Celebrating 250 Years

 

COMMEMORATIVE 2010 TARBORO CALENDARS ARE ON SALE NOW -- $10   - LIMITED SUPPLY AVAILABLE.  PROCEEDS GO TO FUND TARBORO'S 250TH CELEBRATION EVENTS.  TO PURCHASE ONE OF THESE GREAT CALENDARS, CALL TROY LEWIS, TOWN PLANNER, 252-641-4249.

Tarboro celebrates its 250th birthday in 2010 and a series of special events are being planned in conjunction with the Celebration Year.

An opening ceremony took place on January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,  in downtown Tarboro.  Children, parents and other interested citizens  gathered on the corner of St. John St. and Main St. to participate in a gala parade with masks and giant puppets.  The parade, led by Paperhand Puppet Intervention,  began at 2 p.m. and ended at the corner of Main and Church Street where the 1999 Flood waters stopped. A plaque commemorating that event was dedicated and entertainment by blues musician George Higgs  provided for the public.  The Paperhand Group and Mr. Higgs' music were provided by support from the Edgecombe County Cultural Arts Council with funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the N.C. Arts Council, a state agency.

A poetry contest for Edgecombe County children ages 5-10 is being jointly sponsored by the 250th Celebration Committee and Edgecombe County Memorial Library.  Children have until March 12 to submit their poems to the Brian Everett at the Library.  The winner of a $50 cash prize will be announced on March 19.  The winner will be recognized at a tree planting ceremony at the Library at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 27. Contest rules are available at the public elementary schools throughout the County and also at the Library.

Tarboro's Annual Easter Baseball Classic, sponsored by the Town of Tarboro and the Tarboro Athletic Booster Club, will take place April 7-9 at Municipal Stadium. The Town will also co-sponsor with Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church the Movin' for Community Outreach 5k Race on April 3.  Local and regional runners turn out for this annual event which takes place in Tarboro's Historic District and Downtown.  Parents run with their children and everybody has a good time.

A book signing and lecture by David Hursh will take place April 8 at 7 p.m. at Edgecombe County Memorial Library.  Mr. Hursh is co-author of Good Medicine and Good Music, A Biography of Mrs. Joe Person, Patent Remedy Entrepreneur Musician.  The program is being sponsored by The Perry-Weston Institute.

The John Cherry Memorial Rockfish Rodeo/Festival sponsored by the Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsmen and co-sponsored by the Town is scheduled for April 24.

The 39th Annual Happening on the Town Common is always a big crowd pleaser and 2010 will be no exception.  Crafters, food vendors, face painters and plenty of live entertainment will be on hand.  Saturday, May 15th is the date.  

The annual Fireworks display put on by the Town of Tarboro will take place on the fabulous Fourth of July.

In the late summer, The Perry Weston Institute will publish an essay "African American Neighborhoods in Tarboro: Water Street, East Tarboro, Keechtown, and The Depot" by noted Tarboro historian C. Rudolph Knight.

September will be a big month for the 250th Celebration Year featuring an art exhibition " Tarboro  Paints the Town" by the original members of the Tarboro Artist Guild. The 3rd Annual "Music for Everyone" Concert sponsored by the Edgecombe County Veterans' Museum is planned for September 11, 2010.

September 25 will be a really Big Day - The Town's 250th Birthday Party on the Town Common, beginning at 3 p.m., combined with History Day Activities at the Blount-Bridgers House, a flag raising ceremony at the Veterans' Memorial on the western end of the Town Common and the Edgecombe Garden Club Annual Tour of Homes.  No one will want to miss these exciting festivities.  The "SQC Jamboree" (that's semiquincentennial), beginning at 3 p.m., will feature live music by "Trainwreck", entertainment for the children, cake and lemonade.  Bring your lawn chair, a blanket and a picnic supper and plan to stay a while.

On November 7 the Edgecombe Community Chorus will present a multimedia concert in Keihin Auditorium featuring Tarboro history and video interspersed with songs from the last 250 years. Free to the public, this performance will feature our community's most talented singers and actors.  A great collection of talent!

Our 250th Celebration Year will end with a closing ceremony on November 30, 2010 and the annual Tarboro Christmas Parade on December 12th.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF THE DONORS 

WHO ARE MAKING THESE 250TH CELEBRATION EVENTS POSSIBLE!