Square Fair around corner

Downtown Clinton will soon be filled with the aroma of freshly-cooked barbecue, lemonade and cotton candy all mixed with the sounds of music, kids laughter, and the chatter of adults, culminating in this year’s annual Square Fair and BBQ Cook-Off, slated for Oct. 12.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and, as per tradition, is completely free to the public. With vendors, entertainers and other happenings throughout the day, the entire downtown will be utilized for the annual event.

But before Saturday’s events even begin, the Square Fair will be kicked off Friday night with the Music on Main concert, featuring Dixon Allen and Carlton Smith, from 6 until 8 p.m.

Square Fair is going to be chock full of activities, according to Mary Rose, Clinton Planning and Main Street director, who said there will be some 115 vendors participating as well as 15 team registered for the BBQ cook-off, an event-goer favorite each year.

Chief among the annual festivies at Square Fair is the entertainment which, Rose noted, is packed with diversity.

“We’re really excited for our entertainment line-up that afternoon,” Rose stressed. “This year we will have the amazing LaTeisha Symone’ Boykin, a gospel singer from Sampson County, who’s going to be performing. Then we’ve got Mr. Ray Silva, he is a native flutist, taking the stage so he’s going to be with us — that’s going to be very unique. And then, we have the return of the Hispanic band (Impactto Norteño), that we had last year; they are coming back again.

“So we will have our local entertainment from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. And starting at noon, that is when each of them (featured entertainment) will perform which is kind of our multicultural entertainment. That’s big because it’s representing the diverse culture that we have here in Sampson County.”

Another standout occasion that’ll be happening earlier that morning, at 9:30 a.m., before the event kicks off, is the official dedication ceremony for the John Merrick mural. The mural is located on the corner of Vance Street and Fisher Drive, across from the Merrick Marker, and was completed by North Carolina artist Max Dowdle as part of his 100 murals in 100 counties project.

Along with the new activities, Square Fair favorites, the classics, are making their return as well.

For the BBQ Cook-Off, as usual, the hogs will be delivered the night before with teams spending the night preparing and cooking for the following day’s competition. The Sampson County Arts Council is back to host a variety of arts activities in the park near the “Milling Around” art installation.

The members of Ol’ Lightning Rods will return to host their Antique Car Show at the Clinton City Market on Lisbon Street. For those that wish to participate, registration is open until noon at the City Market on the day of the event. With them will be Oldies 1170 AM, broadcasting live from the car show with Robert Stroud and the Boogies Shoes Network.

Rounding out the activities will be Museum Day at the Sampson County History Museum, also located on Lisbon Street, which will offer a variety of free demonstrations and exhibits to fair-goers the entire day.

“We’re looking forward to this year’s Square Fair; we’re very excited,” Rose asserted. “As always ,it’s just a good day of culture and everyone getting together and enjoying what we have to offer here in Sampson County.”