THE EVENT Live, in-the-woods action Family-friendly Two days, one price Gates open 8 am both days Displays/demos on sites ranging in size from acres to tent booths Loader contest THE SITE Gently rolling pine/hardwood stand accessed from paved highway Sandy soil Light understory Less than 15 miles from I-95 Only 45 miles from RDU airport Convenient to lodging, restaurants, outlet mall, area attractions THE MACHINES, SUPPLIES, SERVICES Watch the latest high tech gear go through the paces; check out new engine and machine enhancement technology; consider fuel consumption; weigh total machine costs; investigate attachments; explore insurance options; compare weigh scales; look into lighter weight trailers; examine chippers and grinders; get under lowboys; inspect trucks; interface with equipment dealers, factory reps, engineers; network with fellow members of the forest industry fraternity
THE TICKETS Bring the entire family for the Expo and visit local attractions. Two-day pass is $15 per adult when you register online or $20 per adult at the gate. Children 16 and under are FREE. No ATVs, golf carts or animals please. Handicapped or disabled person transport arranged at main tent registration when you arrive.
Carolina Premium Outlets 1025 Industrial Park Dr., Smithfield, NC 919-989-8757 www.premiumoutlets.com/carolina For upscale, fashion conscious shoppers who prefer designer labels on sportswear, shoes, children s clothes, fine leather luggage, jewelry, house wares, home furnishings, gifts and specialty items, plan on a visit to Carolina Premium Outlets, located along I-95, Exits 97 or 95 in Smithfield. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10-9 pm and Sunday 11-7 pm. For additional savings, coupon books are for sale in the Visitor Center for $5. Selma Antique Shops & Malls Uptown Shopping District Raiford St. 919-965-9841 www.visitselma.org For an afternoon of antique and collectibles hunting, the uptown shopping district in Selma is the place to be! Over 14 dealers, shops and malls offer acres of shopping for the antique enthusiast. Also enjoy lunch at The Cakery or Hula Girls for some local fare and sweets! Ava Gardner Museum 325 E. Market St., Smithfield, NC 919-934-5830 www.avagardner.org LOCAL ATTRACTIONS Hinnant Family Vineyard & Winery 826 Pine Level-Micro Rd., Pine Level, NC 919-965-3350 www.hinnantvineyards.com Take a tour of the vineyards or enjoy a wine tasting at the largest muscadine vineyard in the state. This family winery sits atop picturesque vineyards and offers a variety of awardwinning wines for sale in the gift shop. Also you will find non-alcoholic grape juices, homemade jellies and jams. Fee for wine tastings. The Muscadine Heritage Wine Trail in Johnston County includes three additional wineries in the area. Pick up a brochure at Hinnants and spend the day on area vineyards. Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site 5466 Harper House Rd., Four Oaks, NC 910-594-0789 www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonville The Battle of Bentonville, fought March 19-21, 1865, was the last full-scale action of the Civil War in which a Confederate army was able to mount a tactical offensive. This major battle, the largest ever fought in North Carolina, was the only significant attempt to defeat the large Union army of Gen. William T. Sherman during its march through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865. Visitors will enjoy the museum, the Harper House, and the home of John and Amy Harper, which became a field hospital for the Union Army. There are Union earthworks and trails and a Confederate cemetery. Free. The museum is home to an incredible collection of Johnston County native and Hollywood screen legend, Ava Gardner. Visitors enjoy 16 permanent exhibits on Ava s life, career, loves and personal belongings. Experience her rise from a local country girl to one of Hollywood s film goddesses. Born near Smithfield, Ava s friends, co-stars, and husbands included Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Gregory Peck. Also taking place the weekend of October 7-9 is the Ava Gardner Festival and the Ava Gardner Independent Film Festival in Downtown Smithfield. Admission. Tobacco Farm Life Museum 709 Church St., Kenly, NC 919-284-3431 www.tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org This 6,000 square foot museum and homestead depicts the lives of eastern North Carolina farmers from the 1800s to through the Great Depression. Visitors will learn of farming practices for tobacco, sweet potatoes and other cash crops, community life, a hands-on children s exhibit and much more. The farmstead includes a main house, detached kitchen, smoke house, tobacco barn, pack house, and working blacksmith shop, which is open on Sundays with demonstrations. Admission.
Clemmons Education State Forest 2411 Old US Hwy 70 W., Clayton, NC 919-553-5651 www.ncesf.org The first educational state forest to open in North Carolina, this site offers a mix of pine and hardwood vegetation and a pleasant rolling terrain highlighted by streams and rock outcroppings. Visitors will enjoy a series of well marked trails accented by exhibits and displays about the ecology of a managed forest. Free. Call for hours. Howell Woods Environ. Learning Center 6601 Devil s Racetrack Rd., Four Oaks, NC 919-938-0115 www.howellwoods.org Howell Woods contains a great diversity of habitats and wildlife species within 2,800+ acres situated between the Neuse River and Hannah and Mill Creeks. The property consists of over 1,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forests, over 600 acres of mixed hardwood and pine, nearly 400 acres of pine forest (both long - leaf and loblolly type), and nearly 100 acres of early successional habitat. Visitors will enjoy the exhibit hall with reptile displays, a resource library, a rescued birds of prey habitat, trails, fishing, biking and other recreational opportunities. Fees for fishing and some activities. JR Outlets 67 JR Rd., Selma, NC 919-965-5055 www.jrselma.com Shop for cigars at the largest outlet in the world where you will find the best prices on homemade and domestic cigars and pipe tobacco. You will be amazed at the huge selection of name brand apparel, dolls, books, fragrances and cosmetics. Johnston County Visitor s Bureau www.johnstoncountync.org http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/johnstoncounty/vg1213 Find everything you need in this 35 page online visitor's guide. Equipped with everything from dining and shopping to spas and golf trails, there s sure to be something to please everyone right at your fingertips.