Festival underway, see the Yam Bowl live tonight

    Pageant queens crowned? Check.
    Yam Auction in the books, with more than $10,000 raised? Check
    Taste of Tabor tasty, and entertaining? Check.
    This year’s 30th anniversary North Carolina Yam Festival at Tabor City is well underway, with much of the best still to come. That includes the Yam Bowl at South Columbus High School, with the host Stallions also celebrating Homecoming as St. Pauls comes visiting in what promises to be an exciting conference match-up.
    Adding to the excitement of crowning a new Homecoming Queen at halftime, will be the post-game crowning of the Yam Bowl championship, with Miss North Carolina Kate Peacock to aid in the presentation.
    All of that is but a prelude to the festival’s biggest day, with the 10 a.m. parade, tons of sweet potatoes to be given away just after the procession in the usual location downtown, plenty of entertainment on the Ritz stage, crafts, food, a Class Car Cruise-In, All-Tabor Reunion at Tabor City Elementary, Stallion Classic Band Competition at South Columbus High School, portable sawmill demonstration, historical reenactors with the cannon Thor booming at the town gate, and more.
    Kids entertainment on West 4th Street this year includes carnival rides in the field across from the Tabor City Fire Department, animal rides, and plenty more. Carnival rides are also open tonight (Friday).
    A fitting end to this anniversary celebration of the sweet potato will be a free country concert at the Tabor City Sports Complex kicking off at 7 p.m. Saturday, capped with a spectacular fireworks show after dark, ending at about 9:30 p.m. Country singer Dustin Hooks will be the featured entertainer.
    For more on the festival see the special 36-page tabloid in this week’s Tabor-Loris Tribune print edition.