03/28/2024
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Photos by Jeff Owen: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm2XqoYb

By: Charlotte Smith

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The 25th Annual Dublin Peanut Festival may be the last. The roads were overflowing with people in the local Bladen County town which was great, but organizers confirmed rumblings of this being the festival’s final year. 

James Hopkins brought his whole family to the parade from Grays Creek for the first time. He said, “This is awesome. I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life.”

Dublin Peanut Festival Committee member, Mrs. Bobbie Todd explained the benefits to the community of the festival. The nonprofit donates money every year to the Dublin Dixie Youth , Bladen We Care, Boy Scout Troop 622, Dublin Elementary School and a $1,500 scholarship for a West Bladen High School senior.

According to Todd, the Dublin Peanut Festival Pageant also offers a $1,500 scholarship to the Queen after she fulfills her duty’s as Queen throughout the year.

When asked about the rumors of this year being the last of the popular festival, Todd confirmed by saying, “At the last meeting we voted unanimously that we will do away with the festival.”

“We are going to keep the oyster roast and fish fry and the pageant remains to be seen,” Todd continued. The fish fry and the oyster roast raise the most money. The festival costs the most money and takes the most work to organize according to Todd.

We asked Mrs. Todd what folks could do if they wanted to help keep the festival alive. Todd said she wasn’t sure because once the committee voted to end the festival, she didn’t know how that could be reversed. Todd said she wanted to wait to announce when the committee members will meet again until after this year’s totals are counted.

Todd said she knew people wanted to know the reason. She said, “The reason is for 25 years it’s been the same people and since our children were in Elementary school. It has been great, but people are burnt out.”

There are 16 people on the committee. But if we didn’t have our volunteers we wouldn’t be able to do it”, Todd said.

“We have a new venture coming up,” Todd announced. “We have a 17 foot Christmas tree lighting ceremony we are planning.” The date is to be determined.

“I don’t think people realize how much work it takes,” Mrs. Denise Gathins explained. She admitted she didn’t realize the work involved in planning the event until she started helping out.

This year the festival was down about 25 vendors. Gathins reported there were 30 vendors in total at this year’s event.

Town of Dublin Mayor, Horace Wyatt estimated there were about 1,500 to 2,000 at the event. He said, “I’m a little disappointed in the crafts, but there is still a good crowd.”

When we asked Mayor Wyatt about the festival ending he said, “I’m sadden by it. I’d like for it to continue and unfortunately the older folks are getting burned out. We need some younger folks to step in. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it continues.”

Festival goers seemed to be enjoying the festivities. The parade had an amazing line up according to many in the crowd with Chairman of Bladen County Commissioner’s Charles Ray Peterson being the Grand Marshall. There were 41 vehicles in the Classic Cruisers Car Show with the chance to win one or two of 57 trophies.

Too Much Sylvia and the Tonez entertained the crowds. There were rides, tractor pulls, contests and more.

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