also the Holiday Inn Express on the north side and the Affordable Suites Lexington to the west, among other options.