Boosting the Boro holiday spirit

BLADENBORO – The people in Bladenboro have been marching the streets and celebrating their holiday spirit for 51 years and this year Boost the Boro simply created a holiday kick-off jam that mesmerized the crowds.

The weekend holiday festivities began Friday night as the town began to fill with people. The tree was set at the entrance to the downtown area and the energy was off the charts. As it began to get dark, people began milling toward the tree, bundled in warm clothes and drinking steaming hot drinks to ward off the cold of a very unusually chilly night in North Carolina.

The crowds huddled together and the temps were not an issue. At 7 p.m. the tree was officially lit for the 2024 holiday season. There were pictures with Santa, snacks and sweets and drinks with multiple vendors and local youth talent was showcased.

At 7:15, Blackwater Band, an 11-year-old group that originated from Clarkton, North Carolina, heated up the temperature with top 40, blues, funk and country tunes that kept toes tappin’ on the floorboards of their cars all the way home.

“Oh man, it’s Christmas in Bladenboro,” Charles R. Peterson, Bladen County Commission Chairman, District 2 said. “Bladenboro is like a Hallmark town. It was freezing cold and we were packed out and Blackwater did a fantastic job, and we lit the tree and Santa Claus was here and I am just so excited for all of us here.”

At the Christmas tree lighting Friday night in Bladenboro, the town came together to honor one of their own, gone too soon. The New Light Church parking lot directly across from the New Light Community Center had been freshly paved and bleachers were set up as the town dedicated the lot in honor of Austin McLean. The area shall now forever be known as Autin’s Corner.

“New Life Church leases that from the Bridgers and Ronnie McLean wanted to name it after his son,” Peterson said. So we dedicated it tonight to Austin McLean. It’s Austin’s Corner now.”

Peterson, who reflected the glow of Christmas in his excitement was fully outfitted in his Christmas garment for the parade as he jumped into his special gator filled with his family.

“We are a happy and excited community,” he said. “You see it today as you walk the streets. And… we’ve got so many more things coming.”

The town had unified to decorate store fronts and had each business ready for visitors and locals after the parade which was one of the biggest small-town parades that you will get to see in North Carolina. People came together from many counties and some, as in the group from Serenade Studios were local psalmists that sang from their own float. I believe it was Will Ferrell playing Buddy the Elf in the movie “Elf” that spouted the phrase, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

There were fire engines and service vehicles with their personnel from all over Bladen County, boats traversing the streets from White Lake, a special appearance by both the Sudan Dunn Clowns and the Port City Silly Clowns, classic cars, rugged tractors, horse-drawn riders, horse drawn wagons, mud boggers, church groups, service groups, bands, drum corps, Peanut princesses, politicians, dancers, bands, golf carts, gators, Santas and Grinches, about a thousand reindeer antlers and of course, the groups throwing enough candy to make all the resident dentists want to pass out their business cards.

A special thank you has to go out to the police, sheriff’s department, fire departments and NC highway patrol for always being so faithful to keep our communities safe and running smooth.

In the float judging contest, CW Auto took first place, Aunt B’s Country Kitchen took second place and Over Yonder coffee, teas and creamery placed third.

The collective energy in the little boro this past weekend could have powered a Tesla and … “Oh Bladenboro – you’ve done it again.”

More parade pictures can be seen on the Bladen Journal Facebook page and on our picture page in this issue of the paper.