Rain doesn't slow down Daffodil Festival
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 3, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The Sauls family, Dave, Amber, Callaway, 5, and Holden, 2, walk through the vendors at the Fremont Daffodil Festival Saturday. Festival goers ducked under awnings and umbrellas as the occasional cloud dropped rain. The Fremont Rotary Club also opened its doors for people to take a break from walking and stay dry.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Allie Raper smiles as she sees her face painted like a butterfly for the first time during the Fremont Daffodil Festival Saturday. Her favorite parts were the glitter and bright colors.
FREMONT -- Alayna Johnson raced up and down the street, occasionally leaping into the air, as she tried to pop bubbles being churned out by a bubble-making machine.
Dressed in her brightly colored raincoat and rain boots, the 5-year-old could have cared less about the steady rain that had sent her mother, Michelle Johnson, and others seeking shelter just minutes after the start of the 30th annual Daffodil Festival on Saturday morning.
The festival's start had been pushed back from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. because of the early threat of rain, but the rain didn't start until about 30 minutes after the opening ceremony.
As a steady rain began to fall umbrellas went up, and those without umbrellas sought shelter under awnings or inside some of the open businesses.
But when the rain ended about an hour later, the crowd quickly returned the streets, and vendors removed the plastic they had thrown over their wares.
"I like the bouncer," Alayna said taking a break from her bubble bursting. "I like the monkey bouncer and the (mechanical) bull and the ice cream and the train."
But she said she liked the train the best.
"I like popping bubbles," Alayna said.
"Twelve" was her response when asked how many bubbles she had been able to pop.
"Mama, I want to go get some more ice cream," she said as the rain tapered off and the crowd began to move back into the streets.
Festival organizers were hoping for as many as 9,000 to 10,000 people, but knew the turnout would be weather dependent, said Keith Stewart, a member of the Daffodil Festival Committee.
"Vendors, I would say we have 75 or 80," he said. "So between raffles and churches and Scout troops, Girl Scout troops, fire departments and then all of the food, yeah probably 75 vendors."
The late Glenn and Ruth Aycock were remembered during the annual memorial service.
Their children, Jimmy Aycock of Fremont, Tom Aycock of Lake Gaston and Nan Walman of Reisterstown, Md., were on hand for the brief ceremony.
"It is just an honor for us to be here and to honor our parents," Tom Aycock said. "When our sister, Nan, and Jimmy, when we were growing up, we knew then that we felt like we had the greatest parents in the world. Then as is the case, which I am sure with all of you as well, as we get older we appreciate them even more and what they did for us, but also we recognize them for what they did for Fremont.
"They loved this community. They had so many friends. Daddy was a rural mail carrier on Route 1, Fremont. My mother was active in the Methodist Church and was president of the PTA. Daddy was on the school board. They loved the community, and they loved to see the community grow. They loved the people in the community."
Jimmy Aycock said their parents left them some real estate, but more importantly they left them Judeo-Christian values and a strong work ethic.
"They left us something much better than material wealth, they left us the values that we have today," he said.
Stewart said the memorial service is always one of his most favorite parts of the festival.
"As you know it is always about honoring someone, a couple of people in this case, that have been instrumental in developing Fremont in the community, and I use that word with major caps, the community that Fremont really is," he said. "It means a lot to me for a town to be as close knit, as kind and generous as this town has been to me.
"In that light that is exactly what I think about when I think of Glenn and Mrs. Ruth. The Aycocks have roots, real deep roots in the area. They were great members of the community, and we continue to miss them."
Also, the family continues to be a "great" member of the Fremont community, he said.
"The rain kind of sent everybody scattering inside, but they have all come back out," Stewart said. "If the sun will do the same thing, if the sun will come out like the people have, we will be great.
"We kept thinking we were going to see that (rain) a little earlier, but maybe it will be a little later. But we have plenty of entertainment for the afternoon. If they will bear with us, we will be good."
Theresa Hrebenuyuk was among those who sought shelter from the rain.
"I am an a Yankee," she said. "I have lived in Goldsboro for over 30 years. I came many years ago (to the festival) for a few minutes. I gave up my zumba class (today) just to come. I figured something a little different and to get out in the fresh air. I am a people person. I love to talk to strangers, mingle.
"We came for the Embers (concert). We like to dance. We are supposed to meet a couple of ladies here, but we haven't seen them. Maybe they are hiding from us."
Or they could also be seeking refuge in a doorway or under a canopy until the rain stops, she said.
"Even if we didn't have umbrellas, what is a little rain?" she said. "I'm not sugar. We have walked up and down twice, browsed a little bit, and that is about it.
"I like to see what is new as far as vendors. But like I said, we are mainly here for the Embers. We want to shake our tail feathers a little bit and socialize a little bit and enjoy Saturday. We will probably get a little bit to eat later, maybe a funnel cake or something that we don't normally have."
Rena Swinson of Pikeville was enjoying a Philly cheesesteak as she walked back toward the main entertainment stage near the railroad tracks when the sun finally emerged, if only briefly.
"We are going to enjoy it now," she said. "We have a booth down by the railroad tracks -- St. James Disciples Church in Fremont. We stayed on.
"We prayed and asked the Lord to send sunshine, and He did just that."
Ms. Swinson said her church was selling barbecued turkey, cakes, pies and cookies as part of a fundraiser.
The crowd had remained good despite the rain, she said.
"Even when the kids were up on stage singing, we still had a crowd in front of the kids to help them," she said. "So it is enjoyable. The rain didn't seem to bother people. A lot of people are still here even though it rained."
First Missionary Baptist Church members were setting up their booth by 6 a.m. Saturday, and by the time the festival started at 11 a.m. the aroma from the large grill had people stopping by to see what was cooking.
"We have grilled chicken and the famous sauce," said the Rev. Dr. Ira Reynolds, pastor. "Once you eat it, you are hooked on it. You come back every year just for this chicken. Deacon Alvester Lewis, he has it. We won't tell me what is in it.