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Croaker Festival 2019
Marines, Firemen, Tractors, & a Funnel CakeJuly 3, 2019
Abrass band marched. Sailors sailed. A Croaker Queen began her reign. Pamlico County’s First Responders were honored. The 39th Annual Croaker Festival was June 28 – July 1.This year July 4 came midweek. Organizers had to choose the weekend before, or the weekend after. It turned out the Marine Band would be available the weekend before… and the date was set.
Each year, a Croaker Queen and Miss Minnow are crowned the day before the Croaker Festival Parade.Miss Minnow results:
- Miss Photogenic – Tayla Truesdale
- 2nd Runner Up – Layla Jones
- 1st Runner Up – Jojo Buck
- Miss Minnow – Summer Daniels
Croaker Queen results:
- Miss Photogenic – Aiden Smith
- 1st Runner Up – Jenna Bustamante
- Croaker Queen – Layne Brinson
Several winners of the baking contest – in both the adult and 12 & under categories.Baking Contest Winners:
Adults:
- Laura Poniatowski – Gluten Free Cheesecake
- Bob Wiegand – Whole Lemon Pie
- Annie Benda – Oatmeal Cookies
- Rachel Homan – Vegan Donuts
- Katie Holbrook – “Oriental Lights Up” Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- Nan Farrell – Blueberry Crepes
12 & Under:
- Zoe & Ava Eldredge – Coffee Cake
- Ava Weeks – Cherry Cheesecake Tarts
- Mary Mac Hott – Apple Dumplings
- Libby Hott – Apple Crisp
- Eden Homan – Ocean Themed Vanilla Cake
- Molly Hight – Strawberry Pie
- Asher Reiswig – Asher’s Rocket Man Brownies
Finola Corbett organizes the Baking contest and thanks her judges for their help: Jen Hackett, Don McGuire, Sandy McGuire, and Dianne Midness.
This year’s parade theme was First Responders. Some participants took it and ran, others did their own thing.Kids search Hodges Street for candy.The Cherry Point Marine Corps Band in the Croaker Festival parade.The winners of the Croaker Festival Parade are pinned to the front of the Croaker information booth.Funnel cakes, elephant ears, and fried foods of every sort were on offer.The Sudan Shriners Cooligans drive motorized coolers through the parade.Oriental Women’s Club members sell handmade Croaker fish hats.The annual Croaker Festival firework display from both sides, and above, the bridge.Croaker Festival Fireworks Saturday night.
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The Community Band plays the Croaker Festival opening ceremonies.Mayor Sally Belangia presents South Pamlico Volunteer Fire Department with a check from the Dottie Gray Ambulance Fund. The money will buy a Lifepak 15 monitor/defibrillator for the station.Croaker baking contest categories for 2019.If you win in one of the baking categories, you also win a Croaker.The parade opens with the Grand Marshall and members of a modern – and historic – military.Kids mad dash onto Broad St to gather as much candy as they can before the next float rolls by.Vehicles, logos, and decals from county fire engines.A line of tractors, representing the farms and farmers of Pamlico County, roll down Broad Street.The local Republican party thanks first responders.Every year, different Shriner clubs attend the parade and entertain the crowds.Local Olympians from the National Senior Games: Fay Bond, Susan Maier, and Irma Bond-Maxbauer.A nun from the production of Nunsense waves from The Old Theater truck.Some kids watch the parade, some kids are in it.The Oriental Women’s Club float features a patriotic Croaker[page]
One Marine teaches a young musician how to play drums.A cold, flavored ice on a warm day.The Heartworks Kid’s Carnival had bounce houses, face painting, and more to entertain the kids.The finest in fair food offerings could be found along South Ave.The official 2019 Croaker Festival t-shirt.Some of the goods from vendor row.Drone Amelia provides the bird’s eye view of the Croakerfest venue along South Ave.The end of the line, or of South Ave, is blocked off by construction signs and a lonely ice cream vendor.Drone Amelia gets pictures of the fireworks setup on Oriental Bridge.A view from channel marker #6 (John Watkin).Click here to read about the winners of the 2019 Croaker Festival Regatta.