ELIZABETHTOWN — The only kind of blue to get this year is blueberries at the 22nd annual Ammon Blueberry Festival. Start off the festival by going to the Ammon Volunteer Fire Department for a pancake breakfast.
The Ammon Volunteer Fire Department’s pancake breakfast has always been a part of the blueberry festival. According to Joshua Wilson, Ammon Volunteer Fire Department’s chief, the pancake breakfast started at the community center. Eventually, enough proceeds were saved to help build a small part of the fire department’s kitchen. Most of the money that the fire department makes from the pancake breakfast goes into making the next year’s pancake breakfast better.
“We don’t do the pancake breakfast to make money. We do it for the community,” Wilson said.
The entire department gets together to make the pancake breakfast.
“It’s really a team effort when it comes down to it. But Timothy Pate pretty much spearheads the breakfast. He gets the supplies for the breakfast,” Willson added.
Blueberry or plain pancakes, sausage, coffee, orange juice, bottled water and milk will be offered at the pancake breakfast. The breakfast is by donation.
“If you’ve got a dollar, give a dollar. If you don’t have a dollar, don’t give a dollar. Just come up and see us. Enjoy the festival — that’s what it’s about,” Wilson said.
“We get good support from our community and we like to see them come out and join us,” Bobby McMillan, Ammon Volunteer Fire Department’s deputy chief, added.
Breakfast will last from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
The parade will start at 10 a.m., and it lasts approximately 30 minutes. According to George Clifford Smith, the director of this year’s Ammon Blueberry Festival, Bladen County’s Honor Guard will be presenting the colors and will be leading the parade. Different businesses, beauty queens, boy scouts, baton twirlers, motorcycle clubs, antique cars and trucks, hunting clubs and the fire department will all be in the parade this year. New businesses are welcome to join in the parade.
“If your business has a vehicle that has the logo on it, you can come and be in the parade. It doesn’t cost anything to be in the parade,” Smith said.
According to McMillan, the parade starts on Old Fayetteville Road, comes up to the intersection at Ammon, hangs a right onto U.S. 242, and then turns onto the Ammon Community Center road.
The sheriff’s department, along with highway patrol, will do traffic control. They also participate in the pancake breakfast. Sometime they do demonstrations during the festival, according to Smith.
There will be an opening ceremony by the Rev. Neill Smith. He will start off with a prayer and lead into “Star Spangled Banner.” Then there will be a blueberry auction. The entertainment will consist of the local entertainment, and it will last until 3 p.m.
“The parade is the highlight of everything, and the pancake breakfast is also a highlight. There is usually a big crowd up here; a lot of people just come to eat breakfast,” Smith said.
Blueberries for sale, games, family fun, Dunn Clowns, Shriners, crafts and food are all things a person can find at this year’s Ammon Blueberry Festival. Plus, the antique and classic car and truck cruise-in and show will be taking place again this year.
“It’s actually a big get together for the community. It’s like one big family,” Smith added.
The Ammon Blueberry Festival will be held Saturday, June 3.
Brendaly Vega can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.
