Oak City hosts third annual Goose Nest Festival

The third annual Goose Nest Festival will be billed as the most successful yet.

Oak City historian Michael Taylor believes this year’s event may have been the most popular in the festival’s history. Taylor had a steady stream of visitors at the Oak City Fire Station where he set up a historical display of the town’s past.

Festival Founder and Chair Vonetta Porter was pleased with the museum’s display since it again provided a look into the history of the former and current name of the town.

Porter and her team were excited with this year’s attendance

Even though this year’s festival did not have a parade, and was postponed from a previous date due to rain, downtown Oak City was packed with thousands of festival goers throughout the day.

“The Goose Nest Festival Committee would like to thank all of those who participated and the many supportive sponsors we had,” said Porter, as she is already looking ahead to next year’s festival.

Food trucks, music, amusement rides and family friendship were themes of the day as the heat index hit triple digits. The heat did not keep people away.

Virginia Whitfield McPherin, Oak City’s 100-year-old Grand Dame attended the festival and enjoyed the day.

“I am having a wonderful time. I have really enjoyed the display at the fire station and am looking forward to the rest of the festival,” McPherin said.

Porter thought of the idea of the Goose Nest Festival in 2019 when her goal was to promote a large gathering in the western portion of the county.

This will mark the third year for the town’s interestingly named festival and in that time the event has become a destination attracting people from across county lines.

“Last year, we felt like we accomplished our goal. This year we topped that and are looking forward to festival number number and continue growing and becoming a big part of the town of Oak City,” said Porter.

The festival’s name always prompts the question of its origin.

In the early 1880’s there was a postage stamp sized rural trading center built in the midst of a small collection of farm houses. Later, the small community grew larger and the Goose Nest Post Office was commissioned. The community was officially named Goose Nest in1888.

In 1905 the town’s name was changed to Oak City because a town citizen visiting Raleigh saw “Oak City Laundry” on a delivery wagon and liked the name enough to urge the General Assembly to effect the change. They obliged. The rest, as they say, is history, which visitors and citizens alike will be able to view at next year’s Goose Nest Festival.

However, if one can’t wait that long, the Oak City Museum display will be available for viewing during the month of July at Oak City Town Hall.