N.C. Pickle Festival planning continues; theme is unveiled

N.C. Pickle Festival organizers say they knew they would get beaten up over their decision not to hold a classic car show during this year’s festival.

However, backlash from the decision is outweighed by safety and security concerns for festival-goers and the event itself, they added.

A benefit from the decision could be more space to accommodate handicap parking. The location has yet to be finalized

And although it will be the first time in more than 30 years that the festival will not have a car show, it will still boast a sweeping variety of events, activities, attractions, foods and vendors, organizers say.

Coordinated by the North Carolina Pickle Festival, Inc. in partnership with the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, 39th annual edition of the award-winning festival will be held in downtown Mount Olive from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 25, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 26.

The theme this year will be based on the Zugspitze — the highest peak in Germany.

Festival Co-chair Julie Beck based the theme on her visit to Germany and Zugspitze this past summer.

It features snow-blanketed mountains, a hiking pickle and a pickle playing an alp horn — the traditional large horn associated with the mountainous regions of Germany and other European countries.

The design will be on T-shirts, tabloids, billboards and other items.

The theme and other items, including the car show, were discussed during the Pickle Festival planning session held Monday night, Feb. 17.

“Wayne County Cruisers, we did contact them about doing the car show with the parameters that they would be in the First Baptist Church parking lot and/or maybe a little bit on John Street,” Beck said during the session. “They chose not to participate.”

A second car club was contacted and offered the same parameters. They also chose not to participate.

“So Lynn (Williams, festival co-chair), Melissa (Kilpatrick, festival administrator) and myself made the decision not to have the car show,” Beck said. “We knew we were going to get beat up about it.

“We knew we were going to get some negativity about it, but Lynn crafted a nice, well-worded statement about why all this happened, that it was a mutual agreement. It is just unfortunate the way it happened.”

Williams said she posted the release on the festival web page prior to Monday’s meeting.

“I figured let’s go ahead and get it over with,” she said.

Planning committee member Ryan Roberts said he had seen one response that the festival had a point — that it has been difficult to manage traffic with all of the people downtown.

Roberts said he expects that 5 percent or less of the people will be upset about the decision.

Also, there were will be posts about all of the many other things the festival has coming, Williams said.

Mount Olive police have implemented a new protocol that no vehicles, with the exception of emergency vehicles, will be allowed in the festival footprint between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday.

This includes car show vehicles.

In the past, the car show has been set up along both sides of the 200 block of North Center Street. Last year, cars set up in the First Baptist Church Family Life Center parking lot on John Street as well.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Wayne County Cruisers, who coordinated this part of our festival for nearly all of this time,” Williams said in the press release. “The classic cars they attracted were always a huge festival favorite, and the show was generally among the largest in the region.

“Our decision to part ways was a mutual one, and from the festival’s perspective, it was based on safety. Many car show entrants arrive well after the festival starts at 9 a.m., and all leave well before the festival ends at 6 p.m. Allowing upwards of 150 cars into and out of the festival footprint — while hundreds of pedestrians mill about — has grown into a significant safety issue. This is particularly true in today’s environment where perimeter security for outdoor events is of paramount importance.”

The release continues, “Our law enforcement and emergency management partners have expressed concern about this arrangement for some time. We made some adjustment to the placement of the car show in 2024, but ultimately it did not satisfactorily address the needs of the car show and the concerns of the festival. Recent conversations with an alternate car club led us to the same mutual conclusion — the typical car show schedule no longer fits with the festival’s need for security.

“We deeply appreciate the work and effort of the Wayne County Cruisers over these many years, and we wish them well moving forward.”

To help with the security, planning continues on updating festival entry and exits points and shuttle stops. Also being considered is the use of mobile blockades, such as cars and trucks, to prevent traffic from gaining access to the festival footprint.

During the session, Williams reiterated that Saturday will feature and extensive variety of events, activities, foods and vendors.

Events and activities finalized for that day include: a one-man band; helicopter rides ($40 per person located at the University of Mount Olive); Mark Madden cowboy and stagecoach; organ grinder; Love the Butterfly Garden; Jingles the Clown; inflatables; Ross the Balloon Man; mini 18-wheelers; Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department Pickle Train (next to Steele Memorial Library); New Bern Puppet Show; Colgate Bus.

Main stage bands will be: Dreamwave from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Erik Hawk and Hard Luck Band, 11:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m.; The Amazing Lounge Lizards, 1:40 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.; and Brodie Cormack Band, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Planning is continuing for the pickle-eating contest; for entertainment on the Praise, Hope and Dance stages; a petting zoo; carnival rides; Tour de Pickle bike ride; pickleball tournament; and classic tractor show and more.

Changes are planned for the Pickle Festival and information booth. Instead of using the traditional green building, both will be located under a 10-foot by 20-foot tent on North Center Street across from the Chamber office.

More than 200 vendors already have applied for one of the coveted festival spots.

The deadline for applications is March 1, and no applications will be accepted after that date.

For more information, visit ncpicklefest.org.