Artists gather at Whirligig Festival in Wilson
The 14th annual Whirligig Festival took place in historic downtown Wilmington at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park on Saturday.
Posted — Updated
The event featured carnival style food, live music, a kid's zone, crafts and the famous whirligigs.
The wind-powered structures were created by farm machinery repairman Volis Simpson. After the invention of the internet, the structures gained national attention and the park was created in his honor, according to the park's website.
The Whirligig Festival is now held every year to bring the community of Wilson together and to enjoy the structures.
While the whirligigs are the main attraction, side attractions and merchants are also a big part of the festival. Artists from all over North Carolina can be seen displaying their work and selling homemade items.
"People come in and they admire my paintings," said Kim Valentine, an artist from Elm City. "And I let them know that I teach, so I get a lot of students from this festival too."
Throughout its years of existence, the festival has been a community gathering point for people to network. This year, the festival was able to grow in scale by receiving a sponsorship from PNC bank.
"We are enjoying just seeing the community come together as one in Wilson," said Laura SImms, the Branch Manager at the PNC Bank in Wilson.
The festival will return to Wilson next November as a place for food and fellowship.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
