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By Abby Cavenaugh
Duplin Journal
For the first time this year, Wallace’s premier event, the Carolina Strawberry Festival, will kick off a week early, with the Garden Gala on Saturday, April 27, from 1-6 p.m.
The gala, a formal party, will be hosted by the Gardens at Johnson Nursery. The Gardens are located about 10 minutes from Wallace, at 985 Johnson Nursery Road in Willard.
“We are modeling this event after the Azalea Festival Garden Party,” former Wallace Mayor and president of the Carolina Strawberry Festival board, Charley Farrior told the Wallace Town Council at the March 14 meeting.
Because the Carolina Strawberry Festival draws about 15,000 people to town, Farrior said the organizers decided to add the new event to kick off the festival a week early.
The Gardens are a perfect location for the gala, he said. “Things are starting to bloom in the Gardens,” Farrior said, “and by April 27 they’ll be in full bloom, so it’s something you don’t want to miss.”
Musical entertainment for the Garden Gala will be provided by The Catalinas, known mostly for beach music. The band will perform a wide range of hits, though, and are sure to get folks on the dance floor.
There will be a red carpet with a specially curated Carolina Strawberry Festival backdrop for photos so attendees can feel their own few minutes of fame.
The gala will include a variety of beverages (two complimentary for VIPs) “from the best drink maestros in town,” according to the website, carolinastrawberrygardengala.com.
There’ll be plenty of food available as well, “from a smorgasbord of vendors, ranging from food trucks to sizzling wood-fired, brick oven pizzas,” the website says.
“This inaugural kick-off event promises an enjoyable experience with food, drinks, music, and an opportunity to explore the beautiful Gardens,” said Kristyn Padgett, who handles advertising and social media for the festival.
VIP tickets are $75 each, and include access to the exclusive VIP tent, two complimentary drinks, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, Strawberry Festival T-shirt and koozie, and Calibrachoa Superbells Strawberry Punch plant from Proven Winners. General admission tickets are $35, and include one complimentary drink, a Strawberry Festival koozie and Calibrachoa Superbells Strawberry Punch plant from Proven Winners.
After the Garden Gala wraps up at 6 p.m., there will be an official after-party at Mad Boar Restaurant & Pub. “Delight in delicious bites, groove to the lively tunes of The ‘B’ Side, a honky-tonk band, and create unforgettable memories throughout the night,” the Garden Gala website reads. The “B” Sides will be performing from 8-11 p.m.
For more on the Garden Gala, visit carolinastrawberrygardengala.com.
Of course, after the Garden Gala, there will be the Carolina Strawberry Festival itself, in downtown Wallace on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4.
This year, Funtime Amusements will return with rides, and Ed’s Dinosaurs will return with its dinosaur show, which is always popular with the kids.
Friday night, the North Tower Band and the Band of Oz will perform on the Main Stage, while Saturday will have performances by Rivermist and The Tams.
There’ll be the recipe contest, corn hole tournament, pageant, and official T-shirts for sale featuring the festival’s original artwork, designed by Wallace-Rose Hill High School student Ashley Yanez.
The Wallace Fire Department will host its barbecue cook-off contest again this year on Saturday, with area departments competing for the champion title. After the cook-off, barbecue sandwiches will be sold by the Wallace-Rose Hill Booster Club.
The festival is also partnering with Wallace Parks and Recreation this year on the 5K run, with 100% of the profits are going toward the inclusive playground that’s going to be built at Clement Park. The 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run will start and finish at Clement Park.
The festival will include more than 40 vendors lining the streets of downtown Wallace on Saturday.
“There will be lots to eat, lots to see and do,” Farrior said. “And it goes without saying, there will be lots and lots of strawberries — we have strawberry jam, strawberry ice cream, strawberry shortcake, strawberry butter.”
For more on the 2024 Carolina Strawberry Festival, visit the festival’s Facebook page or http://carolinastrawberryfestival.com .