The largest, longest-running festival in Richmond County, The Seaboard Festival, is coming up on Oct. 28, 2023! Since 1982, Main Street in Downtown Hamlet has hosted an annual celebration of the town’s rich railroad history as the former “Hub of the Seaboard” on the last Saturday in October.
The 41st Annual Hamlet Seaboard Festival powered by Rev Federal offers a full day of family fun with a host of activities suited for all ages and more than 200 vendors with craft, commercial, food, and other specialty goods will line Main Street starting at 9 a.m. following the Annual Seaboard Festival 5K at 8 a.m. Proceeds from the 5K have funded two annual scholarships for students at Richmond Community College.
In addition to the awards ceremony following the race this year, there will be a memorial ceremony to honor the legacy of Lee “Iceman” Watson, who, up until 2019, ran in every Seaboard Festival 5K since the inaugural race in 1985. After his death in September, countless community members, including Watson’s family and friends, suggested his 34-year commitment and dedication to the community and Seaboard Festival 5K be commemorated. Seaboard Festival 5K Race Director Mechelle Preslar is proud to announce the addition of the Lee Watson Memorial Scholarship.
The 41st Annual Seaboard Festival powered by Rev Federal will start after the opening ceremony on the Main Stage located by Hamlet Depot at 9 a.m. and will include a few words from festival organizers, the pledge of allegiance, prayer, and the singing of the national anthem by the Richmond Senior High School choir led by Lauren Lutz.
A full itinerary of fun is scheduled for the kids in the Pee Dee Electric Kids Zone, located across from Hamlet City Hall between Henderson and Champlain Streets, featuring bounce houses, a rock-climbing wall, and more, there will be multiple demonstrations from local dance and martial arts groups, activities and the costume contest.
Performances in the Pee Dee Electric Kids Zone start at 10am with the Laurinburg Cloggers, followed by Dance Sensations at 11:30 a.m., Bold Moves Dance Company at 12pm, PKSA at 1:15 p.m., meet-and-greet with Chase & Marshall (Paw Patrol) and Sparky & McGruff at 2:15, and the final act in the Kids Zone will be the costume contest at 3 p.m. Registration for the costume contest will be at 2:15 p.m. in the Kids Zone.
Click here to see photos from the 2022 costume contest.
Click here to see photos from the 2022 conductor’s call.
Just a few blocks down Main Street, Hamlet Depot and Museums will be surrounded by festival fun! Live music will start at 9:30 am with Hamlet native Jonathan Robinson, followed by the Sand Band at 12pm, and Special Occasions Band will go on at 3pm to close out the day at 5pm. Live music will be briefly paused for the festival favorite, the Conductor’s Call, from 1pm-1:30 pm. Registration will be at 12:30 pm.
Beside the Depot, on the lawn, vintage and new cars and trucks will line the railroad tracks to compete in the Seaboard Festival Car Show. The huge regional car show welcomes all makes and models and awards cash prizes to the top three winners! Registration starts at 8:30 am and official show time is from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Awards from the 27 classes will be announced at the end of the show.
Click here to see photos from the 2022 car show.
The North Carolina Forestry Service will return this year with Smokey the Bear, the by-plane, and helicopter directly behind the historic Depot building. Another must see display by the Depot this year is the 1982 Seaboard System Engine courtesy of CSX!
More live musical performances will be on the Library Stage at the top of Main Street. Performers include Raider Voices at 9:30 a.m., Richmond Community College Choir at 10:15 a.m., Wild Life Crush at 11 a.m., and Erik Hawks at 1:15 p.m.
Click here to see photos of the 2022 musical performances.
Whether it’s the day full of live music, dance performances, the wide variety of more than 200 vendors, reunite with old friends, make new friends, spend quality time with family, indulge in delicious food, learn about the rich railroad history of Hamlet, run in the 5K, compete in the car show, costume contest, or conductor’s call, or to just see why this tradition has continued for forty-one years, we are excited to see you on October 28th in the beautiful heart of Downtown Hamlet.
The Seaboard Festival is made possible by the nonprofit organization Seaboard Day Festival, Inc., which is managed by a group of dedicated volunteers.
