Return of the Award Winning NC Black Bear Festival | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    No matter what age or interests a person has, almost everyone loves bears! It is a little known fact that the biggest black bears on the planet and the highest black bear densities in the world are not found in Canada or Alaska, but in coastal North Carolina! Mild winters, abundant crops and extensive forests and swamps are the reason that 700 lb. black bears are not uncommon. To recognize and celebrate our bears and educate our guests about this important North Carolina native, the historic Inner Banks town of Plymouth is hosting the 2nd annual North Carolina Black Bear Festival on June 3-5, 2016. Everyone who attends is guaranteed to see bears and learn about these magnificent animals through a variety of events, including black bear tours on public and private property, as well as the opportunity to see captive bears.
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    Last year's inaugural NC Black Bear Festival received 4 awards at the NC Festival & Events Association's Showfest - including the Rising Star Award to the best festival in the State that is 5 years old or less. More than 7,000 people from 12 states and two foreign countries were on hand for the inaugural event. Everyone raved about the festival during and after the event. As a result, the town is now becoming known as Bear Town, NC.

    Another result of the success of last year's Bear Fest is a new black bear museum opening in Plymouth, called Bear-Ology. The goal of the museum is to create a permanent year-round black bear education and discovery center. It includes a 30 seat theatre with state-of-the-art Blue Ray Surround Sound and features a 17 minute film written and produced by Tom Harrison. Blake and Emily Scott from Star Track Studios in Washington, (who created the Refuge Series for UNC TV) provided all the filming and editing.

    The NC Black Bear Festival activities this year will include everything from last year's successful event plus many new activities. That means there will once again be black bear tours in the wild as well as captive bears for everyone to see. There will be the 5K "Run with the Bears", the paddling event, beauty pageant, Storytelling: "Close Encounters of the Bear Kind", Dan the Animal Man, live music and fireworks. Returning children's events include "Baby "Dress-Like-a-Bear" Contest" contest, free bear painting, make a plaster cast of a bear track, fossil dig for sharks teeth, Fish for Fun, and the National Guard inflatable obstacle course. New events added this year include a classic car show, wooden boat show, more live music, a variety show, magic show, juggling, balloon twisting, "bear-foot" race, a bear cave maze, carnival rides, a 3-story tall inflatable tiger slide, and more. Food & craft venders and many conservation organizations will be attending as well. It will all be happening June 3-5 in Plymouth - "where traffic ends and adventure begins!"

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    Contact: Tom Harrison

     PO Box 706
     Plymouth, NC 27962

        Phone: (252) 793-6627  •  Email: info@ncbearfest.com