ROCKINGHAM — Hoptoberfest is being salvaged — sort of.
Richmond County Economic Development announced Thursday afternoon a similar festival will be happening on Oct. 7 — the same day that was initially scheduled for Hoptoberfest.
The new event, dubbed Hops & Hot Rods at the Rock, will feature craft beer, chicken wings, music and a cruise-in at Rockingham Speedway.
“We are less than 90 days away from the date and have lots of details to iron out,” reads a post on social media, promising more details coming in the near future regarding tickets, sponsorship opportunities and food truck applications.
The announcement comes two days after the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce canceled Hoptoberfest.
Chamber President Kristi King said the event didn’t line up with the organization’s mission of supporting local businesses.
Click here to read that story.
The Chamber created the festival in 2015 and for the first few years it was held in the parking lot of Richmond Plaza before moving to Rockingham Dragway as it grew.
According to an application for a grant from the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority, the event drew 1,800 attendees from across the county and state in 2021.
Last week, the RCTDA approved a $15,000 request from the Chamber for Hoptoberfest.
Click here to read that story.
However, Tourism Director Meghann Lambeth clarified in a social media comment that the funds were not dispersed prior to the cancelation.
There was quite a bit of fallout on social media following the chamber’s announcement on Tuesday.
While some seemed to criticize local government, Rockingham Mayor John Hutchinson made a clarification:
“First off, this isn’t a Rockingham thing or a Richmond County thing.
The Chamber of Commerce created and hosted this event.
The Chamber, of course, is an independent, non-governmental organization. They’re like any other non-profit in any community — the Chamber sets its own direction and does it’s own thing.
Second, there’s a tremendous amount of disappointment across the county. I get that. And what I see all over social media now is, ‘no one does anything, and anything good gets cancelled.‘”‘
We’re ALL being painted with that brush.
Fact is, Rockingham has busted its tail the last two years to bring back events. Multiple events.
We hosted a SpringFest and bbq cook-off event back in April.
We’re bringing back Christmas on the Square this December for the first time in several years.
We had a nighttime Downtown Christmas Market last year. The Affair on the Square sidewalk markets have returned after a couple of years off.
We have six free Plaza Jam concerts a year.
Downtown businesses host a Spooktacular for children.
Leak Street hosted a Juneteenth celebration. We hope to have a regional pow-wow here this fall and, possibly, a Hispanic festival around Cinqo de Mayo next year.
Rockingham is trying very, very hard. And Rockingham is adding events.
Hamlet has also added events. Ellerbe is set to host an Andre the Giant festival this fall.
Yet all of those events and all of that work, all of which does involve our city to some degree or another, is overshadowed by one event, over which we have zero control, that has been canceled.”
The RO will have information on the event as it becomes available.
