The 2021 Strange Carolinas Best Of NC Awards Winners

For three weeks, readers of Strange Carolinas were invited to nominate their favorites for each of the categories below. From March 1st to...


For three weeks, readers of Strange Carolinas were invited to nominate their favorites for each of the categories below. From March 1st to March 19th, readers were invited to vote for their favorites from the ten entries that received the most votes for each category during the nomination period.

Here are the winners of the 2021 Strange Carolinas Best Of NC Awards:

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL
Winner: Merlefest
2nd Place: Epicenter
3rd Place: Heavy Rebel Weekender

BEST RADIO STATION
Winner: 95.7 The Ride
2nd Place: Rock 92
3rd Place: 88.5 WFDD

BEST MUSIC VENUE
Winner: The Orange Peel
2nd Place: PNC Music Pavilion
3rd Place: Greenfield Lake Amphitheater

BEST BAR
Winner: The Fat Pelican
2nd Place: The Burger Bar
3rd Place: Lily's Snack Bar

BEST PODCAST
Winner: Old North State Podcast
2nd Place: Cape Fear Unearthed
3rd Place: The P.E.E.P. Podcast

ART
BEST MURALIST
Winner: Kathryn Crawford (@kathryncrawfordart)
2nd Place: JEKS (@jeks_nc)
3rd Place: Alexa Eliana (@misskittentits)

BEST CITY FOR MURALS
Winner: Asheville
2nd Place: Carolina Beach
3rd Place: Greensboro

FOOD & DRINK
BEST BBQ
Winner: Apple City BBQ (Taylorsville)
2nd Place: Lexington Barbecue (Lexington)
3rd Place: 12 Bones (Asheville)

BEST BREWERY
Winner: Booneshine Brewing Company (Boone)
2nd Place: Wilmington Brewing (Wilmington)
3rd Place: NoDa Brewing Company (Charlotte)

BEST BURGER
Winner: The Loaded Goat (Mount Airy)
2nd Place: Island Burgers and Bites (Carolina Beach)
3rd Place: Hops Burger Bar (Multiple locations)

BEST COFFEE SHOP
Winner: Crush And Grind (Carolina Beach)
2nd Place: Bitty & Beau's (Wilmington)
3rd Place: Grind (Asheville)

BEST CUPCAKE
Winner: Liv For Sweets (Pilot Mountain)
2nd Place: The Peppered Cupcake (Wilmington)
3rd Place: Maxie B's Bakery & Dessert Cafe (Greensboro)

BEST DONUT
Winner: Britt's Donut Shop (Carolina Beach)
2nd Place: OMG Donuts & Bakery (Concord)
3rd Place: Duck Donut (Multiple Locations)

BEST FOOD TRUCK
Winner: El Tacorriendo
2nd Place: Rockin' Moroccan Food Truck
3rd Place: Cousins Maine Lobster

BEST FRIED CHICKEN
Winner: Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack (Asheville)
2nd Place: Price's Chicken Coop (Charlotte)
3rd Place: Mama Dip's (Chapel Hill)

BEST HOT DOG
Winner: Nauti Dog (Carolina Beach)
2nd Place: Dairi-O (Multiple Cities)
3rd Place: Zack's Hot Dogs (Burlington)

BEST TACO
Winner: Nollie's Taco Joint (Carolina Beach)
2nd Place: El Taccoriendo (Food Truck)
3rd Place: Crafted (Multiple locations)

BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
Winner: Plant (Asheville)
2nd Place: Sealevel City Vegan Diner (Wilmington)
3rd Place: Sunflower Diner (Asheville)

SHOPPING
BEST BOOK STORE
Winner: Foggy Pine Books (Boone)
2nd Place: Old Books On Front Street (Wilmington)
3rd Place: Scuppernong Books (Greensboro)

BEST ODDITIES STORE
Winner: Major Tomm's (Winston-Salem)
2nd Place: Madame Meerkat's Cabinet of Curiosities (Wilmington)
3rd Place: Fleetwood's (Asheville)

BEST RECORD STORE
Winner: Gravity Records (Wilmington)
2nd Place: Dead Wax Records (Lenoir)
3rd Place: Lunchbox Records (Charlotte)

BEST THRIFT SHOP
Winner: The Groovy Goose (Mount Airy)
2nd Place: Anna Banana's (Boone)
3rd Place: Vintage To Vogue Boutique (Greensboro)

STRANGE NORTH CAROLINA
BEST ROADSIDE ATTRACTION
Winner: Wally's Service Station/Mayberry Courthouse (Mount Airy)
2nd Place: Mystery Hill (Blowing Rock)
3rd Place: The Berry Patch/World's Largest Strawberry (Ellerbe)

BEST GHOST STORY
Winner: USS North Carolina (Wilmington)
2nd Place: Appalachian State East Hall Ghost (Boone)
3rd Place: Lydia's Bridge (Jamestown)

BEST URBAN LEGEND
Winner: Brown Mountain Lights (Brown Mountain)
2nd Place: Devil's Tramping Ground (Bear Creek)
3rd Place: The Seneca Guns

BEST PARANORMAL TEAM
Winner: The Ghost Guild
2nd Place: Charlotte Area Paranormal Society (CAPS)
3rd Place: First in Fright Paranormal


Questions or comments? Please contact us at StrangeCarolinas@gmail.com or 336.907.2393.

COMMENTS

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2018 In Review,3,2019 In Review,5,2021 In Review,1,2023 In Review,1,Aberdeen,1,Adam Ant,2,Adnate,1,Albemarle,2,Album Reviews,3,Alex DeLarge,6,Alli Good,1,Alx Dlrg,4,Andrea Reinwald,4,Andrews,3,Animals,30,Apex,1,Archdale,1,Architecture,41,Art/Murals/Statues,156,Asheville,31,Austen Mikulka,1,Automobiles,38,Avon,1,Battleboro,1,Bayside,1,Bear Creek,1,Beaufort,1,beer,11,Bella DiStefano,13,Belmont,2,Ben Folds,1,Best Of NC 2019,19,Best Of NC 2020,20,Best Of NC 2021,2,Best of NC 2022,2,Best Of SC 2019,1,Bicycle Face,1,Big Mouths,11,Bigfoot,3,Bishopville,5,Blacksburg,2,Blackville,1,Bladenboro,1,Blog,73,Blue October,1,Blue Sky,2,Bob Duato,6,Bolton,2,Bowman,1,Brandon Owen,1,Brevard,1,Brian Davis,2,Bryson City,3,Burger,15,Burger Bracket,14,Burlington,5,Bynum,1,Caitlin Russ,12,Cameron,1,Car Parts Sculpture,19,Carolina Beach,1,Carolina Music Fridays,9,Carolina Panthers,1,Carrboro,1,Carthage,1,Cary,1,Chapel Hill,8,Charleston,7,Charlotte,26,Cheerwine,1,Cherokee,12,Chocowinity,2,City Guide,1,Collettsville,1,Columbia,7,Concert Review,250,Concert Reviews,21,Concord,1,Contests,2,Conway,3,Cordova,1,Cullowhee,1,DAAS,2,David Ellis,1,Davidson,1,Denver,1,Diet Cig,1,Dinosaurs,9,Douglas Panzone,1,Doyle,1,Drat The Luck,1,Drew Drain,15,Durham,10,Dustin Spagnola,3,Eden,1,edih17,3,Edneyville,2,Ellerbe,1,Fayetteville,4,Ferguson,1,Festivals,6,Fiberglass Creations,10,Filming Locations,10,Flat Duo Jets,1,Florence,3,Food & Drink,20,Frisco,1,Gaffney,2,Georgetown,1,Giant,1,Giants/Big Things,82,Gibsonville,1,Glam Skanks,2,Goldsboro,2,Graham,1,Gravesites,22,Greensboro,39,Greenville,2,Gus Cutty,7,Hamer,3,Hamlet,1,Hampstead,2,Hardeeville,1,Hartsville,1,Hatteras,1,Haw River,1,Heavy Rebel Weekender,2,Henderson,2,Hendersonville,7,High Point,10,Hillsborough,4,Hoodie Allen,1,Hope Mills,1,Howard Jones,1,Hudson,1,Huntersville,1,Ian Bredice,1,Ian Brownlee,1,Ian Wilkinson,1,In Memoriam,46,Interviews,37,Jacksonville,2,Jamestown,4,Jeff Beck,1,JEKS,5,Jerkface,1,Jerms,1,Jerry Friend,8,Jessica Oddono,1,Jim MacKenzie,13,Johns Island,1,Jonathan Cohen,2,Kannapolis,1,Ked Woodley,1,Kendall Doub,1,Kendrick Lamar,1,Kernersville,1,Kill Devil Hills,1,King,2,Kitty Hawk,1,Knightdale,1,Lady Huns,2,Laurel Springs,1,Laurinburg,1,Lenoir,2,Lexington,1,Little River,1,Littleton,2,Lizard Lick,2,Loris,1,Lucama,2,Lumberton,1,Mac Sabbath,1,Madison,1,Maggie Valley,2,Maiden,1,Maps,3,Marion,2,Mark Dolejs,30,Marshall,1,Maui Cabral,14,Mayberry,4,McClellanville,1,Mebane,3,Megan Kelly,3,Meres One,1,Mermania,2,Meta,2,Metal Flake Mother,1,Milk Carton,6,Miniatures/Little Things,5,Missio,1,Mitch Cook,2,Mixtapes,2,Mocksville,2,Moncure,1,Moogfest,2,Mooresville,1,Morganton,2,Morrisville,1,Motels/Hotels,15,Mount Airy,14,Mount Pleasant,4,Mount Ulla,1,Muffler Men,13,Murals,61,Murphy,7,Murrells Inet,8,Music,336,Myrtle Beach,23,Nags Head,3,Nathan Nordstrom,1,New Bern,3,New Found Glory,1,North Carolina,399,North Myrtle Beach,11,Old Fort,1,On The Road With,26,Paranormal/Supernatural,43,Patch Whisky,6,Pawleys Island,1,Pelion,1,Peter Parpan,1,Philip Morris,1,Pigeon Forge,4,Pikeville,1,Pittsboro,1,Pixie Hocker,44,Podcast,3,Point Pleasant,1,Poplar Branch,1,Post Malone,1,Press,1,Project2020,1,Prospect Hill,1,Providence,1,Raleigh,17,Ranked!,4,Reidsville,3,Religion,1,Reretail Therapy,1,Retail Therapy,1,Reviews,4,Richfield,1,Richmond,2,Ridgeway,1,Road Eats,9,Road Trip Mixtapes,8,Roanoke Rapids,1,Rob Fogle,1,Robbinsville,3,Rockingham,1,Rocky Mount,5,Rodanthe,1,Rose Hill,1,Rougemont,2,Roxboro,1,Salisbury,5,Sanford,2,Scott Nurkin,1,Seeking Myrtle Beach's Grand Strange,10,Sergio Odeith,2,Sex Police,1,Shallotte,1,Sharks,22,Sheepman,1,Shelby,1,Sightings,557,Signage,78,Siobhan Shene,1,Smithfield,2,Sneads Ferry,2,Snow Camp,1,South Carolina,102,Southern Pines,1,Spencer Mountain,2,Star,1,Statesville,2,Steve Halaszi,1,Stokesdale,2,Strange Carolinas Must-See Attraction,5,Strange Tennessee,8,Strange Virginia,2,Strange West Virginia,12,Summerville,1,Supply,1,Surf City,1,Surfside Beach,1,Sylva,3,taco,12,tacos,12,Tennessee,8,The Art Of Chase,3,The Darkness,1,The Dial-Up Decade,6,The Fabulous Knobs,1,They Might Be Giants,1,Thomasville,2,Tryon,1,Uncategorized,20,Valdese,1,Vans Warped Tour,7,Videos,4,Virginia,2,Walterboro,1,Wayback Wednesdays,4,Weeekend Road Trip Mixtapes,2,West Columbia,3,West Jefferson,1,West Virginia,12,Whirligigs,2,Whitsett,1,Whittier,5,Wilkesboro,1,Wilmington,10,Wilson,8,Winnsboro,3,Winston-Salem,12,Wrightsville Beach,1,Yogi Bear,3,York,1,Zebulon,2,
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Strange Carolinas: The Travelogue Of The Offbeat: The 2021 Strange Carolinas Best Of NC Awards Winners
The 2021 Strange Carolinas Best Of NC Awards Winners
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Strange Carolinas: The Travelogue Of The Offbeat
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