By Cynthia Nelson
Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce
In our last column we spoke of our 80th Annual Banquet. We are pleased to say that it was one of the best we’ve had. Thank you to all who were on the program and to all who attended and celebrated with us. We are still getting phone calls and emails from folks who want to let us know what a great time they had. Hopefully you will consider joining us in February 2027!
As you saw in this newspaper three weeks ago several deserving citizens/businesses were recognized with awards. Congratulations are in order one more time to our Volunteer of the Year, Brian A. Perry; Business of the Year, Fowler’s Grill/the Sheila Cartrette family and staff; Service Award, Mitchell J. Fowler; Outstanding Citizen of the Year, Donald Dowless (recently retired TC Police Chief). All of these were very deserving of the awards they received. When you see them out and about, say “thank you”.
Be sure to check out the April 2nd FREE Concert at the Garrell Depot. Tabor City Promotions Director Dianne N. Ward can answer questions and provide more information. Give her a call at 910.653.4141.
Moving on to a few of our upcoming events.
Eggcitement is growing as youngsters and their families look forward to Tabor City’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28 at Tabor City School at 10 a.m. Rain date would be Sunday, March 29 with time to be determined. This event continues to be a partnership between Columbus County Parks and Recreation and the Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce, which has served as the Volunteer Bunny in Tabor City for 30 years and counting. We love it!
Please join us on Saturday, April 4 for the sixth Annual Spring Has Sprung Festival, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Car Show will be returning. Entry fee is only $20. Judging is by People’s Choice.
A kid favorite, Flimsy the Clown, will be back to entertain, and adults love him, too! Flimsy will be featured in the FREE KidZone.
Vendors are already signing up, so send your application in. You may mail it to the Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce, SHSF, P.O. Box 446, Tabor City, N.C. We’re anxious to hear from you. Our numbers are 910.377.3012 or 910.840.0292
Please note that the Tabor City Public Library is not currently assisting with applications, etc. They are in a transition period with new personnel due to the recent retirement of veteran employee Judy Powell. We will let you know when that changes. Ms. Brandy needs time to get acclimated. She’s already off to a wonderful start. Stop by the library Monday – Friday to meet her. She’s really eager to serve the greater Tabor City community.
Saturday, May 9, we will be hosting the Annual Bass Tournament at Lake Tabor set to begin with a 6 a.m. blast off. Great cash prizes and lunch will be provided to the fishermen. More details soon.
Saturday, June 27:
Stay tuned! We are coordinating with an organization that invited us to partner with them. We just met as a group. An official announcement is forthcoming. You all are going to absolutely love it, so please save the date!
You all will not want to miss the Columbus County Semi-Quincentennial Fireworks Celebration.
Our United States of America is celebrating 250 years of independence this year. There will be awe inspiring celebrations held all around our nation. We plan to substantially ramp up the Annual Columbus County Fireworks Celebration into the Semi-Quincentennial Celebration, which will be held on Saturday, the Fourth of July. Yes, on the 4th of July and we need your help! How fortunate are we to have an annual fireworks event here in Columbus County in Tabor City.
Let’s make this year’s Semi-quincentennial Celebration one to remember. We can’t do it without YOU. We will be reaching out to Tabor City and to the rest of our county for sponsorships to make the fireworks display absolutely phenomenal and to increase the entertainment and more.
Please be aware that the amount of sponsorships have pretty much remained the same as the cost of pyrotechnics continues to increase. That means in order to have more fireworks to light up the sky we must increase sponsorships. This year we will reach out to more businesses and organizations throughout the county as we celebrate our 250th birthday. You don’t need to wait — we will accept sponsorships now. Every dollar donated helps. We can do this together!
We need more event volunteers. Please call us at 910.377.3012 if you are interested and willing to dedicate some time and effort. We work hard and we enjoy doing it for our community.
Should you wish to become a member of this Chamber of Commerce, please contact us by email at tccofc@yahoo.com or by phone at 910.377.3012 or 910.840.0292. We look forward to hearing from you.
