We have a TON of events coming up. Let’s start with the big one… the fall fair. The Festival starts on Wednesday, September 15 and runs through Sunday, September 19. Weekdays we open at 5 p.m. and weekends we open at 2 p.m. We plan to close at 9 p.m. but will stay open longer if the crowds are big.
We have rides, food, vendors, entertainment, helicopter rides, a haunted room, and of course we have our Exceptional Children’s Day at the Fair on Friday, September 17 from 10 a.m. until noon.
We are a non-profit (the Craven County Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees)) and this is one of our two major fundraisers. The money we make is used to support the Boys & Girls Club, the Jaycee Burn Unit at Duke, and we donate to local charities in Craven County and give direct grants to families in need around the holidays. We have been bringing the fair to the area for many years, and we love doing it.
Now, for the boring details: Parking is free. There is a $5 gate fee for anyone 4 and over (even non-riders), and ride tickets start at $1 each. Ride tickets are available on the midway – and some days unlimited ride wristbands are available. Ticket sales stop about 30 minutes before the rides close.
We have live entertainment on the midway every night of the fair, featuring DJ’s, dancers, local bands, singers, and professional wrestling inside the main building Saturday night. We also have local vendors offering goods and services every night.
The Exceptional Children’s Day at the fair is the part we are most proud of. We close the fair to the general public and are open exclusively for children with special needs. We go all out for this event – petting zoo, superheroes, fire trucks, Sheriff’s deputies, the works! Groups that want to attend this day must be registered in a state approved Exceptional Children’s program or be approved through the Jaycees directly. We invite all the schools from the four-county area to participate.
By David Ricks, Craven County Jaycees