White Lake Water Fest just one of many anticipated summer activities

WHITE LAKE – Meet Karis Villagomez, Director of Sales and Marketing who can be found getting ready for a busy summer season at The Grand Regal Resort.

With a heart dedicated to service and a passion for making every guest feel like family, Karis brings a unique energy to our team,” The Grand Regal Resort posted. “Her commitment to building meaningful relationships and understanding the individual needs of every guest allows her to craft personalized experiences that go beyond expectations.”

“Success comes from truly understanding the goals and needs of those we serve,” Villagomez said. “Every guest is treated like family, and every experience is designed to create unforgettable memories or events. Whether you’re staying with us, planning a dream wedding, or seeking a corporate space to spark creativity, we have just the spot for you.”

White Lake has been a summer attraction for hundreds of years. The cool clear water in the summertime has given people much relief from the steamy North Carolina temperatures.

There were Blueberry festivals, and boat races and other events long before it officially became the White Lake Water Festival. Now THAT’S been around for 46 years.

According to the White Lake Water Festival website, “Inspired by the vast number of blueberry farms in the area, the North Carolina Blueberry Festival was first organized in 1967. The Chamber of Commerce recruited a committee of local businessmen to instigate and implement the event for the White Lake and Elizabethtown area.

The festival committee relied heavily on commerce and civic organizations to provide financial means from donations. The Elizabethtown Jaycees led by example, hosting the Miss NC Blueberry Queen Pageant, a week before the festival. With entertainment, a parade, vendors and special events, the Festival drew thousands of visitors to the Lake.

The White Lake Ski Heels, performing Cypress Gardens style ski shows, were the weekend’s greatest draw. With skiers spinning 360 degrees off the top of 6-feet tall ramps, three-tier human pyramids, beach-start barefoot water skiing, and a hang glider launched from a towing boat, the Ski Heels were a show stopper. The festival continued until 1974, when the Arab oil embargo dramatically curtailed travel throughout the country. Consequently, the Festival organizers canceled the event. In 1976 the Ski Heels hosted the first East Coast Delta Wing and Glider Championship June 12. Pilots from across the southeastern United States came to compete. The East Coast Delta Wing and Glider Championship, eventually shortened to East Coast Hang Gliding Championship, thrived from 1976 until 1982. Three years into the event, The Elizabethtown – White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce approached the Ski Heels about developing a festival around the hang-gliding tournament. Consequently, in 1979 the community sponsored the first annual White Lake Water Festival which still exists today.

This information was provided by a local historian, Cathy Faircloth Kinlaw. To learn more about the history of White Lake, look for White Lake a Historical Tour of the Nations’ Safest Beach on Barnes and Noble.

This year the White Lake Water Festival committee is again hoping to bring in the Carolina Ski Show for a second straight year.

Last year, The Carolina Ski Show Team thrilled crowds that had packed local docks and boats out in the water. The skiers who hadn’t actually seen or been on the lake arrived early and had a few practice run-throughs before the show started at 2 p.m.

According to skiers, the mile-long arena was a bit longer than they were used to and the pier was not as close to the water. The slightly elevated pier did cause some water entry problems, but the skiers adjusted and put on an incredible show.

One of the highlights of the show was a young man from Wisconsin who they simply referred to as “The Bird Man” who did some incredible death-defying flips.

The ski team was made up of professional skiers of all ages including a 12-year-old and 14-year-old who have been skating for quite a few years in spite of their ages. At times, the ski team does feature an 8-year-old and even a 70-year-old skier.

The ski team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has a home performance base in Tega Cay, South Carolina.

With a flurry of activity on the three-day event, everyone of course looks forward to the ski team coming back and also a resurrection of the White Lake Water Festival Pageant queens to be in attendance. The competition was held for the winners March 8.

The weekend kicks off with the Rotary Golf Tournament Friday, voting for the next year’s student logo competition, a car-show at Goldston Beach, The beginning of the scavenger hunt and the opening night band, Sleeping Booty will kick out the jams from 8 -11 p.m.

The biggest parade in the smallest town will take place the next morning at 10 a.m. where the event will host more people than the population of Bladen County… maybe.

A new attraction for visitors who have frequented in the past is the new “Splash Water Pad” water park onsite.

Jake Womble’s vision for growth took Goldston’s to another plateau last month and for a young entrepreneur it has been an adrenaline-filled ride. His family were all about making the resort successful and he learned at an early age, it took hard work and dedication to make it what it is today.

“My whole life I grew up here on the property,” Womble said. “My parents have operated the property for 50 years with my grandaddy Harry Womble. I grew up in the house right beside the putt-putt. Granddaddy and my uncle really made the place what it is and my parents, John and Jill continued to run the family business.”

Dean and Jenna Hilton have come alongside Jake Womble and Elizabeth Cashwell in the creation and hard work it took to bring the dream to reality. Hilton Companies is owned and operated by Dean Hilton and was established in 2019. According to the Hilton Companies website, “It all began with Dean’s passion for creating new opportunities and watching them succeed. Hilton Companies is dedicated to creating opportunities for others to thrive. Dean’s vision has always been rooted in providing versatile jobs across diverse fields, enabling individuals to reach their goals. The businesses under Hilton Companies are seamlessly integrated and aligned with the overarching vision of fostering growth and success for all.”

Hilton Companies purchased The Regal Resort and with the new branding and name The Grand Regal, the couple came alongside the Womble family.

At 45 Hilton brought the vision. At 35 Womble brings the worth ethic and the drive to succeed. Both men are workaholics and visionaries rather than just dreamers. Dreamers dream things, but visionaries make the dreams come to fruition.

“This (Splash’s Fun Park) was a big deal,” Hilton said. “Two years ago, we didn’t know if we were going to get here with the splash park and where things were going to go, but it’s a great opportunity. To me this is less about me and more about Jake and his success story and what he brings to White Lake. Now, as a business owner, it’s nice to finally see the project coming to a close, but I’m sure with next summer, we’ll have something else that we add as well to continue to grow the resort.”

The project was designed for families and children – both tourists and locals alike. It’s people in Bladen County growing things that make a difference and always with a purpose.

“Probably 95% of who I am is Goldston’s and White Lake so it’s a cool thing,” he said. “I learned from my parents and granddaddy that you’ve got to show up every day and you’ve got to commit to be here. I take pride in it. Everywhere I’m walking I’m looking to improve the place, picking up trash or trying to make things better. Whatever it takes. My family instilled that in me and since 5 years old, that’s just the work ethic you have to have around here or you’re just not going to make it.”

Jake Womble and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Cashwell have worked tirelessly ever since this project was proposed.

“Day to day, operating the whole property here including the Splash’s Fun Park with the jumping pillow and the splash pad all being combined, we open it daily for our vacationers along with our local people,” Womble said. “Obviously there has been a lot of hard work and planning that has gone into this project. Through it all we’ve had boots on the ground and it finally all came together. Having the official grand opening and making it available to the people in the area and seeing the kids from 2 years old all the way to 13 years old having fun is awesome. Some of the parents are joking that this wears the kids out so much that they get a good nap out of them.”

Grand Regal Resort – in addition to the activity of the White Lake Water Festival hosts a summer concert series. The spring schedule includes the bands, Sleeping Booty – May 16, Blackwater Band – May 17, The Embers – May 30, Thomas Road Band – May 31, Rivermist Band – June 6, Chocolate Chip & Co. – June 14, Real Rowdy Band – June 20, and Andrew Beam Band – June 27. For the summer band schedule, visit TheGrandRegalResort.com for more information.

For more information about this year’s festival, please visit: https://www.whitelakewaterfestival.org/