By Cara Beth Lewis
In 2020, Beast Fest fans from near and far missed Beast Fest due to the pandemic, but the festival made up for lost time this past weekend with huge attendance numbers, the most vendors ever, and several new additions to the major Bladenboro event.
Social Media has been covered in words of admiration to the group behind planning the event, Boost the Boro, photos of fun memories that were made, yummy food that was eaten, costumes for the contest and Trunk or Treat, and other highlights from the festival.
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On Friday morning, vendors rolled in with food trucks, tents, food supplies, and excitement. Event staff were all over the place as bleachers were set up, the dance floor was put down, and everyone prepared for a fun-filled weekend. Downtown Bladenboro was flooded with event signage, and in just a few hours every parking area would be flooded with cars.
Check out the behind the scenes video here:
Friday night rolled around, and food vendors were set up with a wide variety: street tacos, mini doughnuts, barbecue, fried oreos, cheesesteaks, nachos, fried turkey wings, the famous collard sandwich, and believe it or not – much more! The rides were set up and glowing with colorful lights and smiling faces, and North Tower Band performed while those in attendance danced and enjoyed the show. At 10 pm, the opening night came to an end, and preparations for the next day began.
Craft and food vendors and Beast Fest event staff were in attendance bright and early on Saturday morning, with a big day ahead of them. At 10 am, the opening ceremony began and the Beast of Bladenboro made his grand entrance in a red fire truck. Sara from the Big Wake Up on 95.7 WKML emceed as local musicians, Carolina Karate, dancers, and many others performed throughout the day.
Owner of Barefoot Brew, Kelly Barefoot, stated “It is impossible to share how much we loved and were shown love by the Beast of Bladenboro Festival.” She added, “Our county is so awesome if you will just look for all the positives our community has to offer.” The Brew Wagon, Barefoot Brew’s mobile coffee shop, set up for the first time at Beast Fest this year.
The Southeastern Cruisers Car Show was a hit, as always, with cool cars filling the parking lot by Railroad Street.
New Light Church served approximately 1,600 children at the Trunk or Treat event that began at 5 pm on Saturday. Those with decorated trunks went above and beyond to provide an awesome experience to the children in attendance, all while sharing the love of Jesus.
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For the first time, there was a pecan pie contest, as well as a cornhole tournament – which were both a hit.
Saturday night closed out the 14th Annual Beast Fest with a performance from Gary Lowder and Smokin Hot Band. It seems safe to say that the 14th annual Beast Fest was a huge success, and everyone is looking forward to doing it again next year.
Boost the Boro President Terry Nance stated, “It was an amazing weekend for the town of Bladenboro. The turnout was above and beyond – we had record attendance, a record amount of vendors, and we are very pleased with how everything went. We are so thankful for the overwhelming support from the community.”
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