Longleaf Festival is a celebration of the longleaf pine ecosystem. It takes place at Harris Lake County Park, 2112 County Park Drive, New Hill (in southern Wake County) on Saturday, May 18th, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This is the 20th anniversary of the park and the 10th anniversary of the Longleaf Festival.
It’s free to attend and will feature 40+ agencies and organizations with interactive exhibits and information to share about longleaf pines and other fun topics.
Get your ticket to ride the Longleaf Express to the 60-acre restored Longleaf Forest, guided by NC Forest Service staff. Here you will experience the magic of the longleaf pine.
Visit with many live animals –- birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians and more. There will be games and crafts for kids and adults.
Live music will be provided by the Kudzu Ramblers from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Parking for this event will be at the parking field. A free shuttle will take you to the event area, or you may choose to walk through the woods.
- Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
- Oink N Moo by two brothers
- Big Mike’s BBQ
Ride the Longleaf Express wagon out to the 60-acre longleaf forest. The NC Forest Service will be your guide on this ride out and back with a brief stop for a walk to experience the longleaf pines up close.
Rides will depart at 10 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 11:20 a.m., noon, 12:40 p.m. and 1:20 p.m.
Tickets and seats are free but limited, and tickets are first come, first served. Get your tickets at the Information Tent near the restrooms. The ride will last about 30 minutes.
All of these agencies and organizers are partnering with Harris Lake County Park for this event:
Apex Fire Department
Backyard Butterflies, Inc.
Carolina Children’s Museum
Carvers Creek State Park
CLAWS, Inc.
Dragonfly Nature Programs, LLC
Division of Soil and Water Conservation – CREP
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines
Go Ape
Town of Holly Springs Bass Lake Park
Longleaf Alliance
Marbles Kids Museum
NC Birding Trail
NC Division of Air Quality
NC Division of Water Resources
NC Forest Service
NC Forestry Association
NC Geocachers Organization (NCGO)
NC Herpetological Society
NC Longleaf Coalition
NC Museum of History
NC Native Plant Society
NC Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
NC Prescribed Fire Council
NC Spinal Cord Injury Association and Paralyzed Veterans of America
NC State Extension Forestry
NC State Turtle Rescue Team
NCSU Pine Snake Research
Pat Cheadle Pine Needles
Schoolhouse of Wonder
South Wake Conservationists
Southern Fire Exchange
Stitch n’ Pine Basketry
Sylvan Heights Bird Park
Terra Vita Stewards
Triangle Land Conservancy
US Army Corps of Engineers
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Wake Audubon Society
Wake County Planning, Development and Inspections
Wake Human Services Communicable Disease Prevention
Wake Master Gardeners
Wake Med Injury Prevention