09/02/18 — N.C. Poultry Festival returns

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N.C. Poultry Festival returns

By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on September 2, 2018 3:33 PM

It's time again to celebrate our feathered friends, as the N.C. Poultry Festival returns to downtown Goldsboro Saturday.

A week of avian attractions precedes the main festival. This year, it kicks off with a beer run at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Well-Travelled Beer, where participants will take a run around downtown Goldsboro before enjoying a pint and a free Bojangles gift card.

The following day, the Chicken Chase 5K takes place at the Bryan Multisports Complex at 501 S. Oak Forest Road, where entrants run through land leased from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Thursday's schedule has had a late addition as the city's Center Street Jam summer music series will hold an extra show at 6 p.m. on Thursday featuring Jupiter Jones. The show makes up for one of the Center Street Jam concerts canceled due to rain over the summer, resulting in the celebration getting a bit of musical flair to go along with its regularly scheduled events.

That same day, the annual Fowl Play attorneys v.s. doctors softball game kicks off at the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County at 6:30 p.m., followed by a night of turkey trivia at Goldsboro Brew Works starting at 7:30 p.m.

Come Friday, the day before the festival is set to begin, people can head down to Conerstone Commons for the "Food Cluck Rodeo," a food truck gathering scheduled to run from 6 to 9 p.m. During that time, you can enjoy the sounds of Journey tribute band Trial by Fire and watch the Wayne County Cruisers car club get their classic vehicles in position for the festival's car show the next day.

While the festival does begin Saturday, early birds can attend the Titan Up 5K at the Wayne School of Engineering at 8 a.m. Registration for the 5K costs $35.

Finally, come 10 a.m. Saturday, the festivities will commence in full. In addition to the familiar food and entertainment, including a kids zone and the cruisers' car show, the festival will include several new attractions this year. Helicopter rides and a beer garden are among the event's new highlights, joining the classic Pig in the Park barbecue contest and and Arts Council of Wayne County Peep Show.

Of course, no festival would be complete without music, and this year's event brings that in spades. Country music star Jerrod Niemann will headline the event at 5 p.m., preceded by free concerts from Diggerfoot, Hip Pocket and the Mikele Bunk Band beginning at 11 a.m.

Officials said that last year's festival brought in an estimated 12,000 visitors across the week's celebration and the festival day itself. Festival officials are aiming for even higher this year with the intent always to match or exceed the previous year's numbers. This year the projections are for up to 15,000 people attending.

The festival is free to attend as always, but VIP packages are available for $30. This option allows festivalgoers access to free food and drinks, exclusive bathroom facilities and special seating. Tickets must be purchased by Monday online at ncpoultryfestival. org. Those who purchase a VIP package will be entered Monday into a drawing for an exclusive meet and greet with Jerrod Niemann before his show.