Overview The Burlington Carousel Festival fills City Park in Burlington, North Carolina, for a weekend every May, built around a Dentzel carousel carved between about 1906 and 1910 with 46 hand-carved animals, no two alike. The city's Recreation and Parks Department runs it on the first weekend of the month, and the 2026 festival was its 35th. Two music stages, an artisan market, food vendors, a beer garden and carnival rides spread through the park around the carousel. The carousel first ran at Locust Point Amusement Park in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Burlington bought it in 1948 for $3,500, restored it between 1981 and 1985, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. On site In 2026 the gates ran 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. City Park's own rides - the carousel, a miniature train, tiny cars and a boat ride with brass bells - were free, and a Thrill Zone of carnival rides, among them Way Out Swings, a Tijuana Twister, a tower slide and a Ferris wheel, ran on a $10 unlimited-ride wristband. The artisan market sets up on the ballfield and the main stage sits along the greenway. Children had face painting, a butterfly tent, Stuff-A-Bear, a kids' art tent, henna, sand art and virtual reality games. Country singer Buddy Jewell closed Saturday on the Jimmy Combs main stage. Audience The city's sponsor deck describes three crowds: people who work in Burlington, people who live in its residential neighborhoods, and families who come in for the event. Most of the programming is built for children and the adults with them, from the free park rides to the art tent. Brand presence Sponsor levels take their names from the carousel: Dentzel, for its maker, then Lead Horse, Jumper and Stander. The Dentzel sponsor presents the free City Park rides, carousel included, with its name on all five park rides, a 10-by-20 booth in a spot of its choosing and category exclusivity. The Lead Horse sponsor co-presents both performance stages and takes a 10-by-20 booth along the greenway near the main stage. Every level includes an on-site booth, logos on festival signs and the sponsor webpage, and social posts. The upper levels add the 16-foot archway banner, 100 festival posters, the 3,000 printed pocket guides, stage announcements between performances, lunch on site, Thrill Zone wristbands for staff and park ride tickets valid year round.