There are festivals and events galore to keep you busy throughout the weekend in Columbus County. Gator Fest, Robinson Produce Strawberry Festival and Flower Show, and the Fair Bluff BBQ on Bluff are perfect excuses to strap on your walking shoes and go outdoors on Saturday.
Be sure to check out the Good News every Wednesday morning for your weekly dose of new events, gatherings, community announcements, and happy stories. You wouldn’t want to miss any of it.
Don’t see your organization’s event listed? Let us know if your church, civic group, association, or non-profit has markets, revivals, plays, gatherings, or fundraisers that you want published in The Good News. Would you like your church’s weekly services to be added to our Community Church Listings? Send all your submissions to ccn.cfaircloth@gmail.com. We will get them out there for absolutely free.
The Columbus County Farmers Market now has more opportunities for everyone to shop. Jams, jellies, breads, eggs, local produce, handcrafted products, baked goods, and jewelry are among the big selection of merchandise available.
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. and every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at 132 Government Complex Drive in Whiteville. Follow them on Facebook for a full list of events going on throughout the year.
Bladen County Public Library will be hosting the ‘Statewide Star Party’ on Friday, April 24, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for children and their families. Attendees will get hands-on experience with a telescope to view the evening sky and learn about the wonders of the solar system.
Registration is required for the event, and those interested can call 910.862.6990 to sign up. The address for the star party will be the Brown’s Creek Bike Trail located at 1910 East Broad Street in Elizabethtown.
The Veterans Benefits Administration will be at the Veterans Memorial Park of America on Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. There is limited availability, and vets who would like to attend are asked to call Randy Norris at 910.840.5207 for an appointment.
These services are for veterans who may have questions or hurdles with their VA benefits. The park can be found at 6354 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville.
Speaking of the VMPA, the facility will host a very special meet and greet on April 27 from 6-7:30 p.m. focused on mental health therapy. The topics will include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Moral Injury therapy, “Battlemind” therapy, and more.
This event is an opportunity for vets and their family members to connect, find resources, and support healing together. A free chicken bog dinner will also be served.
The Columbus County Health Department now has pregnancy testing services available to the community. The cost is $15, and you can either walk in or make an appointment by calling 910.640.6615. The facility’s address in 304 Jefferson Street in Whiteville.
The N.C. Gator Fest in Lake Waccamaw is set for April 25 at Elizabeth Brinkley Park, and it’s going to be bigger than ever this year. First Send Racing will kick off the event at 8 a.m. with the Gator 5K Walk/Run, and the festival marketplace, kids’ activities, food vendors, and educational booths will open at 10 a.m.
There will be plenty of family fun, food, and entertainment for everyone. Over 50 vendors will be available for all your unique shopping needs, and there will be a free Kids Zone with Flimsy the Clown, games, prizes, horse rides, gator train rides, a petting zoo, and face painting.
Live music will grace the stage all day at Gator Fest. Council Tool Company will be celebrating their 140-year anniversary with an interactive axe throwing event, the Dixie Youth girls will host a dunking booth, and foam parties will be available throughout the day. Food trucks will be on site serving up some good eats, and specialty t-shirts will be up for grabs designed by the East Columbus High School Art Department.
A lot of hard work has gone into planning this year’s event, and volunteers are still needed to pull it all together. If you, your organization, church, or civic group would like to help out at the festival, please contact Ginger Dortmund Littrell or the Gator Festival Facebook page via messenger. Elizabeth Brinkley Park can be found at 90 Bald Cypress Circle off of Sam Potts Highway.
Join Robinson Produce on April 25 for their Strawberry Festival and Flower Show. There will be food trucks, vendors, free face painting, a bouncy house for the kids, a strawberry eating contest, and a classic car, bike, and tractor show. Live music, a magician, flowers, and lots of strawberries will also round out the afternoon.
The activities will run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 607 J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville. For more information or if you’re interested in being a vendor, call 910.234.1342. To register for the car show, call Nancy Johnson at 910.301.9004.
The Fair Bluff Chamber of Commerce will hold their fifteenth annual BBQ on the Bluff on April 25. Come out, eat a BBQ lunch, take a stroll through the Riverwalk, and shop with the vendors at the event.
For those who would like to participate as a seller, there is no set up fee. Just show up at 8 a.m. at Riverside Drive ready to peddle your wares.
Avant’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church will have their Fun Day on April 25 beginning at 11 a.m. You’re invited to come out and enjoy an afternoon full of fellowship, food, and fun games and activities both inside and outside church.
Avant’s can be found at 947 Cedar Grove Church Road in Cerro Gordo.
Southeastern Community Action Partnership will have a community resource fair on April 30 from 10 a.m-2 p.m. at Columbus County Social Services. Free lunch boxes will be given out to the first 100 people to arrive.
Applications will be accepted for CSBG, Head Start, and HCV. The department’s address is 40 Government Complex Drive in Whiteville.
The Lake Waccamaw community came together last weekend to help a barred owl in distress. Columbus County News Editor Jefferson Weaver, Whiteville Emergency Services Director Hal Lowder and wife Kristie, Mark Todd, and a few others jumped into action when Mary Ann Blackwell reported a bird of prey stuck in fishing line behind her Waccamaw Shores property. The bird was transferred to Seabiscuit Wildlife Rescue in Oak Island.
Crossroads Church will be having a pork loin fundraiser on April 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help support their building fund for their new facility. Plates are $12 each and include three slices of pork loin, BBQ potatoes, green beans, a roll, and dessert.
Free delivery will be provided for those ordering 10 plates or more, or you can pick up your meal at 87 Southwood Road in Whiteville. To prepay, scan the QR code on the flyer. For more information, call Pastor Yates at 910.840.0358.
I
f you enjoyed all the buzz going on in April, then Tabor City has a big surprise in store for May. On May 7, Julio and the Saltines will be giving a free show at the Garrell Depot from 6-8 p.m.
Bring your favorite lounge chair, grab some food and refreshments from the food trucks, and move and groove to the sounds of spring and summer. This family-friendly event is for everyone. The depot’s address is 105 Railroad Street in Tabor City.
Lakeside worship services will begin Memorial Day Sunday and will run every weekend through Labor Day Sunday starting on May 24. The services are held at 9 a.m. at the Lake Waccamaw Sailing Club. Located at 3100 Canal Cove Road. A list of speakers and singers will be announced soon.
Remember to check out our Good News tab throughout the week. We love to hear about all the great things happening around you. Email your submissions to ccn.cfaircloth@gmail.com or visit us at our new location at 125 Suite A, East Main Street in Whiteville. We love visitors. If the door is open, we are open for business.
