Four Oaks Celebrates Successful Acorn Festival And Autofest

FOUR OAKS, N.C. – Downtown Four Oaks was filled with classic cars, vendors, music and families Sept. 12 for the 37th Annual Four Oaks Acorn Festival and Autofest.

Mayor Mike Hines opened the festival, followed by the National Anthem performed by Reba Denning.

The downtown marketplace included 66 vendors offering handcrafted items, local products and services, along with food trucks and concession vendors.

Families also packed the Brightspeed Kid Zone, which featured unlimited rides, the Smithfield Tobs Speed Pitch, face painting and visits with Drama Mama’s Llamas.

Camp Flintlock offered hands-on children’s activities, musket demonstrations and traditional drum and fife performances.

Entertainment began with performances by the newly crowned Four Oaks Queens. The Sum Divide, featuring Jodi Howe and Jeff Tallman, performed during the morning, while Rockin Dickie & the Davidettes took the stage later in the day.

Autofest Winners

The Autofest brought classic cars, trucks and antique tractors to downtown Four Oaks, with awards presented in several categories.

Daylon Lynch won Best in Era for 1940s and earlier with a 1932 Ford Truck.

Charlie Seaburg won the 1950-1959 category with a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, while Milhar Yelverton won the 1960-1969 division with a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner.

Dexter Perry took the 1970-1979 award with a 1971 Volkswagen Squareback. Bobby Whitman won the 1980 and later category with a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6.

Johnny Wiggins received the People’s Choice Award for his 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air.

The Best in Show award went to Phil Falconer for his 1969 Ford Bronco.

Trevor Webb received the Antique Tractor People’s Choice Award for his 1953 Case SC tractor.

The Southland Car Club was also recognized for having the largest number of participants representing a car club.

New Health Fair Added

New to this year’s festival was the Four Oaks Chamber Foundation Health Fair, which connected families with health, wellness and safety resources.

“The Acorn Festival and Autofest is truly a community effort,” Four Oaks Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joan Pritchett said. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated, volunteered, sponsored and attended. Their support made this year’s festival a wonderful celebration of everything that makes Four Oaks such a special place.”

Organizers said planning will now turn toward next year’s Acorn Festival and Autofest.