It’s salty, plain, roasted, green and boiled. It’s always the star of the show, better known to us as Bladen County’s finest gem, peanuts. We celebrate the peanut the third Saturday of September each year. This year’s date is Sept. 19. The festival is held in Dublin, also known as the Peanut Capital of the South. It is the home of Houston’s Peanuts, that is known and whose peanuts are shipped worldwide.
The festival kicks off at 10 a.m. with a parade. Entry is free, except for queens and kings.
We will have the Classic Cruisers Car Show, some of North Carolina’s best food vendors, Craft Vendors, Bar-B-Que Lunch & Plate sale, Kiddie and Women’s Tractor Pull, All Day Live Entertainment, Peanut Recipe Cook-Off, Mechanical Rides, Games, Our Secret Recipe Hot Dogs & Sausage Dogs. We have also added Steak and Chicken Fajitas to our own food lineup.
Our Peanut Festival T-shirt design is drawn each year by the students at Dublin Elementary School. The festival T-shirt committee selects a winner from all the drawings. This year’s winner has been chosen and the shirts will surely go fast. Get yours early!
Back by popular demand will be hot boiled peanuts on site this year along with cold boiled, salted in the shell, roasted and green peanuts.
There will be new rides coming along with some of the popular rides and activity houses the kids look for each year. There is plenty to keep the kids busy as well as something the adults will enjoy too.
This year’s Peanut Recipe Cook-Off Contest will consist of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in three divisions — candy, bread and dessert. Judging will begin at 11:30 a.m. so bring you prize winning food entry early. Set up is in the school cafeteria.
The entertainment lineup this year leads off with The Mighty Echoes; next up is The Band of Oz and rounding out the show is a Bladen County favorite, Black Water Rhythm and Blues Band. Put on your dancing shoes or just bring your lawn chairs and enjoy a day with these fantastic bands.
For more information, visit the website at www.dublinpeanutfestival.com.