ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County has at least two businesses and one festival nominated for a statewide magazine contest.
Pattan’s Downtown Grille has been selected for Best Barbecue Restaurant in Carolina Country magazine’s Carolina’s Finest contest and Hamlet’s Seaboard Festival has been nominated for Best Festival.
The other categories include: Breakfast Spot; Ice Cream Shop; Musician or Band; Getaway; Main Street or Downtown; Museum; Pick-Your-Own Farm; and Made in N.C.
The online form invites readers to choose their favorite from each category, the city or town the choice is in and an option for why that is the choice.
“This is our second year doing it,” said Warren Kessler, the magazine’s director.
Carolina Country is a magazine put out by the state’s 26 Electric Membership Cooperatives, including Pee Dee Electric.
“Once we start getting some entries in, we notify (them) that they’ve been nominated,” Kessler said.
The Berry Patch is also nominated for Best Ice Cream Shop, according to Kessler, who said votes started coming in before they promoted the contest.
From there, the goal is to get the nominees to “drum up support” on social media to drive traffic to the nomination form, he added.
Kessler said the contest has garnered hundreds of votes for different establishments across the state so far.
Those who vote will be randomly selected for a chance to win one of three $100 Visa gift cards.
Voting ends June 30 and the winners will be published in the December issue.
To vote, visit: https://www.carolinacountry.com/contact/597-carolinas-finest.
