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This is Sweet Megg, known for her western swing. Sweet Megg is one of 29 performers scheduled to play at the 2025 Ol Front Porch Music festival, set for Oct 3-4.

4:49p Seen any painters around town? If you have, there’s a good reason: the New Bern Plein Air Art Festival.

It’s an annual event, where artists from around the country spread out to New Bern and surrounding communities (like Oriental) to spend the day painting outside.

Kari Ganoung Ruiz, an oil painter from New York, set up her easel along the Hodges Street harbor.

The festival runs now through May 18. Artists’ paintings are displayed (and for sale) at the Farmer’s Market in New Bern daily. Find out more about the festival here.

Clouds. Rain. Maybe even some thunder. No earthquakes or pestilence in the forecast, chin up.

Later this week mister sun returns, and temps near 90.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Weather Radar

12:50p Pamlico County’s new library is almost ready to debut.

The Friends Of The Library tell TownDock the grand opening celebration is set for Saturday, June 14, at 11:00a.

11:55a Tonight at the Red Rooster (Silos), it’s the Daniels Brothers (Connor & Chris). DNA not checked. At New Village Brewery the La Cocina del Coqui (Latin) food truck, with Bob the Bass & Helt Oncale playing the beer garden.

This weekend is the Hope Regala at River Dunes, the key fundraiser that raises $ for Hope Clinic in Pamlico County. Tonight the Regala has a BBQ dinner, Saturday Night Regala hosts a catered dinner by The Flame, with live and silent auctions.

Saturday morning at least 8 vendors are lined up for the Farmer’s Market on Hodges St. At the brewery the All About Churros rolls in, with NottaDuet (it’s Mac & George) on stage in the beer garden. Saturday afternoon at Lou Mac Park Pamlico Arts hosts free latin dance lessons, followed by a latin dance party.

Saturday night is a Mother’s day show by Dee Dee King & Company on the Old Theater stage, 7p. We’re told that Dee Dee’s mother (from Oriental) was a musical prodigy, and groomed young Dee Dee to sing starting at the tender age of 1 year old.

Sunday evening at 7:30p, you’re invited to join a group walk focused on peace-making at the Oriental Labyrinth (across from Lou Mac Park).

It’s all in What’s Happening.

11:22a A fellow named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it: Into each life some rain must fall.

While it may be cloudy today, not a rainy weekend ahead. Saturday promises sunshine & mid 70s.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

11:15a Helt Oncale plays the Old Theater, today @ 3p. Have a listen:

More about the show here.

Tonight is the start of a regular weekly event at the Oriental Labyrinth. It’s a group walk, 7:30p. You’re invited.

The labyrinth was dedicated in Oriental in 2019. Here’s a look at it’s beginnings:

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Weather Radar

A dragon will burn. Odd yard sale stuff will sell. All with a Saturday forecast to be sunshine & mid 80s.

Tonight at The Red Rooster, George Bailey plays. At the brewery, Tanja’s German Street Food truck, with Ken Belangia in the beer garden.

Saturday morning the Farmer’s Market on Hodges near the harbor, plus the Oriental Woman’s Club annual plant sale across the street. Saturday in Oriental it’s the annual Town Wide Yard Sale, 7a until. It’s Shred Day, 9a – noon at the Pamlico County Courthouse. In Beaufort, it’s the Wooden Boat Show.

Saturday night it’s Pamlico Arts annual membership drive and Dragon Burn, at the Silos/Red Rooster. Admission fee is simple: just become a member of Pamlico Arts. At the brewery Saturday Roadside Dogs, playing the beer garden, Notta Band… (it’s Mac, George & Dave).

Sunday is the grand opening of the bakery at Mariposa, open 6a – 11a. After Sunday’s launch, the bakery will be open the same days as the wine bar, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Bakery hours: 6a – 11a, Wine bar hours: 3p-9p.

Sunday at the Old Theater, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Helt Oncale plays at 3p. Sunday evening marks the first peace-making group walk at the Oriental Community Labyrinth., 7:30p.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

4:35p The Children’s Summer Theater Workshop will mark their 29th year this summer.

Registration and schedules can be found at www.childrenstheateronc.com.

11:40a The Town Wide Yard Sale map is ready – here ya go:

For an April weekend, there is a lot going on in our small town.

Tonight on the Old Theater stage, Love, Loss and What I Wore. Five local actresses portray the characters: Nelda Coates, Elaine Creel, Jessica Russo, Gail Vergato, and Christine Wager. Shows tonight and Saturday at 7p, Sunday 3p.

Tonight at the brewery, Packhouse plays in the beer garden, with Taqueria San Luis food truck serving dinner. At the Silos/Red Rooster, Hoff n Finch.

Saturday is Arbor Day in Oriental. Oriental’s Tree Board has a tree planting and pruning demonstration, corner of Broad & Silverbrook, at 10:00a.

ODC is sailing this weekend. PHRF races Saturday, Sunday dinghy racing. Saturday has wine tastings at Nautical Wheelers, 2 & 3p. Affordable vino is the theme, bottles under $15. Two wines from Spain, two from Portugal and one Italian. At New Village Brewery, TerraTones play Sat night in the beer garden, with La Cocina del Coqui food truck serving.

Gospel, Blues & BBQ Saturday at The Silos/Red Rooster, sponsored by Pamlico Arts. Music from 2:30p til late, it’s a free concert. Bring a chair.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

9:49a A note from former Tree Board Chairman Bob Miller:

Re the Tree Board, Arbor Day is coming up. Saturday April 26 is Arbor Day in Oriental.

The Oriental Tree Board will have an Arbor Day tree planting celebration and pruning demonstration at the corner of Broad & Silverbrook, at 10:00a.

The NC Forest Service and the National Arbor Day Foundation have granted Oriental the designation of TreeCityUSA for the 30th year, and will present a flag and certificate to the Oriental Tree Board at the tree planting. The NC Forest Service is bringing tree saplings to the event, free to folks like you to take home and plant.

8:22a Today hints of summer ahead: high in the mid 80s.

We recently learned that former resident David Cox passed away in 2023. Frank Roe writes in, with fond memories of David.

12:45p Two community events are key parts of the Easter weekend: Saturday is an Easter Egg Hunt, 10a at Oriental United Methodist Church. Sunday morning at 6a is the Easter sunrise service at Lou Mac park. This service is a combined effort of many area churches.

Tonight at the Red Rooster/ Silos, Brant Island Strings at 7p. At the brewery beer garden tonight: the Big Jim Kohler Band, 6-8:30p, then Saturday Noah Jackson Cobb.

Warmer weather has more & more farmers/artisans at Oriental’s Farmer’s Market on Hodges St Saturday morning.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

On your calendar for next weekend, live theater returns to the Old Theater stage: Love, Loss and What I Wore plays April 25-27.

9:22a Dave and Liz Cox lived in Oriental for two decades. They arrived by sailboat, and departed to the Washington DC area a few years ago.

Their son Bowman Cox tells TownDock that Dave passed in 2023, and will have services at Arlington National Cemetery on April 24. The family submitted Dave’s story, here.

10:45a The community garden is looking for a few more gardeners. Pete Flood writes in:

The community garden is on property across from Oriental Methodist Church, here:

9:14a The 2025 Town Wide Yard Sale is just a couple weeks off – set for Saturday May 3.

You might not think of a yard sale as an epic event, but some village residents drag out some odd & fascinating stuff. At the yard sale a couple years ago, formal wear with its final look:

You can register to sell by calling Tourism Board Chair Marsha Paplham at 252-675-5142‬. Last day to sign up is Tuesday, April 29.

Signing up gets you on the Yard Sale map – that map will be available on TownDock.

The Oriental In-Water Boat Show is a three day event. Saturday this year was cloudy and cold. It didn’t help.

The sun came out and warmed up downtown Sunday, letting the show finish on a high note. TownDock was there.

5:06p Cowboy puppets sitting on dogs, a canine in a tutu, and a man wearing a banana.

The 2025 PAWS Pet Parade was just another normal day in Oriental.

3:18p For your upcoming calendar: a play is soon coming to the Old Theater stage.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore is set for April 25-27.

2:50p The 2025 Hope Regala is set fro May 9 & 10. Yolanda Cristiani writes in:

Proceeds from the Regala support the mission of Hope Clinic, to bring healthcare to the medically underserved in Pamlico County.

If you go for one of the 10k Golden Raffle tix, your odds are better than in most drawings. You have a 1 in 200 chance of winning $10,000 when you get a $10k Golden Raffle ticket for the Hope Regala.

This may not be the best moment to go boating. A Small Craft Advisory in effect now through Wednesday morning.

On the Neuse, west winds 15 To 20 knots, gusts to 25 this afternoon. Tonight winds shift to northwest 10 To 15, but gusts still up To 25 knots after midnight.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Oriental NC Forecast

8:28a More warm is coming today.

The boat show weekend was a weather mixed bag. Saturday was cloudy & cool. The high was 57, but it was one of those days where it seemed even cooler. Sunday served up a reprieve: sunny & a high reaching 66. After Saturday, that sunshine delivered a lot more smiling faces at the boat show.

Today hints of summer: sunny and low 80s ahead.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

9:08a Starting at 10a today, Captain Ross Pease will be demonstrating rope splicing. Ross does this on behalf of the Coast Guard Auxilary… he’ll be splicing in fron of the Provision Company.

Pete Newman has been growing spinach. A LOT of spinach.

There will be bags of fresh organic spinach for sale by the Casa Que Pasa taco truck on Hodges Street: $5 for a 2 lb bag.

Today is the big day for the boat show, come on downtown to see the boats (and boat stuff). Pet Parade at 11a.

Nautical Wheelers is workin’ hard too. Bill Wheeler writes in:

2:17p One small town has one busy weekend ahead. The forecast is mixed: Friday cloudy and some rain likely, but then Saturday comes through with a partly sunny day, Sunday mostly sunny. Highs both days low 60s.

Today 5-8p at the brewery, La Cocina del Coqui food truck.

The Oriental Boat Show is Fri-Sat-Sun. Fri noon to 6p, Sat 10a to 6p, Sun 10a to 3p. Boats in the water and on land, and tents and tents of marine related vendors. It takes over “downtown” for the weekend.

There’s food at the boat show, plus a few steps away M&M’s Cafe hosts a Boat Show Buffet all weekend.

Friday a beer tasting noon-2p at the Provision Company, Shortway Brewing brings their craft beers in to sample. Mariposa Wine Bar will be open an extra day for the boat show weekend, Friday 3-9p (normal hours 3-9p Sat-Sun-Mon).

Friday night Ken Belangia plays the Red Rooster. At New Village Brewery, Uncle Mann’s Food Emporium truck, with Mac McWilliams playing the beer garden.

PAWS Pet Parade will have hundreds of legs, Saturday 11a, centered at Lou Mac Park. Saturday at the brewery Reno’s Food Truck, with (he’s everywhere) Ken Belangia in the beer garden.

It’s all in What’s Happening.