This week on The Filling Station, Mary Ann LeRay sits down with Emoni Burgess of the North Carolina Extension Jones County Center to preview this year's Jones County Heritage Festival. Emoni has spent six years with Extension, moving from the Jacksonville office into a dual role serving Jones County, and she's one of the driving forces behind planning this milestone 17th year of the festival.
The two dig into what's new. Friday night is shifting away from the traditional concert toward a family fun night, with a free movie, putt-putt, food vendors, a DJ, and line dancing. Saturday brings the festival's full lineup: a parade, heritage games like the hay toss and frying pan toss, food trucks, 4-H animal displays, and a brand-new free hayride out to a nearby field for picking pumpkins, sunflowers, and watermelons. Emoni also introduces two firsts for Jones County: a test-run farmer's market featuring local produce, eggs, meats, and baked goods, and a Kid Zone packed with hands-on history and agriculture exhibits.
Emoni's excitement is clear throughout the conversation. After six years with the county, she says this is the first year she's felt Jones County "heading towards big changes," and she credits the festival's growing committee and new subcommittees for making it all possible. She also shares details on this year's festival swag, a "Rooted in Jones County" bag priced at $10 and available at the Extension office while supplies last.
Whether you've been coming to the Heritage Festival for 17 years or you're planning your first visit, this episode has everything you need to know: dates, times, activities, and how to stay connected. As Emoni puts it, community events like this only continue when the community shows up to support them.