A boy sits on his father’s shoulders as they wait to purchase tickets for the kids’ carnival during the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival in downtown Mount Olive. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Kids enjoy a ride down the slide at the NC Pickle Festival on Friday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This young lady enjoyed riding the swings at the kids’ carnival during the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This young man is all smiles while riding the swings at the NC Pickle Festival held in downtown Mount Olive. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
There’s no doubt this young man is enjoying swinging around during the annual NC Pickle Festival on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A family stops for a moment to glance at the map inside the official NC Pickle Festival magazine produced by the Mount Olive Tribune. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The band Southern Trouble entertained festival goers with a variety of music Friday evening at the NC Pickle Festival. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This rider is all smiles before the Tour de Pickle started Saturday morning. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The JoCo Community Choir performs on the praise stage during the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival held in downtown Mount Olive. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This family is ready for the Cuke Patch 5K, which is sponsored by the Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Ollie Q. Cumber stands with participants at the start of the Cuke Patch 5K on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
More than 200 cyclists participated in the Tour de Pickle, according to event director Brenda Cates. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
These two fellows from Ms. Robin’s Academy of Dance high-five each other before their dance routine starts Saturday morning at the NC Pickle Festival. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
These young ladies from In Motion, a dance studio in Rosewood, perform during the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival on Saturday morning. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Pickleball has now become part of the annual NC Pickle Festival. The two-day event had solid participation, according to tournament organizers. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
One player missed, but her teammate was there to return the ball during women’s doubles action in the pickleball tournament played at the University of Mount Olive on Saturday morning. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
For the second straight year, pickleball is part of the NC Pickle Festival. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A University of Mount Olive tennis player keeps his eye on the ball during men’s doubles action at the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A University of Mount Olive tennis player easily puts this point away during their men’s doubles match in the pickleball tournament Saturday morning. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Aromas from deliciously-cooked food filled the air during the 37th annual NC Pickle Festival held in downtown Mount Olive this past weekend. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This rider gives the driver a thumbs-up before the pickle train leaves the station during the NC Pickle Festival on Saturday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
This juggler shows off his talent as he walks down Center Street during the NC Pickle Festival on Saturday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
What’s a pickle festival without purchasing your official NC Pickle Festival T-shirt like this gentleman did Saturday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
They were the best-dressed trio to participate in the Cuke Patch 5K on Friday evening. From left are Mary Beth Sarnowski, Lauren Roberts and Kelsi Horgan. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The COVID-19 pandemic ruined Mary Beth Sarnowski’s plans to visit Pickle Town for the North Carolina Pickle Festival in 2020.
Sarnowski finally made that long-awaited visit Friday evening.
Dressed in lime green tutus and armed with jars of Mt. Olive pickles, Sarnowski and two of her good friends laughed and smiled as they walked down the street toward the starting area for the Cuke Patch 5K.
“This has been on my radar ever since [2020] with the silver lining being an alternate for the pickle-eating contest,” said Sarnowski, who hails from Beaufort, South Carolina.
Fellow Palmetto State resident Lauren Roberts and DC native Kelsi Horgan looked forward to the trip. All eagerly awaited sampling the different pickle-tasting fares expected to satisfy even the pickiest of palates.
Not surprisingly, they won the best-dressed team contest held before the night-time race started. They claimed the honor over a military family from Jacksonville who dressed in lime green T-shirts that read “For the love of pickles” on the front and “What the dill am I doing here?” on the back.
The Cuke Patch was just one of several extra-curricular events that have become synonymous with the award-winning fiesta.
Earlier in the evening, New York residents Cheryl Staulters and Janette Lamb strolled down Center Street toward the Mount Olive Fire Department. They marveled about the sleepy town neatly tucked away in southern Wayne County.
Of course, they couldn’t wait for Saturday.
“We made the 12-hour drive just for this,” said Lamb, who lives in Saratoga Springs along with Staulters. “I’ve already bought my pickle beer.”
Foggy and cool conditions greeted more than 200 cyclists as they gathered Saturday morning at the Mt. Olive Pickle Company’s Walker Warehouse.
Tour director Brenda Cates welcomed the riders and thanked them for their participation. But before they could strap on their helmets and pedal down Commercial Avenue to the busy highway, she warned them to avoid a certain area around Sleepy Creek.
Cates drew a few chuckles as she warned the riders that a truck dropped a box of nails onto the road in the Sleepy Creek area Friday. The workers did their best to sweep the nails onto the right shoulder out of harm’s way.
“When you get there, be sure to ride down the middle of the road because you and I both know that one nail can cause a tire to pop,” Cates said.
Within half an hour, three groups of cyclists started their picturesque tours of Wayne, Sampson and Duplin counties. They had the option of participating in either the 25-, 50- or 75-mile treks.
Cates said it was the “biggest number” of riders she could recall.
A portion of the proceeds from the Tour de Pickle benefit the University of Mount Olive Honors Program.
The sharp “plunk” of a plastic whiffle ball hitting a paddle filled the air on the UMO campus Friday and Saturday. Players of all ages and skill levels participated in the pickleball tournament contested inside the Pope Wellness Center and outside at the John Walker Neal Tennis Complex.
Representatives from Pickleball Den conducted the event. They awarded prizes in three categories — mixed doubles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles.
The tournament became part of NCPF a year ago.
