Gospel or Carolinas beach, Bladen County events have us covered.
For the next two Saturdays, music will fill the air indoors and out. The entertainment will be top shelf, and the causes are worthy. If plans haven’t been made already, we encourage all to find their spot.
Bladen County is going to be a gathering point. Oh, what a difference a year makes.
Whereas we sorrowfully saw the Peanut Festival wiped out a year ago by Hurricane Florence, this year it is back and off to a rousing start. The crowd was large on Saturday night at Dublin Primary School where the scholarship pageant tipped off the annual extravaganza.
Come Saturday, a parade steps off at 10 a.m. and then it’s a full day of activities sure to offer a little something for everyone in the family. The peanut capital will do it up right, no doubt about that, with the Christian music of 4PointsNorth and a few others, food of all kinds, and thousands bringing their smiles and laughter to this welcoming spot along N.C. 87.
One week later, Clarkton steps forward with a modest but heartfelt approach to bring its annual town festival back to life. They celebrated tobacco’s heyday for decades, and maintained an agricultural theme in a second life. Farm Fest will be a reality again, this first year back with an evening concert but with a future that has any number of possibilities.
The Pink Slips, a crowd favorite of beach music lovers, has the honors on the Dixie Youth Baseball Complex field. Food and fun are awaiting us all.
That same night, up U.S. 701 in Elizabethtown at the middle school, Brian Free & Assurance will pack the gymnasium on behalf of Southeastern Carolina Crossroads. This is an award-winning gospel group, and their concert — led off by Cedron’s Bridge and the Lumber River Quartet — will provide needed financial help to the faith-based nonprofit that gives the addicted a plan for freedom, and a chance to have family renewal and self-transformation.
Crossroads is making a difference. Anyone not believing addiction, be it opioids, alcohol or any number of other drugs, has a stronghold in Bladen County and southeastern North Carolina is either not up to date or simply sticking their head in the sand.
It is all around us, very often in plain sight.
Southeastern is one avenue in the drug battle. One way to help is purchasing a ticket or making a donation, even if going to support Clarkton the same night.
We always figured the Peanut Festival would survive Florence, and the effort in Clarkton is great news. A reminder of God’s love poured out for us all is hearing and seeing the success stories from Crossroads.
Two Saturdays, each with community events worthy of our support. It is Bladen County’s time to step forward.