Pender County is blueberry country. That’s no joke. There are 1700 acres of blueberry farms in Pender County. I can think of no better way to celebrate that than with a blueberry festival.
Luckily, Burgaw agrees. Which is why they host the Blueberry Festival every June.
Folks rave about it. So, this year, I decided to make the trek down from Fayetteville to see what all the excitement was about.
How did it go? AMAZING!
We started the festival by listening to live music at the Historical Burgaw Depot. Then, we made our way over to the street fair. More than 150 vendors lined the streets and sidewalks surrounding the courthouse.
After shopping, we sat in the shade and watched the commencement ceremony. When the preacher prayed, every head bowed. And when the band sang the National Anthem, every heart was covered.
It was so beautiful, I cried in front of God and everybody. #teamnoshame
What about the food?! The Burgaw Fire Department was serving up what looked like excellent BBQ – but I passed it over for Paul’s Place.
A hotdog over BBQ? Heck yeah! Those of us who grew up eating at Paul’s Place know there’s no better hotdog!
Everywhere you looked, folks were handing out free bottles of water. Thank goodness! To say it was hot outside that day would be an understatement. I slugged down several.
But the best drink I found while wandering around was homemade blueberry tea. And, y’all! It was served over the good ice! Iykyk.
Real talk: if it had been a little sweeter, it would’ve been the best tea I’ve ever had.
After snacking, we made our way over to the car show. I’m a sucker for muscle cars, and there was a variety to feast my eyes on. My favorite? This Camero 350 SS.
And, of course, we bought some blueberries and blueberry jelly before we headed home!
Would I go back? No questions asked. I will be back. Not only that – but I’d recommend it to everyone.
The Burgaw Blueberry Festival is more than just a celebration of a beloved fruit; it’s a testament to community spirit, Southern hospitality, and the simple joys of life. So, mark your calendars for next June. You won’t want to miss it!
Looks like so much fun!
It was WONDERFUL! It felt like stepping back into the 80s or 90s. I wish all festivals had this kind of vibe.
Blueberries are wonderful. If I remember right, White Lake used to have a blueberry festival and I thought Burgaw had a chicken festival with the world’s largest frying pan (maybe 10 feet across). Chadborn had a strawberry festival and a 4th of July festival (with a bicycle and canoe races) at Fair Bluff. But that was a few years ago.
I need to go see the world’s largest frying pan! I’d love to write about. And I’m pretty sure Chadbourn still hosts the Strawberry Festival. It’s on my list of festivals to experience. 🙂
I surely noticed that chili on top of of that dog. How did you like it (the right way) ?
The right way would’ve included slaw and onions – but I’m not one for mayo when it’s that hot or bad breath when I’m talking to people. lol