BeastFest ‘07
Bladenboro’s very first Beast of Bladenboro Festival
“Yes Virginia, there really is a Beast of Bladenboro and he lives even today in our hearts and minds.”
Following our Beast of Bladenboro Festival on October 27, Boost The ’Boro had a meeting to reflect and review all that had transpired and we reached one conclusion in unison.
Bladenboro celebrated the best festival event that had been thrown in many years!
The Beast of Bladenboro lives through the hearts and minds of all those who came, partook, enjoyed, and witnessed history.
The Beast of Bladenboro was a real occurrence in early 1954, whereby a mysterious vampire predator terrorized the town for about two weeks before it was declared destroyed by
a local trapper. Mr. Luther Davis had trapped and killed a good sized bobcat. It was suspected that the mayor claimed that the bobcat was the beast in an effort to downplay all that
had transpired over the two week span, get the town back to normal again, and make the town safe from an estimated 1,000 hunters packing iron on the streets and in the byways.
The festival was estimated to have been attended by no less than 5,000 visitors who enjoyed the wares of over sixty vendors and all day and night entertainment by a variety of
groups and performers.
A car show sponsored by the Southeastern Cruisers placed on display a lot of antique and rebuilt cars. A horse drawn carriage carried children of all ages about town. Fun houses,
slides and other rides provided children a chance to play and have fun. The food was varied and excellent—even collard sandwiches! Smoked “Beast Butts” cooked overnight on an
assembly of cookers were sold and enjoyed by all, (actually Boston Butts). And the beast? “BOB” was there, escorted into town by no less than Mayor Livingston Lewis in a Rolls Royce. It was fine—it was wonderful—it was a resounding success.
Congratulations to Action Committee #1 led by Berry Lewis for the very hard work. Many thanks to each committee member, most notable are Lisa Hester, Joyce Walters, David
Hales, Tom Lancaster, Janet Storms, Johnny Anderson, Rufus Duckworth, Jon Hasbrouck, Steven Simmons, Livingston Lewis, Aaron Cox, Jonathan Ransom, and Jonathan Ford.
There were a lot of volunteers in preparation and in service. If I missed your name I apologize.
To all the supporters and sponsors, we could not have done it without you.
The Town of Bladenboro deserves accolades for their support with set up, clean up, management assistance, law enforcement, rescue squad, fire truck, etc, etc. The Mayor even
threw in a Mayoral Proclamation that October 27, 2007, was Beast of Bladenboro Festival Day in Bladenboro, North Carolina.
Many thanks to Mayor Livingston Lewis, Town Manager Delane Jackson, and the Town of Bladenboro departments who provided invaluable assistance and support for Bladenboro’s
first Beast of Bladenboro Festival!
The Beast Lives
2nd Annual Beastfest `08
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