Elizabeth Cashwell was the emcee for the Tree Lighting festival at the Grand Regal on Goldston’s Beach Nov. 30.
LIGHTS, CAROLS, REINDEER!
A huge attraction at the Elizabethtown parade was the star of the show - Santa himself - riding on an antique fire engine.
The Big M Ranch had a lot of people (and animals) in the Elizabethtown parade Nov. 30. From horses to cowboys, cowgirls, a camel, a long horn cow and perhaps a partridge in a pear tree - they were all part of the inaugural nighttime parade.
Lu Mil’s Festival of Lights brought in record crowds the first weekend and will continue to thrill audiences through December.
The Holly Jolly was hosted by Maurice Williams of Whimsical Florist and Gifts. It gave everyone a little Christmas spirit even before Thanksgiving.
Bladen County Commisser Charles Ray Peterson always has a festive suit just waiting for the holidays as he appears in the Bladenboro parade.
The tree lighting celebration was huge in Elizabethtown with hundreds of people present.
Dublin had their tree lighting Nov. 29 and on a very chilly night, they had the local Peanut Queens pouring hot chocolate before posing with Santa.
Ron Taylor - originator of Lu Mil Vineyard was the Grand Marshall for the first lighted Christmas parade that has ever taken place in Elizabethtown.
BLADEN COUNTY – The spirit of the holidays has been prevalent in Bladen County from the day we shed the Halloween Costumes and marched into November.
The great Bladen County Christmas open house that kicked off the holidays at many of the merchants of the area. Although early November, it made people hungry for the end of the year holiday festivities.
The Holly Jolly Christmas show put together by Maruice Williams was once again, the place to be for a three-day weekend with music, food, gifts and Santa. They had over 20 vendors at Whimsical Florist & Gifts located at 314 S. Poplar Street in Elizabethtown.
Thanksgiving came with a special outpouring of community as there many businesses and churches who opened their hearts and their locations to provide free dinners. It was also a time to rub elbows with the neighbors and enjoy the gift of the people we are surrounded by.
At Everitte & Sons Auction Company there were hundreds of people and plenty to eat.
“We ended up serving around 265 plates, 50 of those were deliveries to shut-ins,” said Katie Everitte. “We served 6 turkeys, 4 extra-large pans of green beans, 4 xl pans of mac and cheese, 4 xl pans of stuffing, and 4 tubs of cranberry sauce. We had so many in the community to donate, help prepare food, volunteer their time and more! There was a big outpouring of love and support.”
Black Friday came with a big push to shop local and merchants were swamped with people heading into that last weekend of November.
As dusk began to creep in on Nov. 29, lighting Christmas trees was officially started as the Town of Dublin lit the first fir this year. The chill from a frosty weekend continued with a cold stiff wind out of the north prophesying winter in all its glory. The town set out a booth where people could bring food to help out the local food pantry and offered hot chocolate for that jolt of warmth while waiting for Santa and the tree lighting to take place. Santa arrived in a Dublin Fire Department fire engine to the cheers and shouts of many kids waiting to sit on the big guy’s lap to share what their Christmas gifts should be. The queens were all there to help serve the hot chocolate and to pose with Santa.
On the coattails of Dublin’s tree all ablaze with lights, a huge celebration was also going on over in White Lake as the Grand Regal at Goldston’s Beach had Santa at his newly constructed workshop this year followed by dancers and singers who warmed the crowd up on the lakeshore.
The festivities included dance troupes from To The Point Academy of Dance from Turkey, North Carolina, and Angela’s Musical Troupe from Clinton, North Carolina, that kept the adrenaline going on the last very chilly night of November.
Organizers Jake Wombel and Elizabeth Cashwell had the White Lake festivities running like a well-oiled machine. Cashwell was the master of ceremonies for the evening and kept things moving all the way through the actual lighting. Once again the sunset was as if it were painted on the sky in vibrant variations of the color orange.
“We’re just so grateful to have all of these people here tonight,” Cashwell said. “We can’t stress enough how important our sponsors were again this year and all the people who helped with the setup, the cleanup and the entertainment. Tonight was truly a magical start to the season.”
On Saturday a very busy Santa made an appearance at Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery as people came from all over to have an incredible new December dinner and to visit with the guy from the North Pole sporting his red velvet suit.
To say the Sunday night parade in Elizabethtown was epic would be an understatement. People came to town early to get in on some of the post-Black Friday deals and around 4 p.m. there was an influx of cars and people that caused traffic jams.
The inaugural Sunday night parade came in like a wrecking ball! Tearing down the traditions of the afternoon parade.
The Elizabethtown– White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Elizabethtown Christmas Parade Committee had announced that Mr. Ron Taylor, owner of Taylor Manufacturing and Lu Mil Vineyard, has been selected to serve as Grand Marshal of the 2025 Elizabethtown Lighted Christmas Parade — Bladen County’s first-ever Lighted Christmas Parade.
This year’s event marked an exciting new chapter in Elizabethtown’s holiday traditions, with a dazzling evening parade that illuminated downtown with Christmas cheer and tons of people.
The committee selected Mr. Taylor in recognition of his vision, leadership, and enduring contributions to the community — particularly through the creation of the beloved Festival of Lights at Lu Mil Vineyard, which draws thousands of visitors each year and has become a cornerstone of Bladen County’s holiday celebrations.
“Ron Taylor has brought light and joy to our community in every sense of the word,” said Amy Hudson, Chamber Manager. “His dedication to creating festive family experiences has made a lasting impact on both our residents and visitors, and we’re thrilled to honor him as Grand Marshal.”
There were 109 entries in the parade that lasted one hour and 37 minutes before the crowds gathered for children carolers, a lighted presentation from Paul R. Brown’s cadets and Santa climbing down from the antique fire engine and wandering in the crowd.
There were estimated over 1,000 participants who were in the parade and another 4-6 thousand spectators who had packed the streets of Elizabethtown, sometimes five and six people deep on both the north and south sides of Broad Street. It was unlike anything E-town had ever seen and kudos go to all the people who set this up – and especially Amy Hudson and the Elizabethtown-White Lake Chamber of Commerce for their vision to bring this to pass in a new tradition that people will be talking about until it comes around again next year.
Gearing up for a consecutive weekend of festivities after a week to just breathe, the county was hit with a pre-winter storm which brought ice, sleet, rain, snow, wind and cold wind chills to the area.
The weather caused the Bladenboro and the Camp Clearwater tree-lighting celebrations to be canceled as were many other activities statewide.
One iconic activity that also caused traffic problems in the County was in the little town of Dublin as the annual Holiday Festival of Lights were up and running. The first weekend brought record crowds to both the buffet dinner and the light show.
To feel the passion of the almost 4-miles of lights and music, crowds of people and all the magic this show brings, it is a show that must be experienced. The weather couldn’t stop it as it was “Rain or Shine – it will be open.”
It promised to be more than anticipated and much more than ever can be taken in for one trip through. Many visitors come each year and see how this show changes and evolves into a treat for the family and an overload of magic for the senses.
The annual Festival of Lights at Lu Mil Vineyard is a magical holiday tradition that transforms the vineyard into a dazzling Christmas wonderland showcasing millions of lights and decorations. The 2024 show opened the weekend of Nov. 29 -Dec. 1 and will continue showings Dec. 5 – 8, and nightly from Dec. 12 – 23.
Again, this year many vendors will be at the Farmer’s Market sold unique gifts and the all-purpose room was be turned into a Christmas Miracle full of things found to make someone’s Christmas festive and full of purpose.
Still to come:
Mistletoe & Manslaughter Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery
For a thrilling evening of mystery, merriment and murder, you may want to attend the Mistletoe & Manslaughter – Murder Mystery Dinner Theater on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.
Unravel a festive whodunit while savoring a delectable three-course meal in this unique holiday experience. As the plot thickens, you’ll enjoy our chef’s special entrée: herb-roasted pork tenderloin with tangy apple chutney, creamy mashed sweet potatoes, and crisp Brussels sprouts
Again, this year many vendors will be at the Farmer’s Market selling unique gifts and the all-purpose room will be turned into a Christmas Miracle full of things you will find to make someone’s Christmas festive and full of purpose. The date is Dec. 6 and the doors will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.