This Weekend in Stanly County

There’s no excuse to be at loose ends this weekend. There are activities aplenty for the young, the not so young, the young-at-heart and for man’s best friend. Get the adrenalin pumping and compete in the senior games. Get it pumping again as you watch those massive tractors defying gravity. Celebrate spring, shop for delicious home-grown veggies, paddle a canoe down a lazy river or find the best friend you’ve always wanted at Wagfest.

The Uwharrie Senior Games and Silver Arts continue at the Stanly County Senior Center in Albemarle and run through May 17, 2012. Cost is free for first-timers, and $12 for returning participants. You can participate in a multitude of sports as varied as Golf, Bocce, Softball, Swimming and Cornhole. You can also enter in the Silver Arts with heritage, visual and literary categories available. Join over 200 seniors for this great event. Registration Forms available at Albemarle Parks and Recreation.

The Big Lick Truck and Tractor Pull is a big two-night event that takes place this Friday and Saturday. If you’ve never been to a tractor pull, you’re missing some unique and exciting fun. The event draws crowds of people from miles around. There’s music, food and entertainment and, of course tractors, big, bigger and enormous. The event will consist of a variety of truck classes from Hot Farm and Super Farm to Bad Boys Super Stock Diesel 4×4. It promises to be another good turn-out of tractors this time. Gates open at 5:00 PM both Friday & Saturday. Pulling starts at 7:00 PM both nights. Admission is $10.00 for adults, Children 6-12 $5.00, under 6 is free. Free Parking. Bleacher seating is available, but bring your own chair if you want a comfortable seat. Come out and watch some of the best local & regional pullers compete for points. This will be two great nights of exciting pulling action. Don’t miss it.

Saturday is Stanly County Farmer’s Market day. Located at Market Station in downtown Albemarle, the market has been in operation for over 15 years. From 8 am until noon, you’ll find many local vendors selling their produce, homemade goodies, and crafts to the citizens of Stanly County and surrounding areas. Bring your market basket and fill it full of good fresh produce for a weekend of healthy eating.

Saturday is also the day for Wagfest. This is an event to help raise awareness for homeless pets and features the annual dog walk throughout downtown Albemarle. The event has many vendors and booths to help deliver pet care information. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Stanly County. This is the 5th annual event and is scheduled for Saturday, May 5 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the YMCA Cannon Memorial Park in Albemarle NC.

Now it’s time to head out to Locust for the 3rd Annual Spring Alive Locust Festival. Held from 9:30 am to 10 pm, this is a fun event with lots of activities planned. This year’s musical acts will feature The Chris Marks Band and Jim Quick and Coastline!

Ready for an adventure on the water? Come out and enjoy the scenery and weather with Albemarle Parks & Recreation as they tour the beautiful venue of City Lake Park from the water. This canoe expedition will meet at City Lake Park on Saturday, May 5th at 2:00 pm. Groups will paddle to the City Lake dam and/or up into Long Creek. Boats will be available. The cost is $5.00. Enrollment is limited to 20 people.

On Sunday, stroll down to Don Montgomery Park in Albemarle and support those Eagles as you watch the Stanly Community College’s Men’s Baseball Team take on Catawba Valley at 12pm.

Tractor Pulls and Wagfests are just two of the many unique and fun-filled events that Stanly County hosts throughout the summer season. We have one of the state’s few drive-in theaters, one of the state’s greatest parks and we have our beautiful lakes and rivers inviting you to come out and enjoy a variety of water sports. And did we mention cruise-ins and burn-outs, and our four great wineries?  At loose ends on weekends? Come to Stanly County.