22nd Annual Laurelfest met with rain

LAUREL HILL — Rainy weather turned the 22nd Annual Laurelfest into a washout.

The Friday night gospel singing had a huge turnout, and Saturday morning started out great. The crowds were pouring in, and people were having a good time,” said Billy Norris, Jr., president of the Laurelfest Committee. “Then, the rain came. We shut down for an hour and started back up when it quit.”

Of course, the crowd had diminished considerably at that point and festival grounds were a landmine of mud puddles. Those who braved the elements browsed vendor tents with umbrellas and raincoats handy. Some sat at sheltered benches and tables to eat and watch the band. But when the second round of storms came through, organizers and vendors knew there was no salvaging the rest of the day, so they shut down.

“The rain really messed us up,” Norris lamented.

Before the weather turned the day into a fiasco, the Triple Toe Cloggers, Fierce Dance troupe and the band Oreo entertained the crowds. Two bands- 80s unleashed and the Special Occasion Band did not get to perform.

Children enjoyed the bounce houses and inflatable slides. There were also fire trucks and rescue vehicles to peruse, courtesy of the Laurel Hill and Laurinburg Fire Departments and Scotland County Rescue, while the Pee Dee Antique Power Club displayed restored tractors.

Food vendors were selling all manner of scrumptious goodies. There were funnel cakes, ice cream, BBQ, fried fish, turkey legs, deep-fried Oreos and honey buns, blooming onions, collard sandwiches and more.

Sixty-five craft vendors were peddling a variety of items, including shawls, pipes, birdhouses, jewelry, artwork, clothing, hats, and wreaths.

“We purposely cut back on the number of vendors this year so that those who participated could make more money. We tried to avoid having vendors selling similar merchandise,” Norris said.

Festival patron Nina Chavis was out with her sister and her niece to do some shopping and visit with friends and neighbors.

“It’s a nice festival, usually,” Chavis said. “We been coming to it for years and always look forward to it. I hate the weather couldn’t cooperate today, but it was fun while it lasted. Guess there’s always next year.”