Shrimp Festival returns this weekend

The 38th annual Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival will be taking place this weekend, August 9 and 10, at 126 Park Lane near Sneads Ferry Road. This will be a weekend filled with music, dancing, contests, food and fun. As the time for the event has almost arrived, the schedule is now set for when festival events will take place for this celebration of shrimp.

The festival will be precluded with a parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Participants in the parade will include Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown, The Marine Corps Color Guard, The 2nd Marine Division Band, The Sudan-Shriners, several area military members, and many local fire departments. The parade will begin on Clay Hill Road, wind around to the intersection of Sneads Ferry Road, and then turn right at the Skating Rink onto Sneads Ferry Rd. It will proceed along Sneads Ferry Road a short distance then bare left onto Fulchers Landing Loop Road where it will wind down alongside the river then back up to Wheeler Creek Road, then turn right and proceed to the New River Community Church where it will end. A few roads in Sneads Ferry will temporarily be closed for the parade. Visit www.sneadsferryshrimpfestival.com/route.html for specific road closings.

Festival gates open at 11 a.m. Tickets are three dollars per day or five dollars for a weekend pass. Children under 12 are admitted for free. There will be day-passes for children to jump around in the inflatable recreation areas, and explore a fossil exhibit - a pit of phosphate fossils will be way for children to dig up ancient animal remains and keep them! All this fun won't be had without some incidental learning. Fossil experts

from Aurora, North Carolina will be on hand to educate the children about what they have dug up.

While coolers and alcohol are not permitted into the festival; it will not be much of an inconvenience for festivalgoers, since the beer and wine garden will be back again this year.

There will be a memorabilia area selling pins, key chains, and many other items including a new Shrimp Festival Commemorative poster designed by Festival Co-Chair Amy Noble.

The 6th Annual Festival Wine created by Duplin Wines is still available, despite it's usual high demand. It will be available by the case until the 6000th bottle is sold.

The Tobacco Road Cruisers will be having an Open Car and Truck Show on Sunday at the festival from Noon to 4:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories. Pre-registration is 15 dollars (20 dollars on the day of the show.)

It would not be a shrimp festival without a shrimp heading and peeling contest. On Saturday at 1 p.m. those interested, 3-years-old and older, will compete in different categories. Applications for the contest are now available at most local seafood businesses.

Parking will be available in a nearby private field for two dollars per vehicle. After that, visitors will be just a short walk or a free trolley ride away from the festival. There will be a full capacity amount (75) of vendors selling food and merchandise for the entire weekend.

One thing that music lovers are encouraged to bring to the festival is a lawn chair. Music will be performed on a main stage and a second stage for the entire weekend.

Saturday Main stage entertainment:

11:30 a.m. The Carousels

2 p.m. The Carolina Band

4 p.m. DJ 

7:30 p.m. Bitz-N-Pieces 

9:15 p.m Fireworks

9:30 Jackie Gore & The Legends of Beach

Saturday Second stage Entertainment:

12 p.m. Carolina Connection

12:45 p.m. Talent

1 p.m Forever Fit Dancers

2 p.m.Classic Collection

3 p.m. Carl in Concert (Doo Wop)

4 p.m. Carolina Connection

5 p.m. Classic Collection

Sunday Main Stage:

12:30 p.m. Dixie Driver

Sunday Second Stage:

1 p.m. River Run Bluegrass and Gospel

1:45 p.m Karaoke Contest

3 p.m. The Karg Brothers