Wilmington Riverfest is a downtown festival on 10/4-10/5/2025 (Saturday & Sunday). Front Street will be closed down and there will be all sorts of vendors, food trucks, and performers lining the streets! It's a great activity for Saturday before the wedding and is walking distance from all 3 recommended hotels! They also end the night with fireworks!

Stroll along nearly 2 miles of scenic walkway alongside the historic Cape Fear River. Stretching from Nunn Street to the Isabella Holmes Bridge, lined with an assortment of markets, unique boutiques and art galleries, the Riverwalk is home to quaint shops, outdoor cafes and narrated tours.

This one is downtown so this is walking distance from the hotel!

This pedal pub-crawling trolley is a super fun option for a group who wants to get to know downtown Wilmington while drinking with a group! This trolley will take you around and give you a tour as you peddle.

BrewBoat is a fun option for those looking to drink on the water! It's a pedal party boat, but don't worry if you don't want to peddle, it does also have a motor.

This is one of my favorite things to do during the fall in Wilmington. Biggers Market not only has a great atmosphere with live music (weekends), but it also has a bar and kitchen! This one is going to be about a 15 minute drive from downtown, where our hotels are located.

Backyard bar: This window offers a variety of beers, wine, and ciders. If you don't find something you like, there are also tons of fridges filled will other options.

The Kitchen at Biggers Market: The Kitchen is a small building located in the parking lot of Biggers that sells food and drinks. It's a window style place, so they'll give you a buzzer for when you're food's ready and then you can take it and go sit at any of the seating over at Biggers.

Axes and Allies is somewhat new to the Wilmington area, but it's a really fun thing to do to kill some time in downtown Wilmington!

Springbrook Farms offers horse drawn carriage and trolley tours of downtown Wilmington. They are narrated and you do not need a reservation.

Operating Hours in October:

Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm

Closed Sunday

If it's a warm weekend, you can stop by Wrightsville Beach. There are still plenty of people who go to the beach this time of year so I recommend visiting the South end of the island for a less crowded experience! This is about a 20 minute uber ride from downtown where the hotels are located.

Pro tip: the South end can sometimes be hard to find if you're not local, so put 917 S Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach into your GPS and it should take you straight to the South End access.

On the way-

Coffee: I recommend "SUNdays" - you'll pass right by it on your way.

Food: Right across the street from SUNdays, I recommend Oceanic if you want a bite to eat while you're out at the South end. Their back deck is a pier that overlooks the ocean and there are often people surfing right there that you can watch while you eat!

If you're a walker and you're looking for a spot, the Wrightsville Beach Loop is a popular one for locals! I'd park at Wrightsville Beach Park (address above) and start your walk from there. It's 2.5 miles and it does a lap around Wrightsville beach.