Spring has arrived in Elizabeth City! As you will read in this issue, the "Harbor of Hospitality®" is blooming with great reasons to visit, from the opening of our seasonal Downtown Waterfront Market to a lineup of fabulous festivals and events that are sure to put a spring in your step, such as the N.C. Potato Festival, Elizabeth City 300 and the Mariners' Wharf Film Festival, among many others. If you're looking to shop, we've got that covered too; check out the unique new stores that have opened as part of The Shoppes at the Southern Hotel. And to help you plan your trip, tap into the "Amazing Elizabeth City Area Tour," now available on "Travel North Carolina," a free mobile travel app that will put you in touch with all our points of interest. So what are you waiting for? It's time to hit the road to Elizabeth City! A warm spring welcome awaits, and that's a promise.

 

Happy Traveling,  

Charlotte Underwood

Director, Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Say you're cruising along northeastern North Carolina-by car or boat-and you have a hankering to stop en route for the "catch of the day" in a picturesque waterfront town. Reach for your smart phone, friend, because the "Harbor of Hospitality®" has a travel app for that. In partnership with Our State magazine, the Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (ECACVB) is now a featured destination on "Travel North Carolina," a free, go-to mobile guide for exploring the Tar Heel state. Once you've downloaded the application, click on the "Local Favorites" button and tap into the "Amazing Elizabeth City Area" tour. Therein, you'll find a wealth of travel information about Elizabeth City, along with images, maps and details about the city's points of interest, accommodations, restaurants, shopping and walking tours. A total of 13 Elizabeth City sites are participating in the free "Travel North Carolina" travel app, launched last year as a way for travelers to access travel information while exploring North Carolina. Hitting the road to Elizabeth City just got a whole lot easier. And that's a good thing.

Hungry for a weekend of homegrown fun? Head to Elizabeth City for the North Carolina Potato Festival, May 18, 2013! The farm lands along the Albemarle Sound are among the state's major potato-growing areas, and the festival started as a simple tribute to the potato farmers. Today, the family-friendly event has expanded, attracting over 30,000 celebrants annually to Elizabeth City. In addition to nibbling on home-cooked fries, festival-goers can sample the results of the "Anything But Fries" restaurant cook-off, watch the National Potato Peeling Contest competitors peel through bushels of spuds, cheer on the "Little Miss Tater Tot Pageant" contestants-and shop and dine among arts/crafts and food vendors lining the Main Street thoroughfare. Mark your calendars and bring your appetite. Visit www.ncpotatofestival.com

How fitting that an Elizabeth City landmark, The Southern Hotel, is now a destination for shoppers seeking treasures that are steeped in southern traditions and charms. Next time you are in Downtown Elizabeth City, head to the corner of Main and Road streets for The Shoppes at the Southern Hotel for an unexpected shopping experience. Here, you'll find Serenity Studio Arts, an open art studio that offers everything from jewelry-making and stained glass workshops, to traditional art classes for children and adults; Floor 2 Ceiling Designs, a eclectic interior design and artsy home décor store; The Pasquotank Trading Company, featuring antique and name-brand vintage furnishings and accessories; The Treasure Hunter, another antique specialty store; The Final Touch Salon; and Spoonful of Sugar, a specialty bakery specializing in custom made, beautifully decorated sugar cookies. And mark your calendar for April 27. That's when The Shoppes at the Southern Hotel "Rocks the Block," with a fun-filled day of sales, classes, food, music and some awesome giveaways. Check the Shoppes' photo-packed facebook page for all the details. 

Elizabeth City is rich with scenic river views, a pretty downtown waterfront and a bevy of great sites that that focus on history, arts and science. So do you really need more excuses to visit? Let's just say our lively line-up of spring and early summer events is an added incentive. See what suits your fancy, and plan a weekend getaway soon!

• Port Discover Earth Day Festival, April 20. Celebrate our planet Earth and learn how to do right by the environment with demos, music and kids' activities. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mariners' Wharf.
• Downtown Waterfront Market, opens May 4. Shop the "bounty of the county" at this weekly outdoor market that features delicious home-grown produce and fresh fare from local farmers and food purveyors. Saturdays through October.
• Elizabeth City 300 National Truck & Tractor Pull, May 31-June 1. Features powerful vehicles and dirt-grinding action! Get your motor running. At Morgan's Corner.
• Taste of the Albemarle, June 1. Over 20 area restaurants prepare and serve their finest delights in an alfresco setting along the city's historic Main Street. A benefit for Arts of the Albemarle.
• Mariners' Wharf Film Festival, opens June 4. Enjoy classic movies on an outdoor screen, Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. in June and July. Check the website in a few weeks; this season's movie lineup will be posted May 1.
• Juneteenth Festival, June 15. A featured part of this annual celebration is the reading of the "Emancipation Proclamation," followed by speeches, songs and fellowship, along with delicious ethnic foods and more.

Elizabeth City is the "Harbor of Hospitality®," located in Northeastern North Carolina on the Intracoastal Waterway, halfway between Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks. Situated on the Pasquotank River, the city has six National Register Historic Districts and is home to the Museum of the Albemarle, The Center at Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City State University Planetarium, Port Discover Hands-on Science Center and one of the largest U.S. Coast Guard air stations in the Continental United States. Nature-based travelers are drawn to the area's proximity to Dismal Swamp and the abundance of outdoor recreational offerings. For additional information, call Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U (1-866-324-8948) or visit DiscoverElizabethCity.com. For up-to-the-minute info on happenings and events visit ElizabethCityHASIt.com.