MANY EVENTS PLANNED FOR JOHNSTON COUNTY IN 2022 Submitted by JOHNSTON COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU
SMITHFIELD — When planning excursions around festivals that happen annually, keep Johnston County’s towns in mind. Anyone with interest in learning about any of the events listed below may contact Ashby Brame at the Johnston County Visitors Bureau at abrame@johnstoncounty. org or 919-989-8687, or visit the Johnston County Visitors Bureau website at www.johnstoncountync. org. For a current listing of events in Johnston County throughout the year, visit www.johnstoncountync.org/ events. Events scheduled for 2022 in Johnston County include: • Black History Month, Feb. 24 — Activities and events are held around the county during the month. Among them, the Johnston County Heritage Commission’s Black History Committee is honoring African-American health care professionals on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Reginald Ennis Pavilion in Smithfield. Among those honored will be Lucille Raiford Jones of New York, one of the first black nurses at Johnston Memorial Hospital when it opened in 1951. • Stepping Back in Time Series: One Saturday each month — Visit the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly for demonstrations and displays of traditional arts, crafts and trades. The 26 | [ JOHNSTON NOW ]
One of the many events scheduled in Johnston County during 2022 is Heavy Thunder at Bentonville Battlefield. This event will feature several types of cannon-firing demonstrations throughout the day.
2022 series includes soap making, quilting, tobacco tying and stringing and more. See the schedule at www. tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org. • Live @ the Rudy, scheduled throughout the year — The Rudy Theatre offers four unique, seasonal, familyfriendly shows with music, comedy and more. The March and April show is the Easter Jubilee, the May through June show is the Summer Jubilee, the August through October show is the Classic Country Jubilee and finally the anticipated Christmas Jubilee in November and December. • Bentonville Battlefield Anniversary, March 19 — Bentonville commemorates the anniversary of the battle the third weekend in March each year, with the large reenactments held every five years. The 157th anniversary commemoration of the battle, “Peace to the Gallant Dead,”
will include living history demonstrations throughout the day and a night-time luminary display honoring the over 4,000 casualties of the battle. • PDRA East Coast Nationals, April 7-9 — The Professional Drag Racers Association kicks off the 2022 season at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson with the PDRA East Coast Nationals. • Classic Antique Power Farm Heritage Days, April 8-9 — Step back in time and experience a variety of classic antique tractors at the Benson Chamber Park. The event will include tractor games, antique tractors and farm equipment demonstrations, craft vendors, food vendors, a corn hole tournament, free live entertainment, bouncy houses, a pedal tractor raffle and a farm equipment auction. • Bentonville in Bloom,
April 23 — This event will educate visitors on the natural resources of the battlefield and encourage visitors to enjoy the walking trail system throughout Bentonville. • Beach Fest, April 30 — This event held at The Farm entertainment venue in Selma celebrates a unique regional musical genre. This year will be the ninth annual Beach Fest, featuring Jim Quick & Coastline, The Embers and Band of Oz. Ticket information will be at www. thefarmnc.com when they go on sale. • Ham & Yam Festival, May 7 — The annual Ham & Yam Festival is teeming with ham biscuits, Bar-B-Q pork, sweet potatoes and more. There will be arts, kids’ activities, live entertainment and the popular “What’s That Yam Thing?” art contest. • East Coast Truckers Jamboree, May 12-14 — A
