Last year I didn’t get a chance to go to the annual NC Potato Festival, and I really regretted it. This year I’ve marked my calendar, and you should too!
The North Carolina Potato Festival in Elizabeth City, NC will be held May 15th, 16th, and 17th! Luckily, the weather is looking pretty good for now, so hopefully it will stay that way.
10 Reasons You Don’t Want To Miss The NC Potato Festival:
1. Free Boat Rides: The Pasquotank River Yacht Club is sponsoring free boats rides again this year. I don’t know about you, but I love being out on the water, especially when it doesn’t cost me anything! So head over to Waterfront Park to catch a ride on the Pasqotank Rover on Saturday or Sunday.
2. Contests Galore: Who doesn’t love a good contest? Regardless of what kind of competition you’re in to, the NC Potato Festival has a little something for everyone. I’m not sure if you can still enter, but if you’re interested in any of these you can always apply here: Applications
Saturday’s Contest Schedule:
- 10:00 am – Little Miss Tater Tot Contest (Mariners’ Wharf Park)
- 10:00 am – National Potato Peeling Contest (Main & Poindexter Streets)
- 1:00 pm – “Anything But Fries” Restaurant Challenge (Main & Poindexter Streets)
- 11:00 pm – Cornhole Tournament on site registration (Water Street, all registered players report at 12:45)
- 12:00 pm – Cornhole Tournament Practice (Water Street)
- 1:00 pm – Cornhole Tournament (Water Street)
3. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demonstration: As a Coastie Wife, I will admit I am a little bias but these are usually pretty awesome to watch, and hopefully the only way you’ll ever see a Search & Rescue live! So head over to Pasquotank River near Mariners’ Warf Park at 1:00 pm on Saturday to support our local Coastguard members.
4. Live Music & Street Party: Seriously, who doesn’t love live music? You may just come away with some new favorite bands, or maybe you already know a few of the bands that will be performing. You can view an entire list of the bands playing as well as dates and times here. Like we really need an excuse to dance on the streets of Ecity…. I know I don’t! 😉
5. The Rides: This one comes from the kids! Why travel all the way to Williamsburg when you can enjoy the rides that Midway has to offer? Be sure to buy a wrist band if you plan to attend Friday or Sunday because it’s cheaper if the kids plan to ride the 5 ticket rides!
6. USCG Kennebec Inland Construction Tender Tours: You can find the Kennebec docked at Waterfront Park on Friday and Saturday offering tours from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Here’s the lowdown on the Kennebec from the Coast Guard Website:
CGC KENNEBEC (WLIC-802) is the third in a series of four of the Coast Guards most modern inland construction tender. The primary purpose of the KENNEBEC and her sister ships is to build, or rebuild if destroyed, those fixed aids to navigation used by mariners to safely navigate the inland waters of the United States. The KENNEBEC was built at the Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay (Baltimore), Maryland in 1976. The cutter is named after the Kennebec River in Maine. Principle characteristics of the KENNEBEC are:
Length…………………… 160 feet
Beam…………………….. 32 feet
Draft……………………… 05 feet
Engines…………………… 2 caterpillar 379’s
500 HP each
Speed…………………….. 10 Knots (10.5 MPH)
7. 7.5K USCG Fun Run/Walk: Okay, I know I’m probably driving you crazy with all of this Coast Guard stuff, but they are a big part of this year’s Potato Festival. After all, they are this year’s mascot in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Elizabeth City Coast Guard Base. This year’s 7.5K will start at 8:00 am on Saturday so carb-load and get ready to RUN!
8. Come & See: Arts, Crafts, Cars, and Motorcycles… Oh my!
9. Food: Maybe this is the best part, I’m not really sure (because I’ve never been) but I hear that the food is awesome, and who am I to doubt that it’s true!
10. Fireworks: Need I say more? Don’t miss the fireworks Saturday night. They will start at 9 pm over the Pasquotank River!
So there ya go! If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, head over to downtown Elizabeth City and have an amazing time! Hope to see you there.