Cooler temperatures will roll in this weekend with a sprinkle of rain in the forecast. Bring an umbrella and take a stroll through downtown Whiteville at the N.C. Honey Festival. Stop by the Columbus County Fairgrounds and check out the expo put on by the first responders and other organizations in the area. There is plenty to do on Saturday. Be sure log onto www.columbuscountynews.com for absolutely free to catch up on any news you’ve missed this week. Get your news delivered every morning to your inbox before your coffee ever hits your cup by signing up for our daily newsletter. 
The N.C. Honey Festival will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. The day dedicated to the tiny-winged honeybee heroes will feature food trucks, vendors, local honey and beekeepers, museum exhibits and Storytime, music, cornhole, mead-tasting by Farmacy on Main at 11 a.m., and a Sip and Paint by the Columbus County Arts Council at 1:30 p.m. For more information about the festival, visit the N.C. Honey Festival Facebook page.
Tabor City will be honoring first responders and veterans and remembering those who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorists attacks on Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. There will be a nighttime parade and cruise-in featuring classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. For more information about the event, call the Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce at 910.377.3012.
Several organizations will be coming together in September to host an event in the area. The second annual Columbus County Public Safety Day Expo will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Columbus County Fairgrounds. The expo gives residents the opportunity to meet first responders in the county and to get valuable information about resources available to them. The opening ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. on the main stage with the Columbus County Fire and Rescue and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office honor guards. The firefighter competition will begin at 10 a.m. with the captain’s meeting being held prior to the race at 9:30 a.m. A chicken bog cookoff will also take place at 11:30 a.m.
There will be several demonstrations throughout the day. Apparatuses and emergency vehicles from many departments and agencies will be on display, and booths, including Columbus County Animal Protective Services, will be set up for the public to stop by and visit. Animal adoptions will also be available at the expo. The Columbus County Fairgrounds can be found at 886 Prison Camp Road in Whiteville. For more information about the Columbus County Public Safety Day Expo, contact Angel McPherson, Rocky McPherson, or Donnie Coleman via Facebook. September is also Firefighter Appreciation Month.
The Veterans Memorial Park of America will be holding the Remembering 9/11 ceremony on Monday, Sept. 11, at 8:30 a.m. at the park. This event is free to the public. VMPA is located at 6354 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville.
The town of Fair Bluff will be having their community market every first Saturday of the month, but visitors and shoppers are asked to avoid the main entrance to the Riverwalk at the moment. During the hurricane last week, a tree fell on the walkway. Town officials are working hard to get the tree cleared and the Riverwalk fixed, but those who would like to still enjoy the sights are asked to use the boat ramp entrance instead. The next market is scheduled for Oct. 7.
Bladen County Public Library will be having the Build Your Own Spider ecoEXPLORE activity on Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Learn all about arachnids, how they help us, and build your own eight-legged friend to take home. This event is for children ages 0-12 years old. Registration is required, so call 910.862.6990 to sign up.
Movies on Madison will feature the movie Encanto on Friday, Sept. 15, at 6:30 p.m. to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville. The lawn will be open before the film, so little ones and their families can enjoy some of the educational activities available. Refreshments will be up for purchase, and Encanto will begin at dusk. This is a family event, so no coolers, pets, smoking, or alcoholic beverages are permitted on museum grounds.
The Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio has announced the date and place for their annual STEM Day. The event will be held on Sept. 16 at the Lake Waccamaw State Park from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. It is free of charge and offers a wide range of activities suitable for all ages. The organization will be ushering in over a 100 Native American youth and elders from across the Carolinas to take participate. Scholarship awards, boat tours, and other activities are planned. To learn more about the Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio and all their upcoming events and activities, visit their website at https://stemstudio.waccamaw-siouan.org/.
The Columbus Baptist Association will have a chicken bog plate sale on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Lowes parking lot in Whiteville. Plates are $10 each and include chicken bog, green beans, a roll, and dessert. All proceeds will go to help the association’s partnership church, Wind River Church, in Shoshoni, Wyoming.
The Columbus County Farmers Market will celebrate bees on Saturday, Sept. 16. Honey Day will be from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Local honey, bee wax products, produce, and other items will be up for grabs. The market is located at 132 Government Complex Drive in Whiteville.
You can also ‘Fall into Good Health’ on Sept. 16 at the George Henry White Memorial Health and Education Center. The festival will be from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and it will feature food, resource information, and free health screenings. The center can be found at 731 Farmers Union Road in Clarkton.
Mishop Springs Community Church is having a one-day fall fling at their tent revival on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. There will be music, speakers, and lunch provided at the event. The church can be found at 2756 Pine Log Road in Whiteville.
The ‘See You at the Pole’ youth rally will be on Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. in the Whiteville Fun Factory parking lot. There will be blowups, games, food, live music and more with guest speaker Jon Goforth. The event is sponsored by the CBA and several other churches in the area. Fun Factory is located at 42 Hill Plaza in Whiteville. Be sure to meet your peers at your school’s flagpole on Sept. 27 thirty minutes before the school day starts to pray for a successful year.
The Grissettown Longwood Fire Department will once again hold their annual Grissettown Haunted Trail beginning on Oct. 6-7. The event will run every Saturday and Sunday and on Halloween night from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $15 each. The station is located at 758 Longwood Road in Ocean Isle Beach.
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