Rocky Mount is an eastern North Carolina city with a population of roughly 57,000. 

Rocky Mount

After being settled in the mid-1700s, the city was named Rocky Mount in 1816 upon the establishment of the post office.

Each year, the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down (bbqthrowdown.net) is held in Rocky Mount. Competitors come from various regions in the Southeast to eat this delicious pork.

Regarding competitions not including barbecue, there is a sports complex (rockymountsportscomplex.com) that "includes six youth baseball fields, four interchangeable baseball/softball fields, one championship baseball field, four soccer/football fields, a professional disc golf course, two outdoor basketball courts, outdoor volleyball courts, picnic shelters and a walking trail."

For those who do not enjoy barbecue, The Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences (imperialcentre.org) downtown provides a diversion from normal activity with a children's museum and theatre.

The area has two colleges, North Carolina Wesleyan College and Nash County Community College. Wesleyan (ncwc.edu) is a four-year liberal arts college. Nash County (nashcc.edu) offers a plethora of options, from vocational and industry related programs to college transfer programs.

The two largest employers in the region are the county school systems, followed by Hospira and QVC (rockymountnc.gov/industry.html)