Seafood enthusiasts have whale of a time
MOREHEAD CITY — Even before the streets officially opened at 10 a.m. Saturday, visitors were streaming into the 25th annual N.C. Seafood Festival.
And who could blame them? Saturday’s weather was a perfect mix of cool temperatures, light winds and cloudless skies — a perfect backdrop for the 200,000 visitors expected to pass through this weekend.
The festival continues today from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with vendors selling local seafood, chefs competing for best crab cake and unlimited midway rides for $25.
Friday marked the first time in the festival’s history that streets opened at noon, giving visitors and vendors an extra day for fun and fundraising.
Pastor Mark Woods of Cherry Point United Methodist Church said crowds around lunchtime Friday were “decent” and that he expected them to pick up as the day went on.
Mr. Woods said the Seafood Festival is the church’s biggest fundraiser, and that the early Friday opening may make it even bigger.
“We’re hoping to raise more money this year,” he said.
Next door at the St. Egbert Catholic School booth, parents and other volunteers were sautéing shrimp for Cajun shrimp pitas.
Lisa Tulevich, who has three children at St. Egbert, is in charge of the booth this year. She said the early Friday opening was great, but she had to make sure she had the extra volunteers lined up.
Veronica Newton and her mother, both of Fountain, used the early opening time to their advantage. The fresh seafood and atmosphere brought the two into town Friday, but they couldn’t avoid Saturday’s bustling crowds.
“We planned to come down earlier this week,” Ms. Newton said. “The earlier, the better.”
Friday night, Gov. Bev Perdue made a stop by the festival to speak at the opening ceremony.
After comments by N.C. Seafood Festival Chairman George Ballou, the governor recognized the festival board and director Stephanie McIntyre, who she called a “fabulous leader.”
“Thank God we have good weather; we’re expecting 200,000 people” she said. “Someone is going to be making some money.”
Gov. Perdue said commercial fishing is a $229 million industry and “a lot of it goes on off our coast.”
“This festival is a tribute (to that industry) in many ways,” she said.
And early Saturday morning, chefs and onlookers were preparing to celebrate that industry at Cooking With the Chefs.
Before 10 a.m., seats in the Chef’s Tent were filled with curious amateur cooks hoping to learn some new seafood recipes.
Sue Carter and Romaine Riddle of Raleigh were two of them.
“We like to cook and we like to eat,” Ms. Riddle said. “Maybe eat more than cook.”
Both women said they’d been to Cooking With the Chefs in previous years.
“I’m always interested in good recipes,” Ms. Carter said.
“Especially concerning seafood, because it isn’t my background,” Ms. Riddle added.
While the women were taking in some cooking lessons, their husbands were out fishing.
“We never know what we’re going to eat for dinner,” Ms. Riddle said, joking that the chef’s demonstrations helped her figure out what to do with the unknown fish her husband brought home.
Outside the Chef’s Tent, Sandra Kellum of Bettie was putting out pans of fresh shrimp over ice. She and her husband, Larry Kellum, represent Carteret Catch, and Ms. Kellum was selling the shrimp, which were fresh caught just the day before.
Ms. Kellum had 300 pounds of shrimp that her husband brought in.
“Hopefully most will sell,” she said. “Last year everyone wanted big shrimp, the year before they wanted small shrimp. It depends on the price.”
Ms. Kellum held up one of her head-on jumbo shrimp.
“People will take pictures of their kids holding a shrimp like this. Some of them have never seen something like it before,” she said. “Of course, some of the kids get grossed out.”
No one seemed grossed out by the various shrimp items available along the waterfront though.
From grilled shrimp kabobs to fried shrimp burgers, visitors were lining up for food early.
Katherine Beamon of Kinston was waiting for a fish sandwich and hand-cut fries from Mr. Wood’s booth, Cherry Point United Methodist Church.
“It’s good!” she said as she dug in.
Ms. Beamon said the vendors and their seafood offerings brought her and her husband to the coast for the festival.
Over by the midway, Mark and Lisa Conway and their young son, Matthew, were considering rides and food options.
“He’s looking forward to the rides,” Ms. Conway said, nodding at Matthew who said the maze was his favorite.
The family came to spend time together, and enjoy some good food too.
East of the vendors, rides and other attractions, the 228-foot-long yacht SeaFair sat docked at Portside Marina.
Eighteen county artists, 15 regional artists and several international ones were showing their work aboard the ship’s three gallery decks.
Photographer Miriam Sutton was manning a gallery she is sharing with painter Lisa Tuchek and jewelry artist Abigail Poray. All three are Beaufort residents.
Ms. Sutton said traffic Friday had been steady and it was interesting to see the different types of people touring the boat and galleries.
“I think to see this much variety is really neat for them,” she said, “That and the boat itself.
“To have that as your venue, the boat. Helps bring people, but once they’re in, the art is distracting them from the boat.”
Up on the top deck, Nancy Francis and her friends had finished touring galleries and were taking in the view. Ms. Francis is also from Beaufort, but most of the women with her were from across the state.
“I told them, ‘You must come at Seafood Festival time,” she said.
SeaFair was the group’s first stop on the waterfront. Ms. Francis said she likes how the boat brings art to the people.
“You can take in the beauty,” she said, gesturing to the view, “and the art enhances that.”
Barbara Heckman, also of Beaufort, said she was grateful for an opportunity “for culture.”
The group was headed down Evans Street next to take in the rest of what the N.C. Seafood Festival has to offer.
“For us it really was about the seafood festival,” Crystal Pierce said. “We came because she (Ms. Francis) has all the toys and a great place to live.”
TAYLOR MCCUNE
More information on the N.C. Seafood Festival is available at www.ncseafoodfestival.org.
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