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n the five decades of running the dragon down Hodges Street on New Years Eve, Oriental has never seen a dragon run rained out. For a while on December 31, the weather forecast threatened to end that long run. But the rains held off and the town’s signature New Year’s Eve tradition carried on….

Dragons passing in the night in the last moments of 2015. (Photo: Dave White)

Dragon waits in its lair – a Rotary tent set up at Hodges and South Water.

At 8pm the Oriental dragon, big headed and silky bodied sauntered down Hodges. And then the Oriental dragon ran again at 11:30, this time in pursuit of the other, more serpentine Chinese dragon. The crowd surged around, reaching out to touch the bigger dragon and its rep for good luck. Pots and pans banged. Oriental’s drummers punched out a rhythm. A dragon-winged girl twirled a fairylike dance. The Oriental Croaker did its fish-out-of-water-stint for hours on the mast of a boat from Texas. An Austin accordionist played Auld Lang Syne. A countdown called out. A lighted croaker wriggled toward the waters of Oriental’s harbor.

Dragon heading toward the new year.

That’s how several hundred people on Oriental’s Hodges Street coaxed in the new year. Within a half hour, the first rains of 2016 fell.

The SV Mona whose Austin, TX crew, James and Rachel, hosted the croaker drop at midnight.

Faith Heath and her family traveled from Pitt County to attend their 4th dragon run. The 11 year old brought her Christmas gift, dragon wings and showed how they worked.

Long view of Hodges Street as the dragon runs in front of The Bean.

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Headtop percussion to greet the dragon.

The serpentine body of the Chinese dragon on its 11:30 run.

Spectators on the porch of the Bean with Oriental’s Drummin’ Dragons in the orchestra pit/picnic table at street level.

Dragon head on Hodges.

The blur of the Chinese dragon on Hodges Street near the Oriental star.

Dragon greeters.

The SV Mona, dropping spot for the Croaker, and the countdown clock – screen – on her bowsprit.

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Team Dragon: Robin Carburry and Ken “Turtle” Midyette deliver the dragon head to the tent prior to the New Year’s Eve runnings. Turtle wore the heavy dragon head on his shoulders in both the 8 and 11:30 runs.

James Woodring played Aud Lang Syne on an accordion he bought a few days earlier at a marine consignment store.

Lee Duer of the Chinese Dragon team.

The Oriental dragon passes the Oriental Star.

Gauging the Croaker’s position relative to the sailboat Mona and the Oriental Harbor waters, this was one of the last seconds of 2015.

Faith Heath (dragon) wings toward the new year.

The Croaker, post drop.

Posted Tuesday January 5, 2016 by Melinda Penkava