By Leyton Ezzell
Bladen and Duplin County hosted celebrations honoring significant parts of their history this past weekend. In Bladen County, the Town of Elizabethtown continued its 250th-anniversary celebrations. Duplin County had its annual Strawberry Festival.
The Town of Elizabethtown showed off its many cultures through speakers who enlightened attendees at the Cape Fear Farmer’s Market about the area’s history through the civil war and the plight of the enslaved people at the time. The hosts were also able to expand on the culture of Native Americans, showcasing tools and blankets used to live on Bladen County’s land.
Old Trinity Church located at 311 E Broad Street in Elizabethtown also held an Open House to help celebrate the Town’s anniversary.
TOWN OF ELIZABETHTOWN 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Our county neighbor, Duplin County, held their annual Strawberry Festival. This yearly festival celebrates the crop that made Duplin County known as “The World’s largest strawberry exchange.” The festival included streets crowded with festival goers, street vendors, and food carts. A street was dedicated to having games and amusement park riders, along with a dinosaur takeover on one road.
DUPLIN COUNTY STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
3 MORE ELIZABETHTOWN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS SCHEDULED
The Town of Elizabethtown will continue their anniversary celebration throughout the year. The Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce released the following information in a press release.
The town’s 250th-anniversary celebration began in March with Founders Day, recognizing the 1773 to 1824 period and the Revolutionary War.
Save the dates for other events during the anniversary celebration. They will include:
• July 8 – Agriculture is King (1874-1923). The importance of agriculture to the area, transportation on the Cape Fear River, and the impact of World War I will be featured.
• Sept. 23 – Homecoming Weekend (1924-73). It will focus on our emerging industry and leaders.
• Nov. 3-4 – Modern Times (1974-2023) during the Pork’ n Beats Festival
Events are centered at the Cape Fear Farmers Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Vendor applications and sponsorship opportunities can be found at https://elizabethtownnc.org/visitors/250th_celebration/
For more information, contact Elizabethtown Director of Communications & Marketing Terri Dennison at 910-862-4368.
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