Summer doesn’t officially arrive until June 21.
The summer season arrived over the weekend with the 48th White Lake Water Festival.
The unofficial beginning of summer was held under ideal conditions and featured a parade, two concerts, car cruise-in, cornhole tournament, sandcastle building contest, food vendors, craft vendors and plenty of family fun.
White Lake Drive was lined with people Saturday, May 16 in anticipation of the morning parade that featured well over 100 entries and took a bit more than an hour to pass. It began at Camp Clearwater and ended near the Scotchman at N.C. 53.
Among the parade entries was a float carrying this year’s Water Festival queens led by Miss White Lake Water Festival Jaycie Bullard. Other queens were Teen Miss Payten Simpson, Majestic Parker Huffman, Junior Miss Lilly Crater, Little Miss Ellie Colville, Mini Majestic Layla Crater, Tiny Miss Maggie Beasley and Ambassador Saylor Young.
There were three groups of Sudan go-kart teams winding their way down White Lake Drive. The Sudan Clowns of Dunn danced their way along the route in front of their big, bright yellow clown bus that was blaring music from its speakers.
And candy. Plenty of candy tossed by several parade entries that had kids — and some adults — scrambling to fill plastic bags. It was like a daytime version of Halloween.
Before, during and after the parade, visitors wandered the grounds of Lake Church to check out vintage cars.
After the parade, business picked up for food vendors and craft vendors set up at Goldston’s Beach. The White Lake Volunteer Fire Department sold BBQ pork and BBQ chicken plates.
Meanwhile, back at Camp Clearwater, the cornhole tournament and sandcastle building competition began.
A scheduled performance by the Carolina Show Ski Team was cancelled because of low water levels in White Lake.
The festival opened Friday, May 15 with the Elizabethtown Rotary Club Scholarship Tournament at Vineyard Golf at White Lake. The North Tower Band appeared on the main stage at Goldston’s Beach on Friday night.
The final event of the 2026 Water Festival was a concert by Band of Oz at Goldston’s Beach. During the concert, it was announced that Emma Melvin was the winner of the T-shirt logo contest for the 49th festival scheduled May 21-22, 2027.
The first White Lake Water Festival was held in 1979
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