The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-05-14
POTATO FESTIVAL
FRIDAY AND SAT.
ELIZABETH CITY

Thirty four bands, twenty from
North Carolina, will participate
in the Albemarle Potato Festival
being held in Elizabeth City, on
Friday and Saturday, May IA and
lis.
The 1854 presentation of the
Albemarle Potato Festival makes
headlines with the following line
up of dignitaries to be on hand:
Governor of North Carolina, Will
liam B. Umstead, 1t. Governor,
, Luther B. Hodges, Ex-Governor
Kerr Scott, Senator Alton Len
non, Canada's Minister of Agri-
culture, James Garfield Gardi-
ner, and others.
Friday night at o'clock at
Memorial Field some seven to
eight hundred children of the
Elizabeth City Elementary
School will present pageant,
pride of the Albemarle", de-
picting the entire story of the
''Lowly" potato. AS 'tater bugs,
raindrops, indians and numerous
other things, hundreds of boys
and girls will be dressed in CO.
lorful costumes to render unique
and musical dances during the
evening. A professional includ-
ing the King and Queen of the
Festival, beautiful attendants
and special guests will add CO.
lor to the drama.
Free dancing for everyone will
be offered by the Festival on
Friday and Saturday nights, May
IA and Is. The street dances will
be held in the block of McMor-
rine Street between Main Street
and Colonial Avenue. They will
begin at 9 o'clock and last until
IL o'clock on both nights, spon-
sored by the American Legion.
l love a parade, is univer-
sal cry and one that is sure to
be prevalent in Elizabeth City
May Is One of the most colorful
parades ever held in the city is
being planned for the 1854 Po-
tato Festival by the William
Clarence Jackson Post 5000 Of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Trophies will be awarded to the
best three floats in both COM
mercial and non-commercial div
isions while a trophy will be
given to the best car, bicycle and
novelty unit. You'll see some
thirty-four marching bands, bet
ter than fifty beautiful floats, a
AZ member drill team from N. c.
State College, Captain Frank AL
len noted clown from Ringing
Bros. Circus, The Coble Diaries
Pony Hitch and hundreds of
other spectacles at the parade,
Saturday.
The Honorable James Garfield
Gardiner, Minister of Agricul-
ture of Canada will deliver an
address on the Courthouse Green
Immediately following the par
ade The Minister'S position COM
pares in the U. S. to that of Sec
rotary of Agriculture.
Selection of Queen and the Ba-
ton Twirling Contest will take
place on Memorial Field Satur-
day at $3.50. The Queen will be
crowned at the Coronation Ball
at the Coast Guard Air Station
at 9 o'clock Saturday night.
A new and exciting feature
highights this years Festival
THE Pasquotank Panorama.
Over 100 yachts parade while
hundreds of dollars worth of fire
works burst, all a part of this
years potato festival.
U. S. Naval Air Facility and U.
S. Coast Guard Station will be
open to the public in celebration
of Armed Forces Day.
The Boy Scouts of the Abe
marie District will take a very
active part in the Potato Festi-
val. The Scouts will operate four
first aid stations and four free
ice water stations in the down.
town area. One troop will enter
a float built around the CONVEX
sation theme President Eisen-
hover has asked the Scouts to
use this year. There will be one
District marching unit and about
200 scouts will serve as police