Leland Celebrates 25th Anniversary Saturday

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Each year on the second Saturday in September, Leland invites the community to come together to celebrate the place they all call home.

This year marks a milestone for the town celebrating its 25th birthday.
It has a lot of folks reflecting on how much has changed in the gateway to Brunswick County.

There was not much to see when the town of Leland was born in 1989.

David Hollis, Leland Town Manager who was born and raised in Leland said, “when I was young there wasn’t a whole lot. Just a few grocery stores, and that was about it.”

But with the growth of neighborhoods, stores and restaurants, the population has rapidly increased.

“What was not a town at all, just a community, to a town of 16,000 people,” Hollis said.

If you see an aerial view of what Leland looked like in 1993, compare that to what it looks like now and you’ll see a big difference.

One resident said she enjoys the growth of Leland, but it’s important to keep the small town vibe.

Leland resident Nanci Lemanowicz said, “We live in Brunswick Forest. We just love being able to walk around, ride my bike, going to the pool, half hour away from the beach. It’s wonderful.”

To celebrate the milestone, Leland will host its free Founder’s Day event tomorrow at Brunswick Forest between 3 and 9 pm.
An all veterans parachute team will kick off Leland’s 25th birthday along with lots of entertainment, food and fireworks for the grand finale.

Many folks say the last 25 years have been very successful and hope the next 25 will be just as great.

“It would be nice to see more activities as far as stores and more restaurants. That’s a big thing,” said Lemanowicz.