Carolina on My Mind

Think you know NC—and Raleigh? Test your smarts on some NC trivia—from historic hauntings and happenings to namesakes and state veggie—to prove your stripes so you can “esse quam videri” (aka “to be rather than to seem”—our state motto). Get after it!

1. Yes, you can(dy). What Raleigh-made sweet treat earned the title of “World’s Largest”—and a feature in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!—before the shop selling them closed its doors a few years back?

a. Gummy bears

b. Skittles

c. Licorice

d. Candy corn

2. This’ll lift your spirits… Which one of these NC State hallowed places is rumored to have disgruntled ghosts haunting its halls? 

a. Reynolds Coliseum

b. Bowen Residence Hall

c. Holladay Hall

d. Caldwell Hall

3. Land, ho! Our beloved city’s namesake, Sir Walter Raleigh, founded the first English colony in America. Where was it located?

a. Roanoke Island

b. Ocracoke

c. Cape Hatteras

d. Kill Devil Hills

4. We’re rooting for you! While there’s no doubt NC is a great place for all types of agriculture, which veggie is our state’s official vegetable?  

a. Carrot

b. Sweet potato

c. Beet

d. Cabbage

5. “What’s in a name?” … The City of Oaks is known and named for numerous things (e.g. Raleighwood, Oak City, etc.). Which of these is one of Raleigh’s renowned nicknames? 

a. City of Trees

b. Smithsonian of the South

c. Brick City

d. The Southern Part of Heaven

6. Ready to wing it? Which feathery friend is celebrating its 80th birthday (!) as our state bird this year? … Don’t let this one fly over your head! 

a. Owl

b. Turkey

c. Blue jay

d. Cardinal

7. Let’s get fizzical. Adding some pop to the local beverage scene, which soda was started in the small town of New Bern in 1893? 

a. Mountain Dew

b. Sprite

c. Pepsi-Cola

d. Fanta

8. We’re seeing green… Raleigh’s rec scene is top-tier, touting 200+ parks with activities, programs, playgrounds and more. Which local park claims seniority? 

a. Lake Johnson

b. Lake Crabtree

c. Umstead State Park

d. Pullen Park

9. It’s time to get schooled. NC boasts several higher ed programs that earn top marks. Which local university was the first HBCU to open its doors in the Southern U.S.? 

a. North Carolina Central University

b. Shaw University  

c. North Carolina Agricultural and 

Technical State University

d. Fayetteville State University

NC Trivia Answers:  1. A; 2. C; 3. A; 4. B; 5. B; 6. D; 7. C; 8. D; 9. B