It’s Labor Day weekend, and thus you are obligated to play. Some thoughts on the subject … .
Coast
Earl permitting, there’s good reason to head to Wilmington this weekend: the March of Dimes 5K Run for Healthier Babies. I mean, who wouldn’t run 3.1 miles for a healthy, happy baby? Or walk a mile? Or sleep walk?
No plans yet for the weekend? Perhaps we can help.
Coast
By “coast” this week, we mean the coastal plain, of which Fayetteville, home to Saturday’s Lake Rim Paddling Festival, is firmly a part. There’ll be canoe and kayak racing for more accomplished paddlers, and rentals for newcomers to the pursuit. The festivities begin at 9 a.m. Lake Rim Park is at 2214 Tar Kiln Dr. in Fayetteville.
This weekend, explore a swamp, paddle a lake, hang with the stars.
Coast
The 22-mile Dismal Swamp Canal runs south from the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia to the Albemarle Sound. It is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the U.S., opening in 1805 after 12 years of construction. It’s longevity is especially impressive considering the vast majority of the nation’s great canals led brief lives, opening in the early 1800s only to be quickly rendered obsolete as railroads spread throughout the nation. In addition to its natural wonder, penetrating its vast namesake wetland, the canal is rich in human history.
When the state first introduced the concept of a tax-free weekend the first week of August it was pitched as a way for cash-strapped families to save money on back-to-school supplies. Then people started asking questions like, “What does a wedding gown have to do with going back to school?” So the N.C. Department of Revenue eventually dropped that conceit. Now, there are all sorts of things that qualify for tax-free weekend, including many that help with an active lifestyle.
We usually go to outdoors events to participate — to run, to ride, to play. Sometimes, though, we go for inspiration.
That could be the case this weekend at the 6th Annual Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest in Wilmington. Some 96 pro surfers are scheduled to attend this year’s event at Wrightsville Beach, which offers up $20,000 in prize money. Among them are former ASP World Championship tour standout and Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame inductee Ben Bourgeois, Mike Losness, Paul Fisher, Jay Thompson, Nick Rozsa, Dylan Goodale, Heath “Nutty” Walker and Tonino Benson.