This Week Around Wilmington: Jon Pardi and King Mackerel Tournament
🎙️ Listen: Buddy talks through this article · 4 min
An AI-produced audio version of this article, from Real Stories with Buddy Blake.
Got a little bit of everything happening around here this week. Fishing, music, fall farm stuff, and a career fair for anybody job hunting. Here's the rundown.
48th U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Hits Southport
Dutchman Creek Park in Brunswick County plays host to the 48th Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament this weekend, October 1 through 3. Port City Daily calls it one of the largest tournaments of its kind on the East Coast, which tells you something about the crowd and boats it pulls in. If you live near Southport or you're just curious what all the boat trailers are about, this is your answer. Worth a drive down if you like watching serious anglers do their thing on the water.
Jon Pardi Brings Country Music to the Riverfront
Country artist Jon Pardi is performing at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park on October 1, according to Wilmington and Beaches Concerts. That's right in the heart of downtown, so expect some extra foot traffic and parking pressure along the river that evening. If you're in or near the Downtown Wilmington area, plan around it a little. Good excuse to grab dinner riverside and make a night of it either way.
Things to Do This Week
- CFCC Business and IT Career Fair — October 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the North Campus McKeithan Center in Wilmington. Cape Fear Community College News reports job seekers can meet directly with hiring companies. Worth the trip if you're looking for work in business or IT fields locally.
- Riverfront Farmers Market — every Saturday on Dock Street in downtown Wilmington, per Wilmington Downtown Inc. Events. A steady weekly option if you want fresh produce and local vendors without traveling far.
- Fall Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch — Trask Family Farms is running its maze and pumpkin patch on select days through the beginning of November, according to Wilmington and Beaches Events. A solid family outing as fall settles in.
- UnFROGettable at Airlie Gardens — the art installation is on display daily through the end of the year at Airlie Gardens, per Wilmington and Beaches Events. Nice reason to walk the gardens if you haven't been out that way lately.
- Cape Fear Kite Festival — returns for three days, November 6 through 8, at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, according to Wilmington and Beaches Festivals. If you're near Fort Fisher, mark the calendar for a colorful weekend on the sand.
Whether you're near the water in Southport or closer to downtown Wilmington, I'm always glad to talk about what's happening in these neighborhoods, market-wise or otherwise. Give me a call or text at (910) 395-1000 anytime.
Sources: Cape Fear Community College News · Port City Daily · Wilmington Downtown Inc. Events · Wilmington and Beaches Events · Wilmington and Beaches Events · Wilmington and Beaches Festivals · Wilmington and Beaches Concerts. Dates and details can change — check with the organizer before you go.
Read the episode transcript
Host: So Buddy, this week feels like a real grab bag around Wilmington. Fishing tournaments, country music, corn mazes... where do you even want to start?
Buddy Blake: Yeah, honestly there's a lot going on. I'd say start down in Southport, because that one's kind of a big deal for the coast.
Host: Okay tell me about it, what's happening down there?
Buddy Blake: So it's the forty-eighth annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament, and it's happening at Dutchman Creek Park in Brunswick County. This weekend, October first through third. Port City Daily actually calls it one of the largest tournaments of its kind on the whole East Coast.
Host: Wait, forty-eight years? That's wild, that's basically a Wilmington institution at this point.
Buddy Blake: It really is. And if you're near Southport and you see all these boat trailers everywhere and you're wondering what's going on, that's your answer right there . Worth driving down just to watch, even if you're not fishing yourself.
Host: Serious anglers, serious boats, I'm guessing.
Buddy Blake: Oh for sure. It's a whole scene down there that weekend.
Host: Alright, let's move up the coast a little. What's happening downtown?
Buddy Blake: So downtown, Jon Pardi is playing at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park, that's October first, same night things kick off in Southport actually.
Host: Oh nice, I like Jon Pardi. So that's right on the river?
Buddy Blake: Right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, yeah. So if you live or work anywhere near there, just plan for extra foot traffic and tighter parking that evening.
Host: Good excuse to just make a night of it though, right? Grab dinner riverside.
Buddy Blake: Exactly . That's kind of how I'd play it. Go early, eat somewhere along the river, enjoy the show.
Host: Okay so beyond the tournament and the concert, what else is on your radar this week?
Buddy Blake: A few things. If anybody's job hunting, Cape Fear Community College is running a Business and IT Career Fair, October sixth, ten a.m. to two p.m., at the North Campus McKeithan Center in Wilmington. CFCC News says job seekers get to meet directly with hiring companies.
Host: That's a nice direct way to job hunt, actually meeting people instead of just applications online.
Buddy Blake: Right, especially local in business and IT fields. Worth the trip if that's you.
Host: What about the farmers market, is that still happening every week?
Buddy Blake: Yep, Riverfront Farmers Market, every Saturday on Dock Street downtown. Steady option if you just want fresh produce and local vendors without going far.
Host: Now tell me about this corn maze, because that feels very fall right now.
Buddy Blake: Yeah, Trask Family Farms has their corn maze and pumpkin patch running, select days through the beginning of November. Good family outing as it starts cooling off.
Host: And didn't I hear something about frogs at Airlie Gardens? Or am I making that up?
Buddy Blake: No you're not making it up , it's called UnFROGettable, it's an art installation out at Airlie Gardens, on display daily through the end of the year. Nice reason to walk the gardens if you haven't been out that way in a while.
Host: And I know kites are a big deal out at Fort Fisher, is that coming up too?
Buddy Blake: It is, the Cape Fear Kite Festival comes back for three days, November sixth through eighth, at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. If you're near Fort Fisher, mark the calendar, it's a colorful weekend out on the sand.
Host: Man, between Southport and downtown Wilmington, it really does feel like something's happening everywhere this week.
Buddy Blake: It really does. And honestly, whether you're near the water in Southport or closer to downtown, I'm always glad to talk about what's going on in these neighborhoods, market-wise or otherwise.
Host: Well Buddy, this was a fun one to run through. How can folks reach you if they want to chat?
Buddy Blake: Just give me a call or text anytime, nine one zero, three nine five, one thousand. And the full rundown with all the details is linked in the show notes.
Host: Perfect. Thanks Buddy, catch you next week.
