It’s N.C. Strawberry Festival weekend in Chadbourn. The oldest agricultural fair in the state has a full slate of events at the Strawberry Event Field as well as downtown. Friday night is the dance 
and chicken bog plate sale, as well as Strawberry Encounters.
There’s a car show Saturday morning, parade Saturday at 2 p.m., a strawberry spitting contest at 5 p.m., and vendors of all kinds Saturday and Sunday. You can also enjoy music throughout the day and into the evening.
Sunday will be the new Strawberry Jam, where the emphasis is on kids. Starting at noon, there will be music, games, educational booths and vendors at the event field.
Saturday is also the first day of the regular season for the Columbus County Community Farmers Market. There will be music, a car show, cornhole and other games, chicken bog, the Edgewood School Chorus, gem mining, and many vendors. The market is located on Government Complex Drive in North Whiteville. Hours are from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Fair Bluff’s Village Market is the first Saturday of every month on the Riverwalk. Crafters, produce vendors, yard salers and artisans of all kinds are welcome. Contact the chamber of commerce for more.
Bess Hinson Taylor’s Songbirds of Columbus County exhibit is going on at the Columbus Arts Council through May 30. Hinson’s artwork depicts every bird species found in our county. She does flat sculpture as well as paintings. The exhibition is free. The arts council is located at 822 South Madison St., Whiteville. Hours vary, so check their Facebook page for specific times and special events.
Lake Waccamaw State Park is also home to some of Bess’ work. The new mural will be officially unveiled at the Visitors center at the park May 11 at 11 a.m. The public is invited to attend, and check out scenes from the history and habitat of Lake Waccamaw.
The Classy Cars and Country Cooking Car show and food truck rodeo is coming up May 11. Cars and Coffee of Elizabethtown is organizing the event. Registration for each car is $20, with judging form 9-11 a.m. and awards immediately afterward. Plus you can check out ten different food trucks that will be set up. Admission is free. There’s plenty of room for more trucks as well as entries in the show. Contact Lee at 910.499.2258 for more information.
Delco PFWB Church will hold a massive yard sale today (Friday, May 3) from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday from 8-1 at the church. There will be baby and children’s clothes, toys, furniture, chairs, mirrors and more. The church is located at 283 Kaiser Road, Delco.
The 15th annual Lake Waccamaw Ride benefitting the boys and girls home is May 4. The ride is sponsored by CVMA 15-13 Silver Coast chapter. Cost is $15 per rider and $10 per passenger. Go to boysandgirlshome.org for more information.
May and June are graduation time in Columbus County. One group is celebrating ahead of other classes this week.
The Southeastern Community College Firefighters Academy is scheduled to hold its graduation exercises tonight (May 3) at 6:30 p.m. at the college.
The Tabor City Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Lake Tabor Bass Tournament May 11. It’s the 20th year for the big event. See this story in our Outdoors section at Columbuscountynews.com for more.
Last month’s flock swap at Gurganus Farm Store in Whiteville was a such a big hit, it’s now a regular event. Every second Saturday, hobby farmers are welcome to bring their spare birds and small livestock for a free market day at the Farm Store. It’s located in the Roses Hill Plaza off Madison Street in Whiteville. The swap is from 9-2 on the second Saturday of every month.
Saturday is The Big Bloom at the Green Swamp Nature Preserve. Sponsored by the Waccamaw Siouan STEM studio, visitors can learn more about the after effects of the Pulp Road fire, tour the preserve, and enjoy a free lunch from Two Natives Smokehouse. The event is free, but you must register. Click the link in this story on our website for more.
Speaking of Lloyd Moore and Two Natives – Brother Lloyd and his family have been serving up meals for the needy and homeless in Fayetteville lately. They recently served a simple meal in Whiteville on a Sunday afternoon as well. While donations are appreciated, the meals are available at no cost to anyone who is in need.
Brother Lloyd said he is just sharing the blessings of being able to operate his food truck and catering business. He said he has been especially surprised at the number of people needing just a meal or two to bridge the gap between paychecks.
On Friday May 24, the Veterans Memorial Park of America will host their Annual Veterans Meal. Veterans eat for free and guests are asked for a minimum of $10 donation. All yeterans are asked to pre-register for the event. The lunch will be held at the Veterans Memorial Park of America, weather permitting. A ceremony will take place then the meal, all starting at 11 a.m. Call 910.840.3848 to sign up.
United Bank in Whiteville has partnered with the Carolyn’s Kaleidoscope Child Advocacy Center to collect needed supplies and donations for the center. The top requested items are blankets and adult sized white t-shirts. Donations will be accepted at the Whiteville branch until May 31.
Transformation Church will be having a Chicken Bog plate sale Saturday from 10:30 until 2:30. Plates are $10. Proceeds go to the building fund. Please drop in and pick up your plates at 9955 James B. White Hwy S. Whiteville,
The Fair Bluff Senior Center is a busy place these days. To find out more about the activities and opportunities they have available, go their Facebook page and check out the monthly calendar and newsletter.
Speaking of Fair Bluff, there’s a lot going on in the rivertown as it continues its recovery from back to back catastrophic hurricanes.
The 2024 Watermelon Festival will be the last one with downtown Fair Bluff as it is now. Multiple historic buildings will be coming down after the festival. In fact, the town delayed demolition for the 2024 festival. Some of the buildings will be replaced with more flood resistant structures. A ribbon cutting is set for June 21 for one of the newest buildings.
While visiting the festival be sure to support the new “uptown” businesses, check out the Lumber River Visitor Center and Fair Bluff Depot Museum, and take a stroll on the Lumber River Boardwalk.
Cooperative Extension regional Director Bernard Dockery was one of the Columbus folks at the Southeast Agriculture Agents Association meeting in the Sampson County community of Turkey on Friday (today). Dockery got a taste of burgers made with a trending new type of beef cattle, the Wagyu. Japanese cattle were crossed with old stock European beef cattle to produce a finer quality beef. Wagyu is known for excellent texture and marbling. Kobe beef is considered the top tier of Wagyu cattle.
Operation Lifesaver helped reunite a Whiteville man and his family last week. The program uses an electronic monitoring system to help keep track of people with cognitive impairments. The missing man was found a short distance from his home in less than an hour. Currently, the county has one unissued Lifesaver system If you’d like to donate toward another monitor, or want more information about Operation Lifesaver, call 910.642.6551.
We always have room for your church news, civic club activities, pageant winners, festivals, birthday and anniversary events, little kids with big fish, Good Samaritan stories and just about anything that will make you smile. Email jeffersonweaver@columbuscountynews.com, PM us on the Columbuscountynews Facebook page, call 910.914.6156, or just come by our office at 1015 South Madison Street in downtown Whiteville.
