Ground Steak Festival
The North Carolina Ground Steak Festival is held annually on the second Saturday in June and hosted by the Dobson Tourism Development Authority. The next festival takes place Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the historic courthouse square in downtown Dobson.
The festival honors ground steak, a loose-meat, melt-in-your mouth cousin to the hamburger born in the diners and burger joints of Surry County during the Great Depression.
Dobson’s Central Café, a location on the Surry Ground Steak Trail, will dish out ground steak sandwiches, along with the Flat Rock Ruritan Club, famous for serving the sandwich each year at the Autumn Leaves Festival in nearby Mount Airy.
The day includes more than 75 artisans and crafters, bluegrass and old-time string music, and children’s games and activities.