2016 festival theme revealed
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on December 16, 2015 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The N.C. Pickle Festival theme has been revealed, and it will monopolize anyone's imagination.
This year, for the 30th anniversary of the N.C. Pickle Festival, the theme will be a pickle-themed game of Monopoly.
Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce President and N.C. Pickle Festival Committee Co-chair Julie Beck said the theme is something that will set apart the festival that is celebrating its 30th year.
"We decided for our 30th anniversary to do something unique and different," Ms. Beck said.
"Originally, when we started this plan, we were going to use historical places in Mount Olive and events during the festival we were going to make into board, but we decided to keep it more generic."
The logo features pickles in top hats dancing on a Monopoly board that is customized to feature pickling "jar"gon as well as classic events that happen at the festival, like Tour de Pickle and the car show.
"It's all about pickles," Ms. Beck said.
"I think it is going to be good design, the people that I have talked to about it have really liked it."
Ms. Beck, along with N.C. Pickle Festival Co-chair Lynn Williams, contacted Graphics Imprints in Billings, Mont., about the design in August.
"They totally get our vision," Ms. Beck said.
"I can describe it to them, and they can design it."
Ms. Beck said that having these customized Monopoly boards for sale during the festival is an option that is being looked at.
"One of the things we are still working on, and we have to make our decision by January, is if we are going to get a customized Monopoly boards, but we have to order a lot," she said.
"But if we did do that, we would have one of the game pieces as a pickle. We did some research with companies about customizing our own board, we would have to have a large quantity to get them at a reasonable price."
The theme will not be the only thing new this year. Ms. Beck said that a social media campaign will be launched for the 2016 N.C. Pickle Festival as well as an economic impact study.
"We have signed on with a marketing company, and we are doing a whole social media campaign," she said.
Students at the University of Mount Olive will be assisting in the economic impact study.
"We are forming a partnership with the school of business, and they are going to get the business students to do an economic impact study to see what kind of money is coming in the county and town because of the festival, and we are going to find out where people are coming from so we can find out where to market to," she said.
Ms. Beck credits the increased support and sponsorship of the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. and Southern Bank Foundation to make the social media campaign and economic impact study possible this year.
Ms. Beck said planning and organizing for the festival will begin next month.