NC Blueberry Festival estimates record attendance, begins discussions for 2027
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — The 23rd annual North Carolina Blueberry Festival has wrapped up in Burgaw, and organizers are already looking ahead to next year to make the event even better.
Festival organizers estimate approximately 35,000 – 40,000 people attended the 2026 event.
While the festival is not a ticketed event and there are many points of entry, the attendance estimate is based on several factors. Those factors include drone footage, cell phone activity data, shuttle ridership, event participation numbers, and observations from public safety and festival staff.
Festival Cleanup
Officials said cleanup began immediately as the festival closed at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Once attendees have cleared the streets, festival staff, board members, and volunteers began the process of breaking down the event.
A festival spokesperson said equipment provided by White Tractor and Nash Equipment, including tractors and forklifts, allowed crews to efficiently move large items such as security fencing, picnic tables, barricades, and other infrastructure. All equipment was removed from the streets and temporarily staged at the festival office parking lot overnight.
Early Sunday morning, Low Tide Pressure Washing cleaned the pavement in the food truck area to remove any debris left behind from food service operations.
On Monday, festival staff, town workers and volunteers continued the process of returning equipment to storage trailers, organizing supplies and more.
Officials said all festival equipment was packed away by Tuesday.
Cell phone service during the festival
Some attendees reported spotty cell phone service during the 2026 festival.
The festival said in previous years, Verizon provided a Cell on Wheels (COW) unit at no cost to help increase capacity.
This year, Verizon was unable to provide a COW but did provide supplemental satellite-based support.
AT&T also supplied a mobile cellular tower to assist with network demand.
Officials said while these resources helped, the volume of users exceeded normal network capacity at times. Some attendees experienced difficulty making calls, sending texts, or processing electronic payments. Other vendors reported little to no disruption, depending on their service provider and point-of-sale system. Multiple ATMs were available throughout the festival and were restocked as needed throughout the day.
Non-profit booths
After the festival, some social media users questioned why the North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans group was allowed to have a booth at the event.
The group posted on their Facebook page and said in part, “We stayed constantly busy all day with selling our shirts and things. The day was clear with the temp reaching 90 degrees. We gave away hundreds of bottles of cold water. We also gave away a thousand stick fans with our camp and logo. We had a dozen men leave their info wanting to join up.”
A festival spokesperson said, “The NC Blueberry Festival maintains a standard application process for nonprofit organizations seeking booth space at the event. Organizations that meet the festival’s nonprofit participation criteria may apply through that process. The Sons of Confederate Veterans submitted an application and qualified under the festival’s established nonprofit guidelines. Their application was processed in the same manner as other nonprofit applicants.”
Potential changes for 2027
Organizers said each year they evaluate the festival to identify opportunities for improvement.
While festival staff are still conducting their post-event review, several areas are already being discussed.
Organizers are already discussing ways to improve communication regarding cell service limitations, enhance traffic and pedestrian flow, and continue improving vendor and attendee experiences.
Officials add that the record attendance of the 2026 event demonstrated the continued growth and popularity of the NC Blueberry Festival.
