There’s no need to drive to Raleigh to see quality performances. On Nov. 5, Diamond Rio’s tour will stop in Surf City to kick off the inaugural Surf City Live concert. With major sponsorship from Corona Seltzer and a variety of local sponsors, Surf City Live “will bring concerts back home,” said Surf City Councilman Jeremy Shugarts. “Surf City seeks to expand events during the months...

The last nest laid on Topsail has hatched and hopefully a good portion of those babies made it out to the Sargasso Sea where they’ll spend the next year or so. Our recent admits have been victims of entanglements with fishing gear, mostly nets, and boat strikes. Some will be with us over the winter but thankfully most of them are short-timers that we will release soon along with several patients already given their...

BURGAW- The two-time nationally awarded Ghost Walk: Ghosts of Pender’s Past returns for a hauntingly good fifth season. For two nights, Oct. 21-22, the Burgaw Cemetery, located at 400 N. Wright St., will be alive with ghosts, haints, and pirates who tell no tales. Tours start at 6 p.m. nightly. “We have new ghost stories that will cause you to look under the bed at night,” said Stephanie Key, art...

There’s a hidden gem in Pender County, standing at the corner of W. Bridgers and N. Dudley, filled with a treasure trove of information and local history. This gem is the Pender County Museum, operated by volunteers of the Pender County Historical Society. “The historical society celebrated the 100th anniversary of the house in 2017,” said Jeanette Jones, a board member and former president of...

Willard is home to a destination that sings in color. That’s how David Johnson describes the gardens and nursery at Johnson Nursery, “will be singing in color.” The business is growing at 985 Johnson Nursery Rd., just off Interstate 40. One of the largest commercial growers in the state, Johnson Nursery opened a retail garden center with a beautiful variety of 1,400 varieties of annuals, perennials,...