LUMBERTON, NC – A “Fit Tuesday Chamber Mixer” on Tuesday night kicked off a series of Rumba on the Lumber events in Lumberton. The event at Crossfit QFE on 24th Street hosted by Southeastern Health and the Robeson Road Runners included food, drinks, drawings and entertainment.
The following is a press release from the Robeson Road Runners:
This year’s Rumba on the Lumber Festival promises to be a fun-filled weekend of music, good food, great races, rides, other active competitions and free kids activities. So plan to enjoy yourself from the Friday night Pasta Party & Dance through all of the events on the Downtown Lumberton Plaza on Saturday and finishing with the cycling events out at the Northeast Park on Sunday.Friday, March 3
Friday night’s Allen Orthopedic Pasta Party and Dance begins the weekend festivities. From 5:00 to 8:00 PM, you can come to the Bill Sapp Center and dine on Chef Lester’s delicious pasta while listening to the dulcet tones of accordionist Betty Fisher. At 7:30, Gary Lowder and Smokin’ Hot will begin, and they will play their trademark collection of dancin’ grooves until 10:00. So bring your appetite and your dancing shoes!Saturday, March 4
Of course Saturday is the big day in downtown Lumberton for the festival. From Water Street to Chestnut Street, and throughout the Downtown Plaza there will be wall-to-wall activities all day long. The streets will be lined with food vendors galore, as well as craft, art, business and non-profit booths both local and regional.
Saturday’s activities begin at 9:00 AM with the Southeastern Health 5K & 10K races. At 11:00, the Southeastern Health Free Family Fun Mile will begin. Walkers and runners of all abilities are welcome! So come on out and be actively involved, or come to cheer on all the participants.
Meanwhile downtown around the Plaza, all of the vendors will be open from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. From burgers to gyros and beyond, you’ll be sure to find culinary delights to keep you munching all day long. Also, the craft, art, non-profit and business booths will be open with many exciting things to buy and things to learn about.
If you (or your kids!) want to get active, the free Lumbee River EMC Kids Zone will also be open from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. With bungee trampolines, bounce houses, giant slides, a rock wall, a basketball throw, and more, you can imagine the fun you’ll have all around the Plaza.
From 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM you won’t want to miss the Michelob Ultra North of the Border Chili Cook-Off located in the parking lot at 3rd and Water Streets. This is the biggest Chili Cook-Off in all of North Carolina, with over 30 teams competing for such awards as, “Weirdest Ingredient,” “Hottest Chili,” and “Best Chili in Town.” Braggin’ rights are on the line, and your admission to the Cook-Off entitles you to taste all of the Chili concoctions as well as sample products provided by RA Jeffreys Distributing. While you are in Chilitown, you’ll enjoy the jumpin’, swingin’, blues quartet: Smitty and the JumpStarters. All proceeds from the Chili Cook-Off go to support the Lumberton Football Association.
At 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, be sure to stop by The Rumba Games in the lot right next to Candy Sue’s Restaurant on 3rd Street. This year The Rumba Games is an exhibition at which local teams will compete in Robeson County’s premier test to find the Fittest in Robeson. This team exhibition will test the toughest athletes around and also be a thrilling experience for spectators.
The inaugural concert at the Southeastern Health Performance Shelter on the Lumberton Downtown Plaza will be at 3:00. Sponsored by WKML, the show will feature country music’s Love & Theft, playing power acoustic versions of their hits from their albums World Wide Open and Love & Theft. This duo will rock the house!
Head on over to Candy Sue’s Restaurant from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM to sample North Carolina craft beers and wines at the first ever Rumba on the Lumber Craft Brew & Wine Festival. For your admission price, you’ll use your personal 2-ounce tasting stein to sample over 30 beers and wines from 9 breweries and wineries. Please note that this event is open only to those 21 years of age and older!Sunday, March 6th
Cycling events at the Northeast Park begin at noon. At 12:00, you can take off on the Yamaha of Lumberton’s Metric Century (100K!). At 1:30, you can ride in the Cruzbike 20-Mile Bicycle Adventure. At 3:30, you and all the members of your family can ride in the Bicycle Shop of Fayetteville’s Free Family Fun 5K. So bring your bicycle and your helmet, and be ready to cruise through the beautiful Robeson County Countryside.
So as you can see, the weekend presented by the Robeson Road Runners will be active and fun and full of surprises! Bring the family and have a great time in Lumberton!
