COVID-19 may not have stopped a bumper crop of strawberries, but it stopped the annual festival in Chadbourn for the second year.
The N.C. Strawberry Festival announced on its Facebook page this week that the largest part of the event has been cancelled, but the town will still celebrate the fruit that helped put Chadbourn on the map.
The opening ceremonies, Strawberry Encounters, and parade will return next year, organizers said.
Several events will still go on, however.
Businesses in town are invited to participate in the Strawberry Festival Decorating contest. Decoration can take place at any time, but to be included in the judging, submit an entry form by April 28. Judging will take place April 30. The forms and rules are available at NCStrawberryFestival.com.
Homes will be judged on front doors and front yards. For businesses, the focus will be on the best storefront windows. Cash prizes of $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third will be awarded in both divisions.
Strawberry cleanup Week will be April 25-30, including the repainting of 15 fire hydrants in strawberry themes.
Chadbourn native Greg Thompson will host a new event, “A Virtual Strawberry Celebration,” via Facebook live on May 1. Thompson is a noted entertainer who lives in Florida and is renovating a building for an event venue in Chadbourn.
Rev. Timothy Lance will lead the National Day of Prayer at the community gazebo May 6 at noon. The gazebo is located by the fire department.
Follow the Strawberry Festival on Facebook and go to the NCStrawberryFestival website for updates.
