Episode 14: Potato Fest 2026 with Debbie Malenfant

ECDI Director Debbie Malenfant returns for her second episode to give Izzy and David a look ahead at Elizabeth City's upcoming Potato Festival, May 15, 16, and 17. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Hello and welcome back to Voices of the Albemarle. I'm your host, Izzy Kelly Goss.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

And I'm David Prizer.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

And in a little bit, we'll be joined by Elizabeth City Downtown Incorporated director Debbie Mallenfont to talk about the Potato Festival coming to Elizabeth City May 15th through the 17th. We are not quite video yet, so no one can see, but I've warned my best little Miss Tater Todd outfit.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

What does not quite video mean? Does it mean we're kind of blurry?

SPEAKER_01 0:42

We're just almost there. It means we are not pursuing video for this particular recording.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Not quite, but you're not video. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Um, I'm wearing some overalls, a knit bandana with strawberries on it. Anyways, gas prices. Gas prices are crazy all over the country. Um, but I will say a lot of the gas prices in Elizabeth City have managed to stay$399 and below. But I did see this morning, 711 over by Walmart has hit$4.19 a gallon.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

They're$711 also probably they have that app that you can punch in and you get a discount. I don't know if it was a discount. That's true. I was doing that. It takes forever though. I'm hitting the numbers, just waiting up. I feel like I'm dialing a wrong number.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

I always have a hard time seeing their screen.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

I do too. I do too.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Yeah. And they're not the only one that has hit above four, though. Um the mobile over on Erringhouse and South Road Street, that one was at 409 this morning. This is all as of like seven o'clock this morning, so it could be different now.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

I realize I realize that that it's not easy. When you when you were paying 250 or whatever and all of a sudden it's four dollars. That that that's a hit.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

That is a hit.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

I'm saying yes because uh I'm I I I have re remembrances or recollections of living in California where it was literally six or seven dollars and it was like, what am I doing here? It's like crazy.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

But you gotta get gas.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

But that's see, that's the that's that's the point.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

It's unavoidable.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

That that's the point. I mean, you you we live in a life where you you don't I've gotta drive here, I've gotta drive there. So I don't know if it's at a point where people are curtailing what they're doing other than maybe maybe vacations. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Well, speaking of driving, students, staff, and faculty for ECPPS may no longer have to drive off site to get health care. Um, later this week, I will be covering the opening of a telehealth lab at Pasquatink County High School, which is a huge step for ECPPS to give students and staff better access to healthcare. It's a partnership with Sentera. They actually announced that at the back to school event um back in August of 2020.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Have you ever have you ever had an opportunity to use telehealth?

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Yeah, actually I have. It's it's really unique. Um it's not like a typical doctor's experience. Obviously, they can't reach through the screen and feel your lymph nodes on your throat, but I think I know that. But it is it is interesting.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

And turn and cough. Ha ha gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

It does make it a lot more accessible. Not everybody can drive to the doctor. Some people are too sick, or some people just don't have access. So, and you know, especially at Pasquatank County High School, Pasquatank is also right next to um Elizabeth City Middle School and I think Northside Elementary. So there's like a little trifecta of schools right there. So I think that's a really that's a really great starting point.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

So this is gonna allow students and teachers and staff to utilize that.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Okay, that's good. Good thing.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

Um, and other news, an article from the Associated Press, the uh the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, specifically lead researcher Ko Aramatsu, has discovered a, and this is a quote, thin, delicate atmosphere, end quote, around a tiny little icy planet. Um, it's about 300 miles beyond Pluto. That is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

It's very right next door to Pluto.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

It is right next door to Pluto. That's skip, jump, and a hop.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Now you realize you are talking about uh a country when I was a little kid. I used to watch the movies where they had the nine million foot tall turtle that was Are you talking about Godzilla? Yeah, yeah. No, the turtle, the turtle was was it Mothra or Rodan?

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Oh what was Mothra is a moth.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Okay. Well, okay. What is what was the turtle's name? I actually have that turtle, and I can't remember his name. Uh but it was a giant turtle, and the turtle was battling battling Godzilla, and so again, we're this the same country that that had that.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Just understand that that that they may be trying to fool you.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

I think and Gamera. Oh, oh, okay. That was our producer, Colt Swifer. That's right. So um is Pluto a a dwarf planet again these days, or is it just a star?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

I thought it was a Disney character.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Pluto's always a planet in my heart. Okay. But now I think we're gonna jump ahead and go ahead and meet with Debbie Malenfont. Welcome again to Voices of the Albemarle. We're now joined by Debbie Malenfont, director of ECDI. Debbie, thank you so much for joining us to talk about the potato festival. Thank you. Happy to be here. Such a great time of year. Uh, this year will be the 2026 Potato Festival, May 15th, 16th, and 17th. So just jumping right into it. Tell us what's new this year.

SPEAKER_03 6:13

New this year, we have uh we change a specialty event every year. Last year we had the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, yes, which was a very big hit. Um, and this year we have Wild Beals Racing Pig Show.

SPEAKER_04 6:30

Really?

SPEAKER_03 6:30

Yes, and um they may do racing ducks. Oh and uh depends on if the USDA will let them do that as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Where are they gonna race? Are they they have their own little track?

SPEAKER_03 6:44

They yes, they will bring their own track, and uh we will have them set up on the section of Airinghouse Street, kind of near where the chamber building is. I want to see that um in that block. So we'll have multiple shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That's and that schedule's on our website. I don't have the specific schedule memorized.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

What do ducks look like when they race?

SPEAKER_03 7:07

Waddle, waddle, waddle.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

I don't know how to give you an image of the show.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

I mean, how fast can a duck be?

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Uh I think ducks are pretty fast, yeah. Yes. I grew up out in Weeksville. We had quite a few ducks. They're actually pretty fast. They gotta be if they're gonna run away from the foxes we got around here.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Yeah, they can fly. Okay. Why would they want to run? They don't run away from foxes, they fly.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Pigs, goats, and possibly ducks.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Wow. Goats. I love goats.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

That sounds cool.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

And speaking of waddling, we're also gonna have a hot potato crawl. Absolutely. That's gonna start the day this airs, I think, May 11th. May 11th, we're hoping. So that's exciting. Just kind of run through what we can expect from that. Different potato foods or drinks?

SPEAKER_03 7:52

Both. Both both we're hoping. So last year was the first year we did the hot potato crawl because, you know, businesses being as busy as they are and they don't always have the ability to have a booth at the potato festival. Um, and you know, we we hem up the streets a little bit. So uh came up with the concept of the hot potato crawl. And it's very similar to the hot cocoa crawl. Right. So businesses come up with a concept or an idea around potato, and then we curate that and publish it. So we're still collecting the information. Um, but last year businesses came up with, you know, drinks, vodka, potato, um, french fried dishes. Uh, Kitchen Curiosity has a specialty potato peeler that they sell.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

So businesses will have various potato-oriented things. Is that what you're saying?

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Yes. Oh, cool. Yes. Some will be photo booths. Um, they they're they were very creative last year, and that is not limited to downtown businesses. It is open to businesses across the city.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Oh, that's awesome. Sounds tasty, and I'm excited for that. Um also this year, there's gonna be, did I read right? There's gonna be a stilt walker. You're going to have a stilt walk. And also a fire throwing show.

SPEAKER_03 9:17

That's so exciting. Farmer Spud will be wandering through the festival at very specific times on Saturday and Sunday. And Brie Phipps, who lives here locally and does fire performing, she performed at the Arts of the Avemarl.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

The gala under the big top.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Um, so we'll have her uh performing on Friday night and Saturday night.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

This is this is taking on a whole different complexion now. What I'm envisioning is pigs and ducks running around and people throwing fire and a guy walking around in stilts. This is this sounds really cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

I think that's what we've just discussed.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

This sounds really cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

It does sound really cool.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

In addition to all the cool other stuff.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Other things, yes. I think, yeah, I think we're also gonna see some classics, like you said, some of the other stuff. The little Miss Tater Tot, which I'm dressed to be Little Miss Tater Tot today. I listen, I participated when I was eight years old. It was the last year I could do it, and I did not win. Oh, I'm so sorry. That's okay. You know, um, what are you gonna do when you're up against a girl that uh giggles? Oh, yeah. That was my my downturn.

SPEAKER_04 10:28

Because you didn't hopefully it was a positive experience.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

No, I did have a lot of fun doing it. I think the all the little girls they all have fun. I got to cover it last year for the paper. It's just a fun event. They are so cute. There's I think two different age categories.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

We try to make it fun and make it fun for them and no pressure, you know, no serious question. Right. What's your favorite potato dish? And not to give away any of the questions ahead of time.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

We'll have everybody we'll have to see to see what they are asked this year. We don't we don't need anybody to to cheat. No, no questions ahead of time. Um, there is also another thing that I always find really fun is the golden potatoes. Are you guys gonna be doing that this year? Yes, David, do you know what that is?

SPEAKER_04 11:11

No, what is that?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

It's where they hide golden potatoes in different locations downtown the week prior to the festival. Yes. So that'll be is that this week?

SPEAKER_03 11:20

It'll start, it'll start, I think it'll start on either Saturday or Sunday. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

So what happens if I find a golden potato?

SPEAKER_03 11:29

You get to choose between uh a wristband, a ride wristband, uh-huh, or I think a t-shirt. Oh, cool. So you get a prize.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

Yes. People are people go crazy for it.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

That's neat.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Borderline obsessed about the golden potato, so much so that we have had people lying in wait for us to go out and hide. So we've had to become very sneaky and strategic as far as you know, who's hiding the potato. Because, you know, in the past it's always of course, I mean, centered out of MMT printers. Um, so people would sit and and watch people walking out the door and follow.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

And I lived right across the street from MMT last year. And I can't lie, I wasn't watching the door, but I was I was checking social media just to to see those hints, but I didn't find one.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

What was it? What was it like like during the evening hours and going out? Was it was it was it?

SPEAKER_01 12:27

It was well last year, and you know, from what I've seen, the weather is gonna be great this year, but last year it got a little windy.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Um that's right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Yes, yeah. But overall, it was fun. It was honestly really nice to be able to take a break in my apartment and still be able to listen to the music. There's always so much fun music. Is there are there gonna be any fan favorites returning this year?

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Um yes, there will be uh Bobby Plough, of course, Adam Nixon, uh GD Trotman. Um, I'm trying to think, go through the schedule. Uh, chairman of the board will be playing for the Saturday night street dance. Okay. Uh Sarah Jane McDonald, who's a Nashville award-winning country artist, will be uh performing on Friday night. We have a good balance of local, regional, and national.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

That's great. Something for everyone.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

There's also going to be the classic potato peeling contest and the tater, what is it, the tater trot 5K? Yes.

SPEAKER_04 13:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Um, and those will all, including the little Miss Tater Tot, those all take place on Saturday morning, right? Saturday morning, yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:40

The potato peeling is Saturday morning at 10 a.m. And that will be at the intersection of Water Street and Main Street. And the Little Miss Tater Tot starts at 10 at Mariner's Wharf near the main stage. Um, the 5K tater trot and 1K fun run uh are start at 8 o'clock on Saturday morning. So it gives time for people to get out and do their 5K and then come down to the festival.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

So let me ask the potatoes that are peeled during the contest, are those what go into the free French fries? Yes. Yes, okay. I thought I knew that correctly. So, David, you know there's free French fries on Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

I'm there.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

You're there? I'm I'm there every year.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

I was gonna come for the ducks, but I hey I'm I'm there for the free French fries.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

But the potatoes that they peel during the contest, they get chopped up and then fried and and served up.

SPEAKER_03 14:31

In addition to the other 1,200 pounds of the five. Well, yeah, 1600 pounds, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

1600 pounds of potatoes go into those French fries. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

Yeah, people love the free French fries.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

They do. It's such a great thing to have, I think. It really makes it enjoyable for everyone.

SPEAKER_03 14:47

And yeah, that starts at when the when the festival opens on Saturday morning, starts at 10 o'clock, and um that will go until we run out of potatoes, which is usually two-ish, two thirty.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

Yeah, two thirty. Yeah. Yeah. So you gotta get there early. Get there quick. That line gets long sometimes. It does, but it's well worth it. And you know, the festival had to shut down for two years, 2020 and 2021, because of COVID. Do you feel like that had an impact on the festival's growth and like how much attendance the festival sees every year since then?

SPEAKER_03 15:23

It feels like it, yes. Um, I will say that when we had the festival after COVID, it was one of the biggest festivals we've had.

SPEAKER_04 15:32

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 15:33

Um, and um last year, of course, the numbers were a little skewed because we had that squall come in on Saturday. Was it Friday night or Saturday night? I think it was Saturday night. Was it I thought it was Friday night for some reason. I don't know, I try to block that out of my mind. But it's understandable. You know, the festival is very much weather dependent. Um, people will come out if it is overcast, but if it's forecast to be rain, they typically won't. But it's nice to have a little balance of some cloud cover as well as the you know, beautiful sky because it can get a little hot out there as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

I think the weather's supposed to be pretty nice. Wonderful. I'm looking at the forecast right now, a little overcast, no higher than 76 degrees. That's ideal potato festival weather. Perfect potato festival weather.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Yeah, uh I guess I should know this. How long has a potato festival been going on?

SPEAKER_03 16:29

It started uh in 1940 and went until 1970.

SPEAKER_04 16:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

And then there was a break of about 30 years, and then it started back in 2001.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

And um has been going steady since then, except for 22-year-old COVID break. Now, originally it was the Potato Association who hosted and held the event. Um, and I can't remember what year Elizabeth City Downtown uh took it over.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

2009, maybe? Because the General Assembly officially declared it the North Carolina Potato Festival. I love to do research for all of us.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

And I think it was this was this is how dumb I am. This is the first year I actually caught on that people tagged North Carolina Potato Festival. I wasn't cognizant of that. I just let it go by their potato festival.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Because it's our state vegetable.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

I know, but I expected to see the Elizabeth City Potato Festival, but it's not. It's the North Carolina Potato.

SPEAKER_03 17:41

It is officially law, the North Carolina Potato Festival, and the potato peeling competition is the national potato peeling. I actually did not know that. Wow. Yes. I mean, it hasn't been designated by any legal body, but it is, you know, for a while we were the only potato peeling competition, but I know that um I've gotten calls from Canada and the Midwest, people um creating their own potato peeling competition.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

Wow. So we are on the frontier of potato peeling contests.

SPEAKER_04 18:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

And, you know, I feel like that's always been a staple for as long as I can remember. I remember when I was a kid, and basically it was just some vendors on Main Street, free French fries, Little Miss Tater Tot, which we all know I competed.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Um and you were scarred for life.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

No, I wasn't scarred. Okay. I practiced my answers very hard. I was very professional and poised, but I don't think this is when they had the age gap split, if I'm remembering correctly. So I think I lost out to a girl that was like four years younger than me, but like could still speak in full sentences and giggled during her answers. I feel like there still.

SPEAKER_03 18:57

No, I'm not there. Wherever that little giggly girl is, I hope she has a wonderful life. I feel like you have a potato chip on your shoulder about that.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

That's why I wore this outfit today. I'm hoping I can get an honorary crown. Um, no, but it's changed so much since I was a kid. The Daily Advance, that was always my favorite booth, is I go and throw the newspaper through the house. And I love to do that. And then just like walk around with my family, their car show. There will be that again this year. That's a classic. Yep. Pun unintended. Um, but I feel like there has been so much change. What do you feel like was really like the catalyst for that change? It's been there's been a lot.

SPEAKER_03 19:41

There's been a lot. Every year we try to get get better. I'm not gonna say bigger and better because bigger is not always better, right? Uh, but more focused um and you know, listening more to the community as far as what they would like to see. Um, it I think there were two, two major catalysts. Uh, one was going from a one-day event to a three-day event, and that enabled us to bring in the uh Degler amusements with the rides and the midway and the carnival, you know, kind of country, country fair kind of feel. All the games. Yeah, and and those two things I think stepped it up significantly. Um, and and expanding on the focus on the music. So it's kind of a combination of uh country fair, uh music festival, and celebration of our agricultural heritage, as well as you know, artisan and vendor fair, and people love the the food element. We've added a few more food vendors this year because food is good always.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

Have you ever um been able to determine how far away people are coming for this? I mean, I I know it's a local and a regional type of thing, but you know, is there any any information that you would have that so-and-so came from South Carolina or Tennessee, whatever? I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

We have had people come up from Florida for the festival that we know of, but it's like you said, it's it's more local regional. So North Carolina, Virginia, some from South Carolina, but pretty much maybe Greensboro, Winston, Eastward.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Um when I was doing my research, there was a Miss Potato Festival, I think, in the original run. And apparently girls would compete in this pageant from like eight to eleven different counties in the area. So it definitely is the North Carolina Potato Festival. I definitely think we see we definitely see people coming from a long way.

unknown 21:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:50

A couple weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, I interviewed um Doris Nixon, who lives in Camden now, and she Was the first potato queen for the potato festival in the 50s. Oh my gosh. And um it was interesting to learn that the first uh, you know, in the beginning, the potato queen wasn't, it wasn't a pageant. Okay. It was a um cooking competition. So a recipe competition. So she came to came up with a a recipe that won the recipe contest and she was named the potato festival queen that year. How very interesting conversation.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

You know, did she tell you whether or not the dishes were like potato-based? Did they have to be they had to be potatoes?

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Did she tell you what her recipe was? She did. I have it on my phone. Hold on one second while I look for that. If you want to chat about something else, I'll oh David, what's your favorite potato dish?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Oh, I just I'm pretty boring. I bake potatoes and I I don't even like to put all that stuff in it anymore. You know, just you just like the potato. I honestly do. I honestly do. I think it's it's great vitamin C. It's it's there's a lot of vitamins in it. It's really good.

SPEAKER_03 23:09

Do you bake them traditional style in the oven or do you microwave them? Because there's a whole difference in taste. Microwave.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

But I'm lazy. You start the barbecue, wrap it in foil, and just throw it in there.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

Yeah, and that's an amazing baked potato, yeah, for sure. So her dish was mashed potatoes with cheese, tomato, and breadcrumbs.

SPEAKER_04 23:31

Tomato.

SPEAKER_03 23:31

Yes. That sounds good. And she said what won the competition was the presentation, how she actually presented it.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

That might be my favorite potato dish if I were to try it. That sounds really good, actually.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Can I can I ask you something serious now? Oh, I've been in other other town towns. The Potato Festival ranks up there with any of the festivals that I've seen. And I'm not going to mention where these towns are because there's no that's not trying to compete one and the other, but I always hear about we're going to get bigger and we're going to spread it out, or we're going to do this, we're going to do that. Um during the years, what kind of adjustments have you had to make or have you made to accommodate some of the wishes and desires? And where do you see that going? Can it get bigger? I mean, this is a two-part thing. I mean, it is it it's it can get better. It can always get better, I guess, but it's tough to get bigger. What so what has happened over the past 10 years as far as the development of it?

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Um, well, like I said, you know, when it first started, it was a one-day festival and now it's a three-day festival. And probably over the last five or six years, uh, we've we've we've condensed it a little more instead of it being so spread out. Um, we used to go all the way down Main Street to Road Street, and we would have vendors um for the two or three blocks uh all the way to uh what is now Harbor Pharmacy at MLK. And then beyond that would be the car show. And in the last couple of years, what we've done is we've kind of rotated it. So we've pulled it closer to Water Street. So we have um more of a straight shot for people because people were are visual. I mean, they see a straight shot and they'll walk. They won't always turn a corner. So people would look down Main Street and wouldn't always walk down there to visit with the vendors or the car show. So we've condensed that section of it. So we have a few vendors in the first block of Main Street to the first bump out, about to where Kitchen Curiosities is and to the entrance of Recycled Reader. And then the car show starts there and is in front of Arts of the Album. We're all in two souls, um, and goes down to about McMoran, maybe a little beyond, depending on how many cars we have. Um and then um we've added a Jeep show on Sunday to make sure that we have something in that section, but we've expanded what we have on the little one-block area of Airinghouse Street because that's a wider street. So we've almost kind of rotated it around, pulling it off of Main Street, and that opens up the ability for people to get down to Main Street and park a little bit closer to the business um segment so they can get to the restaurants um on foot a little easier than having to, you know, section off all of Main Street.

SPEAKER_04 26:37

Cool.

SPEAKER_03 26:37

Um, we've added um some more local food vendors as as that industry has grown because you know the food truck industry has grown quite a bit here in Elizabeth City. Um and um uh key focus on the music. We used one big thing, I swear. Um, we used to have the beer and wine garden at the intersection of Main Street and Water Street on the black top of the street. Um and it was so hot. It was so hot. So we'd have our stage there, and so we've put the stage now at Mannersworth Park, kind of in the parking lot, so people can sit on the green. And that's the the um the watch area. You know, people can sit on the green, bring their chairs, it's a lot more comfortable.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

And there's still that little area of blacktop. People dance out there, and that's it's pretty fun to watch. Yeah, especially the kids. I feel like a lot of kids, those are your main dancers at festivals like that. They have no shame. They love to get out there.

SPEAKER_03 27:49

And we're working on trying to improve the actual stage. We br we rent a stage and bring in for the potato festival, but we're working on a project now to put a stage where the current um performance area is at Mariners Wharf Park, the smaller flat area. We're working on putting a stage there in uh ECDI, our office, which was in that building. Um, we have moved out and uh we'll be opening the concession stand for the first time for the potato festival. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01 28:21

Oh, I didn't know it was gonna open so soon. That's exciting.

SPEAKER_03 28:24

Well, we're hoping we're we're down to the wire. We're still doing some final punch list things and getting the equipment in there, but that's our goal is to serve out of the concession stand rather than having to um, you know, roll in and have everything under the shade structure. So that'll open that area a little more for um for you know people to hang out there.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

That's really exciting. Wow. Lots of great things happening. And I think you guys are you are going to start on that stage at Mariner's Wharf before too long here. I think sometime in this coming fiscal year.

SPEAKER_03 29:00

Is that right? We are we are in the design phase. Um, we're tweaking the design and we are um getting ready to get pricing and um see where we are money-wise to see if we have to raise some or if we're able to to cover it. So hopefully in 2027. What month is this? Maybe this is May of 26. And the 26, 27 fiscal year. Right. That is the goal.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Exciting. So I guess we'll see that as a change for the potato festival before too long. I hope so. I hope so. Well, I for one am very excited for the potato festival.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

I am too. Um the potato festival is very, very important to the city. There's so much so many other things going on, but it's very important. Uh you don't need to hear this from me. I'm not the one that should say it. But I just wanted to thank you for all that you that you that you do for the potato festival and for the for the city, because it's you continue to do it, and it's and it's hard to continue to do it, and you've you've you've continued to grow it, and I'm looking forward to the potato festival, and here I am. I'm I'm a grown man and I'm gonna watch the ducks and the potato festival has no age, and that's the beauty of it.

SPEAKER_03 30:24

Yeah, there is some there's literally something. Something for every age, yeah. Yeah. So I have to say thank you for saying that. Um I am I am you know part of the process. I'm a kind of the figurehead, and I get all the thanks, but there is a strong team of core people who've been working on it uh for many years. You know, Tim and Cindy Williams were co-chairs, and um, I don't want to name names, but there's a whole crew, and then the city folks and the county folks that step in to help us. Um, so this year's festival is in honor of Cindy Williams, who uh recently passed, and she was she was the uh key person that kept the festival going.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

Absolutely, she was. Well, we will definitely have to celebrate her her good work this year. And I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you so much for coming and telling us all about it.

SPEAKER_03 31:21

Awesome. And ncpotatofestival.com has for all the times for the schedule and the times, and um there's there's so much. There's so much.

SPEAKER_01 31:33

Well, I will be there hopefully all three days.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

And we'll be covering it in the daily advance and days to come.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

Thank you for your partnership.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

You have been great marketing and we we love it. We love it.

SPEAKER_01 31:45

Thank you again to all of our listeners, and thank you to Debbie for joining us. Everybody, make sure you check out the Potato Festival, downtown Elizabeth City, May 15th, 16th, and 17th. And I'm looking forward to the potato crawl starting on May 11th.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

That'd be spectacular. Spectacular.