Pender County Museum to debut “Deep Blue Roots” exhibit at NC Blueberry Festival
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — The Pender County Museum is set to debut a major new exhibit highlighting the region’s agricultural heritage during the North Carolina Blueberry Festival, before bringing it back to the Museum for a long-term display.
The exhibit, “Deep Blue Roots: The Early History of North Carolina Blueberries,” will open inside the historic Burgaw Depot, where the festival is dedicating its main hall to the museum for the special unveiling.
Museum officials say the exhibit traces the history of blueberries in the region—from wild berries that once grew in abundance across Carolina bay lands to the rise of a commercial blueberry industry in Pender, Duplin, Sampson, and Bladen counties. The display also highlights North Carolina’s role as the second place in the nation to develop blueberry cultivation, following breakthrough work by USDA botanist Dr. Frederick Coville.
The exhibit is based in part on new research from the Pender County Historical Society, which officials say reveals a deeper and more complex history of the industry than previously documented.
After the festival concludes on Saturday, June 20, the exhibit will move to the Pender County Museum in Burgaw, where it will remain on long-term display.
Admission to the museum is free, and it is located at 200 W. Bridges St. in Burgaw. Regular hours are Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with additional appointments available upon request.
Officials encourage residents and visitors to experience the exhibit and learn more about one of North Carolina’s most significant agricultural stories.
