National Black Bear Festival June 6-7, 2025 Plymouth NC

The annual award-winning Black Bear Festival is setting the pace

PLYMOUTH, NC, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Black Bear Festival

The annual award-winning Black Bear Festival is setting the pace

The wildly successful, award-winning National Black Bear Festival is hosting their 11th Anniversary on Friday evening June 6th and all-day Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Plymouth, Bear-olina. The festival was created in 2015 to celebrate the little-known fact that coastal North Carolina has the world’s largest black bears. Plymouth is located on the Albemarle Peninsula which has the highest black bear densities on the planet according to the state black bear biologist. The festival has been the recipient of many awards, including NC “Event of the Year” several times and “Best Festival” in the Southeastern US twice. Each year Bear Fest regularly attracts people from over 20 states and several foreign countries.

The event’s popularity has a lot to do with the broad appeal of black bears along with a heaping helping of fun and creativity. According to festival founder Tom Harrison, “No matter what age or interests a person has, almost everyone loves bears!” Therefore, the festival’s mainstay is wild bear tours conducted on a local wildlife refuge, as well as presentations by the NC Black Bear Biologists, and a wildlife photography presentation. There are many other bear-themed activities at the event, including, a black bear theater film, the world’s first mechanical bear ride (like a mechanical bull), and a children’s bear train ride. They also have an educational 40-yard dash called “Can You Out Run A Bear?” Race in which a participant’s running/walking speed is measured and they receive a free sticker for whatever animal they outran – whether that is a snapping turtle, a mouse, ‘possum, rabbit, or something faster. In doing so, they learn no human can outrun a black bear.

The Festival is located on the banks of the Roanoke River which provides ample opportunity to get out on the water. This includes rides on a 30-passenger hydrofoil jet boat operated by the Inner Bank Harbor Towns Cruises, as well as 120-passenger paddlewheel cruises. In addition, there is a Fine Art & Photography Contest and Exhibition, a Native American Pow Wow and a Charlotte production company is presenting Dragon Quest and Dragon Training for kids. Among the other 40+ activities at Bear Fest will be a fire artist, lazy river tubing, kayak rentals, live music all day, hot air balloon rides and helicopter rides. One highlight of the event will be the US Army Golden Knights elite skydiving team doing acrobatic jumps. It all culminates on Saturday night with the renowned Reflections on the Roanoke Fireworks Show, featuring six fireworks barges anchored in the river. With ½ mile of waterfront, everyone has a front row seat. If you can’t make it to Plymouth until Sunday, you can still book a ticket for a lunch or dinner cruise on the Albemarle Queen paddlewheel riverboat.

This festival is unique because it is more than just an ordinary festival with food and craft vendors, (although there are plenty of those too). It is unique because of its black bear focus and because it is located on the banks of the Roanoke River with many events on the water that other festivals don’t offer. The festival is also remarkable because it provides education with a heaping helping of family fun through all their lively activities. For details visit NationalBearFest.com



About National Black Bear Festival
The award-winning National Black Bear Festival is happening on Friday night, June 6th, and all-day Saturday, June 7th in Plymouth, NC – “Where traffic ends and the adventure begins!” For more information visit: www.nationalbearfest.com.

Bradley Yates
National Black Bear Festival
+ +1 9103405336
director@nationalbearfest.com
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