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A different Shop, Dine way to receive & Stroll Friday, May 4, from 8 to 5 p.m. updates at this Downtown Kinston Locals and visitors will have the chance to shop, dine and stroll year’s BBQ Fest on downtown Kinston on the Friday before the BBQ Fest on the Neuse. While vendors are setting up the the Neuse! festival we will highlight downtown on Friday by offering you the chance ou can always go the BBQ Fest on the Neuse to shop and dine within the festival Facebook page for festival updates. You can area. Downtown merchants will offer look at posters throughout downtown and special shopping and dining events read about it in the paper as well. But now, and discounts. Register that Friday at participating downtown locations to you can simply text KINSTONBBQ to 797979 win prizes and gift cards donated by Yfor the latest news and updates before and during the local businesses. festival. We’re expecting our largest crowd ever and don’t want you to miss out! YP Fun Run On May 4 and 5, 2018, in Downtown Kinston you will experience delicious eastern NC BBQ, food competitions, shopping, arts and Saturday, May 5, at crafts, a wine and vodka garden, children’s activities, live music & 8:30 a.m. much more! We are putting the final touches together for the 40,000+ Downtown Kinston crowd event, so stay tuned for schedule updates, band announcements, Join the Young and more at @BBQFestival on Facebook! And in your texts! Professionals of Lenoir County for the inaugural YP Fun Run before the BBQ Fest on the Neuse begins on Saturday. It is $15 for a single-rate run and $25 for a family-rate run. To register for the A new view at the Historic race, see times and location, and view is here sizes for the YP Fun Run t-shirt, go to bbqfestivalontheneuse.com. Down East Wood Ducks fans have Major League watched their local team play America’s team BBQ Fest on past time for over a year at the Historic Grainger Stadium. They’ve cheered on met almost two the Neuse the DEWDs and drank beer from the years ago to Friday and stands beyond home plate, but now they discuss having Saturday, May 4-5 can view the fast pitches, the powerful a Minor League Award winning hits and the crowd-standing homeruns team in Kinston. festival in Downtown from beyond outfield. They will be able That idea came Kinston. Largest whole hog BBQ cook- to drink Mother Earth Brewery beer to fruition in off in the Nation! Chopped BBQ, Beer, from the new hospitality area as well. early 2017 when Wine, Arts and Crafts, Entertainment, The community gathered Thursday, April the Historic and so much more! 12, at Grainger Stadium to celebrate Grainger the new “view” from the Mother Earth Stadium hosted Pavilion with a ribbon cutting. Over 100 the Down East “There will be Ribbon Cutting with people filled the second floor of the Wood Ducks. Later in 2017, plans for beers here that Inside Scoop beautiful pavilion to watch Mother Earth the hospitality area – the Mother Earth probably won’t Brewery co-owners Stephen Hill and Pavilion – began to form. “This is the be anywhere Thursday, May 17, at 11 a.m. Trent Mooring, Wood Ducks General Mother Earth Pavilion,” Howell said. “I else in the state.” 222 N. Herritage Street Manager Wade Howell and Mayor Don really appreciate the partnership with Mooring shared D. Hardy cut the ribbon. “Probably, a year Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring.” Hill his excitement Ribbon Cutting with and half ago, when the Texas Rangers and Mooring stood before the crowd to to see the final product of the pavilion. Andover Park started talking about coming to Kinston talk about beer, the pavilion and Kinston. “What it adds to the beautiful Grainger with the team, a hospitality area was “We are very excited to have this pavilion Stadium that we already have is just Thursday, May 24, at 11 a.m. monumental for our city.” already being talked about,” Howell said. and have all our beer here,” Hill said. 2127 Daly Waldrop Road

A path of stories leads the community to the StoryWalk at Pearson Park PRESIDENT’S CLUB These members choose to make a championed early education,” Director higher-level financial investment in of Partnership for Children of Lenoir the Chamber. The support of these and Greene Counties Edward Chisolm businesses helps the Chamber said. “And early literacy is certainly a realize its vision. part of that.” Chisolm informed the crowd that over 30% of children in GOLD LEVEL MEMBERS: do not read at their Corporate Resources grade level. “And we all know that Down East Protection from birth to third grade, they learn to Systems read,” he said. Families around Lenoir The Free Press County are now able to take their UNC Lenoir Health Care children to Pearson Park where they SILVER LEVEL MEMBERS: will learn to read at their grade level. Allstate – Chris Humphrey StoryWalk is a fun, educational activity Agency that places a children’s storybook BB&T along the walking path and helps Charles Hughes Construction them to continue to grow in the world Cherry Energy Semaj, 4, held his mother Coretta’s Partnership for Children of Lenoir and of literacy. “Literacy is not just about City of Kinston hand as they and Semaj’s sister Green Counties’ StoryWalk. “What did literacy,” Chilsolm said in closing. “What Coastal Connections Madison, 4, walked down the curvy you see?” they read again. A crowd of we’re doing and what you’re doing as Marketing path of StoryWalk. Semaj stopped at community leaders and organizations supporters, you are ambassadors and Copy Pro Inc. one of several posts along the bank gathered at Pearson Park Thursday, champions of the StoryWalk which Down East Wood Ducks of Neuse River that displayed simple April 19, to watch StoryWalk cut the is a foundational piece. It is about a Duke Energy sentences for Semaj, Madison and ribbon and to see children grow in movement that will take us to the next First Citizens Bank other children to read. “I went walking,” the world of literacy. “For the past 24 level not only for this generation but Harvey Fertilizer & Gas children read out loud from the years, the Partnership for Children has for future generations.” Herritage Elite Estate Infinity Network Services Kinston Public Services/ ElectriCities Lenoir Community College LIB Graphic Solutions/Lions Chamber Legislators visit Kinston to Industries for the Blind Members show inform community about Minges Bottling Group, Inc. their support for local matters Perry Management, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems the Down East Sen. Louis Pate, Sen. Don Davis, Rep. John Wells Fargo Wood Ducks Bell and Rep. George Graham informed the West Pharmaceutical community Thursday, April 12, during the With blue wristbands on Services, Inc. Chamber’s Wake-Up Lenoir breakfast about and game-ticket stubs in WoodmenLife their pockets, Chamber the upcoming 2018 short session. They spoke Members walked up about the urban and rural divide, flooding and Kinston-Lenoir County to the second floor of the aftermath from Hurricane Matthew, the Chamber of Commerce the new Mother Earth opioid crisis, and state employment. “Lenoir 301 N. Queen Street Pavilion for Business After Hours. It wasn’t a usual BAH with a County is a great county. It will continue, but Kinston, NC 28502 50/50 raffle and a speech from a Chamber business host. It was we have to work together,” Rep. Graham said. P.O. Box 157 unique with a chance to watch the Down East Wood Ducks play Thank you to The Exchange at Hometowne for Phone: 252-527-1131 ball from a different location, drink Mother Earth Brewery beer allowing the community and state legislators Fax: 252-527-1914 and eat tacos Tuesday, April 17, at the Historic Grainger Stadium. to meet and to Nana’s Catering for the amazing Email: [email protected] Every wooden high table on the second floor was full of Chamber breakfast! We would also like to thank the www.kinstonchamber.com Members laughing, networking, and talking about their local Down Wake-Up Lenoir sponsors: Sale Auto Mall, the www.facebook.com/ East Wood Ducks. We at the Chamber want to thank our members City of Kinston, Rob House, ERA Kinston Realty kinstonchamber for showing their support for the DEWDs! Group and Curtis Media Group.