Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen needs a big calendar, but she may wish she had an even bigger one especially for fall, given all the events that take place across the county between September and the end of the year.
“We are in full swing for (the) fall season,” she told John C. Rose on Thursday’s TownTalk. From pumpkin farms and corn mazes, downtown trick-or-treating to a concert in support of bees, there truly is something for everyone packed in to a short time frame.
Dixon Farms, located just beyond the Granville County Expo Center on Highway 15 South, is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A ticket gets you a pumpkin of your choice, not to mention access to all kinds of fun outdoor activities for the youngsters – a petting zoo, corn maze and tractor rides, just to name a few.
Dixon Farms announces their fall festival will take place this Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 10 a.m.
A little further down in the southern part of the county, William Lyon opens his pumpkin patch on Saturdays and Sundays (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for folks to find the perfect pumpkin, as well as take part in a hay ride and navigate a corn maze. Lyon’s farm is located at 1563 Will Suitt Rd., Creedmoor.
For those who want a little nighttime adventure should drive over to the Granville Haunt Farm, where Grey Blackwell has assembled ghosts and ghouls – benevolent and otherwise – to entertain carloads of folks who drive through.
On Friday and Saturday evenings in October, you can “get a little scare on,” Allen said. This popular destination features scenes from iconic Halloween movies – scary ones and not-so-scary ones, she noted. “It really is a great mixed bag,” she said.
Bonus: The Haunt Farm will be open on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31 to thrill, frighten and entertain.
The star of the Halloween season for many youngsters is trick-or-treating, and families can visit participating downtown retailers in Oxford for their “Spooktacular” between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Downtown Creedmoor merchants will sponsor their trick-or-treating event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Butner’s Covenant Life Church will be at Butner Athletic Park for a trunk-or-treat from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where folks can get free kettle corn, cotton candy and hot drinks as they enjoy the various decorated trunks that will fill up the parking lot.
A new event called Bees and Boos will take place at Highrock Farm on Enon Road outside Oxford. The Granville County Beekeepers’ Association is hosting this event, which will be held in two parts – a family fun festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then “a flat-out costume party beginning at 6 p.m. The fun festival is free, and will feature a variety of vendors and a lot of honey-based products, among other activities.
The costume party is a ticketed event and will include a concert by rising Nashville musician Zach Top. Visit https://fb.me/e/2WZSRGiOm to purchase tickets or find the Granville County Beekeepers Association on social media.
Allen said if you’ve always wanted to try mead, honey beer or experience a candy apple bar, this is the event to check all the boxes.
If you have any energy left when October’s events are completed, join the
Granville County Chamber of Commerce for the annual “Cluck ‘N Shuck” seafood extravaganza on Nov. 4 at the Granville County Expo Center. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling the Chamber office at 919.693.6125 or online at https://granville-chamber.com/
The next day, Saturday, Nov. 5 marks the Creedmoor City Golf Championship at South Granville Country Club. This event begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start. The SGCC is partnering with Creedmoor Parks and Recreation and will max out at 80 golfers. Registration is $60 per golfer. Trophies will be awarded for the top players in each division, Allen said.
Bonus: register NOW to play golf and get $10 off the purchase of a Cluck ‘N Shuck ticket.
CLICK PLAY!
SportsTalk: Vipers Go For Conference Championship Friday Night – Tune In!
/by Bill HarrisAfter another huge victory last week against Granville Central, the Vance County Vipers are poised to win a conference championship this Friday night.
In Henderson, listen local at 1450 AM / 100.1 FM and anywhere with your connected device or speaker listen here – https://player.listenlive.co/53101. Or tell Alexa to “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.” Or say, “Hey Google, Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”
The 6-2 Vipers have been on a roll the last several weeks, but the competition stiffens this week as the Vipers have to hit the road for another trip to Durham to face the defending conference champs Southern Durham.
“We’ve never beaten Southern Durham. We’ve never won a conference championship,” said coach Aaron Elliott on SportsTalk on Thursday. Southern Durham is 4-4 so far this year but played a tough early schedule and has been winning as of late. Right now the Vipers control there own destiny and with a win on the road will secure the school’s first conference championship while a loss muddies the picture considerably.
Southern Durham cannot be taken lightly according to Coach Elliott. “They have athletes on both sides of the ball,” he said. Elliott hopes the Vipers’ speed will be a deciding factor along with the continued strong play of the defense. He also feels if the Vipers can score early and get a lead and can be balanced on offense, then they will be in good shape Friday night.
Airtime on WIZS for Vance County vs. Southern Durham is at 6:50pm with kickoff at 7pm.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-20-22 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
TownTalk: Granville Gears Up For A Spooktacular Halloween And More!
/by Laura GabelGranville County Tourism Director Angela Allen needs a big calendar, but she may wish she had an even bigger one especially for fall, given all the events that take place across the county between September and the end of the year.
“We are in full swing for (the) fall season,” she told John C. Rose on Thursday’s TownTalk. From pumpkin farms and corn mazes, downtown trick-or-treating to a concert in support of bees, there truly is something for everyone packed in to a short time frame.
Dixon Farms, located just beyond the Granville County Expo Center on Highway 15 South, is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A ticket gets you a pumpkin of your choice, not to mention access to all kinds of fun outdoor activities for the youngsters – a petting zoo, corn maze and tractor rides, just to name a few.
Dixon Farms announces their fall festival will take place this Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 10 a.m.
A little further down in the southern part of the county, William Lyon opens his pumpkin patch on Saturdays and Sundays (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for folks to find the perfect pumpkin, as well as take part in a hay ride and navigate a corn maze. Lyon’s farm is located at 1563 Will Suitt Rd., Creedmoor.
For those who want a little nighttime adventure should drive over to the Granville Haunt Farm, where Grey Blackwell has assembled ghosts and ghouls – benevolent and otherwise – to entertain carloads of folks who drive through.
On Friday and Saturday evenings in October, you can “get a little scare on,” Allen said. This popular destination features scenes from iconic Halloween movies – scary ones and not-so-scary ones, she noted. “It really is a great mixed bag,” she said.
Bonus: The Haunt Farm will be open on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31 to thrill, frighten and entertain.
The star of the Halloween season for many youngsters is trick-or-treating, and families can visit participating downtown retailers in Oxford for their “Spooktacular” between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Downtown Creedmoor merchants will sponsor their trick-or-treating event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Butner’s Covenant Life Church will be at Butner Athletic Park for a trunk-or-treat from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where folks can get free kettle corn, cotton candy and hot drinks as they enjoy the various decorated trunks that will fill up the parking lot.
A new event called Bees and Boos will take place at Highrock Farm on Enon Road outside Oxford. The Granville County Beekeepers’ Association is hosting this event, which will be held in two parts – a family fun festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then “a flat-out costume party beginning at 6 p.m. The fun festival is free, and will feature a variety of vendors and a lot of honey-based products, among other activities.
The costume party is a ticketed event and will include a concert by rising Nashville musician Zach Top. Visit https://fb.me/e/2WZSRGiOm to purchase tickets or find the Granville County Beekeepers Association on social media.
Allen said if you’ve always wanted to try mead, honey beer or experience a candy apple bar, this is the event to check all the boxes.
If you have any energy left when October’s events are completed, join the
Granville County Chamber of Commerce for the annual “Cluck ‘N Shuck” seafood extravaganza on Nov. 4 at the Granville County Expo Center. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling the Chamber office at 919.693.6125 or online at https://granville-chamber.com/
The next day, Saturday, Nov. 5 marks the Creedmoor City Golf Championship at South Granville Country Club. This event begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start. The SGCC is partnering with Creedmoor Parks and Recreation and will max out at 80 golfers. Registration is $60 per golfer. Trophies will be awarded for the top players in each division, Allen said.
Bonus: register NOW to play golf and get $10 off the purchase of a Cluck ‘N Shuck ticket.
CLICK PLAY!
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems. Pt. 5
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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‘Operation Green Light’ Nov. 7-13 In Granville To Show Support For Military Veterans
/by WIZS StaffSupport for military veterans gets the “green light” across Granville County in advance of the Veterans Day holiday. County officials announced that all county-owned buildings will be illuminated green between Nov. 7 and Nov. 13. Veterans Day is Friday, Nov. 11.
Residents and businesses also can get in on the action of Operation Green Light, by replacing an outdoor light with a green bulb as part of the national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties to support military veterans, which raises awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available at the county, state and federal level to assist veterans and their families.
“Our nation’s voluntary military force members, and their families, have always made an immense sacrifice for the safety and security of our citizens,” said Veterans Services Officer Christopher Dethmers. “Similar to the sacrifices of previous generations of our armed forces, our current generation of veterans often suffer significant stress when transitioning to civilian life. We want to make sure our veterans and their families know that their service mattered, that we are grateful for their sacrifices, and that it is now our turn to make sure they are served by their county government as well as the community.”
“By shining a green light, we let our veterans know that they are seen, appreciated and supported, Dethmers said. “While this event is focused around the week of Veterans Day participants are encouraged to continue shining the light year-round.”
Granville County residents can share their participation on social media using the hashtag “#OperationGreenLight.” Visit www.naco.org/operationgreenlight for more information and visit the Granville County Veterans Services Office website for more information about resources available locally: https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/veterans-services.
The Granville County Veterans Services Office is located at 141 Williamsboro St. in Oxford and staff can be reached at 919.693.1484.
Town Talk: The Success Of Show, Shine, Shag And Dine
/by Laura GabelBy all accounts, last weekend’s Show, Shine, Shag & Dine was a success – the perfect fall weather welcomed tens of thousands of people to Vance County and Pam Hester and Norman Dickerson couldn’t be happier.
But they probably are happy that another event is in the rearview mirror, too.
The Vance County Tourism Authority duo spoke Wednesday with John C. Rose on TownTalk to to give a follow-up of all the festivities, which required hours, weeks and months of planning, Hester noted.
Things got underway on Friday with a couple of cruise-ins, one at Satterwhite Point in the afternoon and a second at Charles Bowman’s Southern Classic Cars in downtown Henderson on Friday evening.
Hester estimated more than 200 cars came out to the lake, where lunch was available and a DJ providing music.
“You’d think that it was full,” Hester said, “then a group of cars would leave and another car club would come in.”
Dickerson concurred. “Attendance was excellent – it was one of the largest I can recall seeing in a number of years. Hester said at the height, there were probably 25,000 to 30,000 people on Garnett Street, enjoying food, vendors and, of course, the cars.
“It was packed,” Hester said. “Part of the time it was wall-to-wall people.”
Those who came to downtown Henderson saw a mixture of old, new and new-again events, they said.
One new event was the Jeep Jam, and Hester said 15 Jeeps drove in for the day.
“I think you have to keep the history of the event, but you also have to keep it relevant, and that will make an event stay fresh,” she said.
The Jeep Jam is an example of a new event, and the return of the race cars – more than 16 or so – goes into the “new-again” category.
Comments about the 20th annual event, on social media posts and personal comments into the tourism office, have been overwhelmingly positive, she said.
The 50-some volunteers, along with collaboration from the city and county and the support of the tourism board, all contributed to the festive atmosphere and how smoothly things ran.
And the support from downtown merchants was unsurpassed, Hester said.
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-19-22 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
Click Play!
TRLC To Open New Preserve In Creedmoor On Nov. 4
/by WIZS StaffCreedmoor is the site of a ribbon-cutting scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4 to mark the opening of Robertson Creek Nature Preserve.
The tract is part of Tar River Land Conservancy and is located along Hwy 56 E. in Creedmoor.
Parking for the ribbon-cutting will be at Creedmoor Commons, 2173 E.Wilton Ave. creedmoor.
An optional guided hike will follow the ceremony.
Volunteers have worked to complete hiking trails in the preserve over the summer and early fall. As with other TRLC tracts, the trails will have signs, footbridges and benches for hikers to use and enjoy.
To register, contact events@tarriver.org or phone 919.496.5902
VGCC Takes Top Awards At National Conference
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy of Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College received two awards totaling $60,000 at a national conference held recently in Boston.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship named VGCC as the 2022 Heather Van Sickle Entrepreneurial College of the Year, which is accompanied by a $50,000 award. The award is part of NACCE’s “Pitch for the Foundations,” a new initiative created to support community colleges and their foundations in providing transformational opportunities. In this competition, Tanya Weary, executive director of The VGCC Foundation, Sheri Jones, associate director of The VGCC Foundation, and Kenneth Wilson, grants administrator, made a presentation that won the prize (tied for the largest amount given to any competitor this year) for the VGCC Red Tails Drone aviation program. This program has provided training in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly known as “drones”), particularly through a summer camp for area high school students. This camp taught students how to play a team sport called “Drone Soccer” as part of a team nicknamed the “Red Tails.”
Another VGCC group participated in NACCE’s “Pitch for the Trades” competition. This competition featured teams of community college faculty from across the country, who “pitched” their creative ideas for incorporating entrepreneurship into workforce training programs to a panel of judges. Led by Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Stephanie Tolbert and Grants Administrator Kenneth Wilson, VGCC’s presentation won $10,000 to support expansion of the Welding Technology program. The judges encouraged VGCC to continue working on this project and pitch it again next year.
Both pitch competitions were presented by NACCE in partnership with the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation.
Topping off those big wins, VGCC was then recognized as the 2022 Entrepreneurial College of the Year. Chris Whaley, the president of Roane State Community College in Tennessee and chair-elect of the NACCE Board of Directors, presented the award, noting VGCC’s rural population and that this competitive award is given to a college that makes a difference in the ecosystem of a community.
In a statement about VGCC’s selection for that honor, NACCE saluted the leadership of President Rachel Desmarais, Ph.D., who has steadily expanded the college’s entrepreneurial initiatives. In 2021, President Desmarais signed NACCE’s Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge (PFEP), committing the college to five action steps designed to create economic vitality through entrepreneurship.
In addition to the Drone program, the college has hosted an innovative entrepreneurship youth camp called “Be a ‘Trep” (short for entrepreneur) for area middle school students, opened the VGCC Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center at the college’s South Campus, established a Student Entrepreneurship Club, and offered an Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program.
“Through innovative events hosted by Vance-Granville’s Small Business Center and other entrepreneurial programming, the college has demonstrated its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship throughout the region it serves,” said Rebecca Corbin, president of the Cary-based NACCE. “It is a pleasure to recognize this outstanding college, which was selected by an independent judging panel, as the winner of NACCE’s 2022 Entrepreneurial College of the Year Award.”
Desmarais congratulated the team involved, along with the entire VGCC faculty and staff for adopting an entrepreneurial mindset.
“We could not be prouder of the VGCC Vanguards for making a big ‘splash’ at the NACCE conference, and for embracing entrepreneurship both inside and outside the classroom,” Desmarais said. “Entrepreneurship is an important way to promote both student success and our region’s economic development. It is also related to the innovative, outside-the-box thinking that we have incorporated into how we address challenges and how we offer education and training programs for the community.”