Goldsboro
Around Goldsboro
Illustration made for Popchat
Metro area · North Carolina · 120k people
Goldsboro
Where the fields meet the flight line.
Air Force YellowAir Force Blue
Welcome to Goldsboro, where the barbecue is vinegar-based and the sweet potato pie is a point of pride. Whether you're here for the Air Force base or the pickle festival, you'll find a friendly town with deep roots in Eastern NC. Come hungry, and don't be shy about asking for a local's take on the best 'cue.
Clubs for Goldsboro
No clubs for Goldsboro yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Goldsboro. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Goldsboro. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Wayne County Museum Local history in a former railroad station.
- Mount Olive Pickle Company Iconic pickle factory with tours and a gift shop.
- Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Home of the 4th Fighter Wing; hosts an occasional air show.
- Paramount Theatre Restored 1930s movie palace hosting concerts and events.
- Wayne County Courthouse Historic government building in downtown Goldsboro.
- Goldsboro Historic District Walkable area with 19th-century architecture and shops.
- Outdoors Hike the trails at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park
- Outdoors Fish the Neuse River
- With kids Tour the Mount Olive Pickle Company
- With kids Visit the Wayne County Museum
- Evenings Catch a show at the Paramount Theatre
- Evenings Karaoke at a downtown bar
- Locals love Barbecue joints
- Locals love Sweet potato farms
Through the year
- Mount Olive Pickle Festival April Celebrates the town's pickle heritage with food, music, and a pickle-eating contest.
- Wayne County Fair September Classic county fair with rides, livestock shows, and local food.
- Seymour Johnson Air Show Periodic (often every few years) Aerial demonstrations and static displays at the Air Force base, held periodically.
- Goldsboro Christmas Parade December Downtown parade with floats, bands, and holiday cheer.
- Downtown Goldsboro Friday Night Live Summer Summer concert series in the historic district.
Goldsboro has a humid subtropical climate with hot, muggy summers and mild winters. Spring and fall are the most comfortable. Best: Spring and fall are ideal for being outside.
Talk like a local
- “The 'Boro”
- Short for Goldsboro, used by locals.
- “Eastern NC BBQ”
- Eastern NC style of barbecue, vinegar-based and pulled pork.
- “Pickle capital”
- A nickname for Mount Olive, referencing the pickle industry.
Getaways
- Wilson Explore the historic downtown and the Whirligig Park.
- Kinston Try the barbecue and visit the CSS Neuse Civil War Museum.
- Greenville College town with the ECU campus and the River Park North.
- Rocky Mount See the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences and the city's historic mills.
Local flavour
Teams
- Goldsboro Moccasins Coastal Plain League
Eat and drink
- Eastern NC vinegar-based pulled pork barbecue A regional staple, often served with coleslaw and hushpuppies.
- Sweet potato pie The area is a major sweet potato producer.
- Hushpuppies A classic side with barbecue or seafood.
- Cheerwine North Carolina's signature cherry soda.
Where people go
- Barbecue joints Local smokehouses serving chopped pork with vinegar sauce.
- Tobacco warehouses
- Seymour Johnson Air Force Base A major military installation and community anchor.
- Sweet potato farms The region is a top producer of sweet potatoes.
Heritage and traditions
Goldsboro is proud of its Southern hospitality, strong military ties, and agricultural roots—especially its sweet potatoes and pickles. Locals love their vinegar-based barbecue and the easygoing pace of life.
This time of year in Goldsboro
- Sweet potato harvest Fall In fall, fields are busy with harvest, and you'll see sweet potato packing houses in full swing.
Say it like a local: “fixin' to” — getting ready to do something
Festivals
- Mount Olive Pickle Drop December 31 A giant pickle drops at midnight on New Year's Eve in Mount Olive.
- Faison Fiddlers' Convention September An old-time and bluegrass music gathering in Faison.
Landmarks with a story
- Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Birthplace of the 'education governor', a restored farmhouse in Fremont.
- Waynesborough Historic District The original county seat, now a neighborhood in Goldsboro with historic homes.
- University of Mount Olive Founded in 1951 by the Free Will Baptists, a private university in Mount Olive.
Food traditions
- Whole hog barbecue Eastern NC style: a whole pig is slow-cooked over wood, then chopped and mixed with a vinegar and pepper sauce. Served with coleslaw and hushpuppies.
- Pickle sampling Mount Olive pickles are a local pride. Locals enjoy them straight from the jar, on sandwiches, or as a side.
- Sweet potato pie Made from local sweet potatoes, this is a holiday staple, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Cheerwine A cherry-flavored soda from Salisbury, NC, but it's a beloved regional drink, often enjoyed with barbecue.
Music and arts
- Beach music and shag dancing Popular across Eastern NC, a laid-back rhythm and dance style with roots in the coastal region.
- Bluegrass and old-time music The Faison Fiddlers' Convention showcases this tradition.
- The Paramount Theatre A historic venue in downtown Goldsboro hosting concerts, plays, and films.
A little history
- 1847 Goldsboro founded as a railroad town
- 1862 Battle of Goldsborough Bridge during the Civil War
- 1926 Mount Olive Pickle Company founded
- 1941 Seymour Johnson Air Force Base established
- Game day Friday night high school football
- Game day Fishing tournaments on the Neuse River
- Outdoors Hunting deer and turkey
- Outdoors Canoeing or kayaking the Neuse River
- With kids Picking pumpkins at a local farm
- With kids Attending the Faison Fiddlers' Convention
The accent is a classic Southern drawl, with a slight Eastern Carolina flavor. You'll hear 'y'all' and 'fixin' to' often, and vowels are drawn out. Some locals use 'high tide' to mean 'a long time'.
Only here
- Mount Olive calls itself the 'Pickle Capital of the World.'
- The Pickle Drop on New Year's Eve is a quirky local tradition.
- Seymour Johnson AFB is home to the 4th Fighter Wing, a major F-15E unit.
- The Goldsboro Moccasins, a minor league baseball team, play at a historic ballpark.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace the heat and humidity in summer; stay hydrated and use sunscreen.
- Learn to love vinegar-based barbecue—it's a point of pride, not tomato-based.
- Expect a strong military presence; many events and businesses cater to Seymour Johnson AFB.
- Say 'y'all' and 'fixin' to'—it's friendly and locals appreciate it.
- Sweet tea is the default drink; if you want unsweetened, ask specifically.
Make this page better
Know a place, a festival, a word locals use, or something here that's wrong? Suggest it; someone at Popchat checks every one.
Sign in and join a club here to suggest.
Nearby
Every areaWilsonNorth CarolinaWhere whirligigs spin and barbecue simmers.Greene CountyNorth CarolinaSweet potato country, where the fields meet the sky.KinstonNorth CarolinaWhere the Neuse runs slow and the barbecue is vinegar-sweet.Sampson CountyNorth CarolinaHome of the holler and the harvest.Anderson CreekNorth CarolinaWhere the river runs through pines and pride.GreenvilleNorth CarolinaThe heart of Eastern CarolinaRocky MountNorth CarolinaWhere the Tar River winds through history and barbecue smoke.RaleighNorth CarolinaWhere oaks shade the future and barbecue warms the soul.
Goldsboro, NC. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.