Lenoir, NC – Grab your fork, put on your “eating pants” and get ready for the North Carolina Blackberry Festival, July 13 and 14 in Lenoir. Featuring the world’s largest blackberry cobbler, The Blackberry Parade complete with the NC Panthers PurrCussion Drumline, blackberry eating contests, live music, vendors, food trucks, Bites, Brews and Blues and more.
The 17th Annual NC Blackberry Festival begins on Friday at 5pm in downtown Lenoir and will continue through Saturday evening at 9pm. Last year, the NC Blackberry Festival brought more than 25,000 people to downtown Lenoir to enjoy lots of blackberry competitions, The Blackberry Pageant, great food, drink, vendors and the great music.
This year, with expanded hours and days we expect even more. Friday night features a singer-songwriters competition from the 7 finalists competing for a purse. The NC Blackberry Pageant will also take place starting at 5:30pm, the Blackberry Recipe Contest and the Blackberry Beer Garden will be complete with beer, wine, cider and blackberry margaritas. Saturday the festival opens at 9am.
Great musical acts will be playing throughout the day and the Blackberry eating contest is not to be missed. At noon, the NC Panthers PurrCussion Drumline will start the Colossal Parade Brigade complete with a master of ceremony, Joe Delk, a local Lenoir attorney.
The parade is complete with New Orleans style life size puppets, locals with instruments, and children, followed by the world’s largest patchwork blackberry cobbler. The cobbler is assembled in the town center and is given freely to over 300 people until gone.
Saturday evening world renowned Blues artist, Sandra Hall and the King Bees will bring down the festival with a performance not to be missed.
Over 35 food trucks will be at this event with an additional 230 vendors starting Friday night at 5 pm. Chick Filet Blackberry Patch will have a designated area for children complete with bouncy houses, face painting, crafts and games. Let’s not forget the blackberries.
The Farmers Market will be full of NC Blackberries just for the taking along with local NC vegetables and produce. There will be something for everyone, so please join us.
For more information, contact the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce – 828-726-0616 or go to www.ncblackberryfestival.com.
Full Schedule of Events
Thursday, July 12 – “An Evening Of Everything Blackberry”
6pm – 9pm A ticketed event on Main St. in Lenoir featuring blackberry infused cuisine, drinks, music and dancing
Friday, July 13 – “The Blackberry Jam”
5pm – Vendors open for shopping
5pm – Blackberry Beer Garden open
5pm – Registration for The Blackberry Pageant begins
6pm – The Blackberry Pageant
7pm – Blackberry Recipe Contest
7:45pm – The Blackberry Singer-Songwriter Competition
8:30pm – The Blackberry GLOW Run
Saturday, July 14 “NC Blackberry Festival”
Blackberries Will Be For Sale In The Street Between St. James Episcopal Church And Suntrust Bank Starting At 10am Until They Are Gone! See The Map!
Vendors, Food, Music, Children’s Activities And Blackberries For Sale All Day!
9am – Vendors open for shopping
10am – Beer Garden and Food Trucks
10am – Live Music by Rooted
11am – Live Music by Melissa Reaves
12pm – Blackberry Eating Contest
12:30pm – Presentation of Colors, The National Anthem, Introductions
12:45pm – Colossal Blackberry Cobbler Parade
1pm – World’s Largest Patchwork of Blackberry Cobbler
1pm – Live Music by Shelby Rae Moore
2pm – Live Music by King Bees
3pm – Live Music by Bob Sinclair and the Big Deals
4pm – Singer-Songwriter Contestant Winner
Blackberry Bites, Brews, And Blues
5pm – Vendors, Local Breweries, and Food Trucks
6pm – 9pm – Internationally known Sandra Hall, “Empress of the Blues,” and the King Bees
