The demand was so overwhelming for vendor space for this month’s N.C. Pickle Festival that organizers closed out the vendor application deadline two days early.
However, the group will continue to work with local vendors, said Julie Beck, festival co-chairman, during the festival planning committee’s Monday, April 3, meeting.
Coordinated by the North Carolina Pickle Festival, Inc. in partnership with the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, the 37th annual N.C. Pickle Festival will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 28, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29, in downtown Mount Olive.
Vendors will check in between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., Saturday, April 29, at Mount Olive Family Medicine Center, 201 N. Breazeale Ave.
“Our goal was not to shut the vendors until April 1, but we were swamped and had over 70 on the waiting list in addition to the other 100 plus that we had accepted,” Beck said. “We just felt we were setting people up for failure because why add on another 20, 30, 40 people who were so far down the waiting the list that the chance was they would not be picked anyway and they had taken all that time to fill out the paperwork, sent the money and then we have to refund it.
“So we just stopped. I am sure that gave some people some grief, but we are only working with what we like to call our local people, someone we are already in the system with. At this point we are looking more at information-type booths because we probably don’t have anymore access to electricity and water.”
Pickle-Eating Contest sees large group register
Vendor space isn’t the only space at a premium — 96 people registered for the 24 slots available for the Pickle Eating Contest.
The Pickle Eating Contest will start at noon at the main stage area located in the Southern Bank Parklet on South Center Street.
Each participant will receive a tray of 20 Mt. Olive whole Kosher Dills. Participants will be given 5 minutes to eat as many as they can. A winner in each category, male and female, will be declared based on the number of pickles eaten.
Winners will receive $100 in prize money and a North Carolina Pickle Eating Champion trophy.
A lottery system will be used to select 24 contestants as well as 30 alternates. Those selected will be notified by email, Beck said.
As of April 3, 117 riders had signed up for the Tour de Pickle bike ride that will feature three revamped 25-, 50- and 75- mile routes.
The ride will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Mt. Olive Pickle Co.’s Walker Warehouse is located at 100 Commercial Avenue, just off Old Mount Olive Highway, north of Mount Olive.
Beck added that 27 people have signed up for the Cuke Patch 5K Glow Run that will be held from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, April 28, near Ribeyes Steakhouse on North Center Street.
Most of the Cuke Patch participants sign up on the day of the event, she said
A pickle ball tournament that had been scheduled for Friday and Saturday on the University of Mount Olive tennis courts might be cut back to just Saturday depending on the number of participants.
Early in the planning, organizers had been told to expect up to 200 participants, but as of the Monday night meeting only 24 people had signed up.
“But since we have started promoting it, challenges with competing tournaments have come up and others have popped up since,” said Melissa Kilpatrick, pickle ball committee chairman. “Now there is one in Greenville the same weekend, Fayetteville. There are other tournaments that have a bigger following. I guess a bit of a bigger draw.
“So we are kind of switching gears a little, trying to promote ours as something good for beginners, or if you are new to pickle ball and you want to come out and do a tournament without feeling like a lot of pressure or competition. Ours is going to be beginner friendly.”
Kilpatrick added that local universities that have pickle ball clubs will be contacted in an attempt to generate more interest.
But depending on how many people register, the tournament may played on just Saturday instead of Friday and Saturday, she said.
Last year’s tournament was put together in just a couple of weeks prior to the festival, added Beck and Lynn Williams, festival co-chair.
Twelve people participated so the number has doubled, they said.
“I think we are shooting for 50 and 75,” Beck said. “But if we have 25 it is still going on and get people used to it and what it is because we know it is going to take years — it is a new event — to get people used to it.”
Discussions have been held about hosting pickle ball clinics throughout the year that hopefully would make local residents more aware of the sport and what it is and entice them to participate, she added.
Entertainment finalized
It also was announced at the meeting that entertainment for the dance and praise stages on April 29 have been finalized:
Dance Stage, corner of North Center and West College streets:
- 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: University of Mount Olive Concert Choir, Men’s Choir & Women’s Choir
- 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Ms Robins Academy of Dance
- 10 a.m to 11 a.m.: In Motion Entertainment
- 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: The Arts Company
- 11:30 a.m. to noon: Desiree Autrey’s Academy of Performing Arts
- noon to 12:45 p.m.: Studio 33 Dance Company
- 12:45 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Miss Goldsboro & Court
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Zack King
- 2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: Spotlight Theater Company
- 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Andi Creech (Miss NC Teen Volunteer)
- 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Alyssa Britt
Praise Stage, alleyway behind Weatherly Insurance:
- 10 a.m.: Jerry Strickland
- 10:30 a.m.: Mount Olive First Pentecostal Holiness Praise Band
- 11 a.m.: Steve Jones
- noon: JoCo Community Choir
- 1:15 p.m.: The Bridge-Mount Olive
- 2:15 p.m.: Karson McCullen
