56th National Sweet Potato Convention held in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington is the home to the 56th Annual National Sweet Potato Convention this year. It is bringing more than 600 people from all over the country.

This is a three day event that started Sunday and lasts until Tuesday.

Throughout the convention there will be a lot of activities planned including educational sessions, motivational speakers and production tips for sweet potato growers.

The Executive Director, Kelly Mciver, said this is one of her favorite times of the year.

“Really, it’s just about coming together, being with everyone. It’s like a big family reunion once a year. You get to see your friends from Mississippi, Louisiana, California all come together, enjoy one another. We learn something, we all just have a good time,” Mciver said.

Mciver said North Carolina represents more than one half of sweet potato production grown in the United States.

This convention has been held in Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville in the past, but organizers brought it to Wilmington this year to be closer to the shore.