ORIENTAL'S ANNUAL BOAT SHOW

Photo Courtesy of TownDock.net

The Oriental Rotary Club will hold their 4th Annual In-Water Boat Show this coming weekend at Pecan Grove Marina here in Oriental North Carolina. Rooms are still available for the 13th and the 15th and our Oriental NC hotel is within walking distance of the show, so call River Neuse Suites to book your room for a great weekend!

Pecan Grove Marina is just over the Oriental bridge - less than a mile from our hotel. A water taxi will provide free shuttle services to and from the Oriental harbor and Pecan Grove if you prefer not to walk or drive.

The boat show runs from Friday the 13th through Sunday the 15th. Warm weather and lots of sunshine is predicted for the three day show and vendors are expecting a great turn out. There will be informative classes, talks and demonstrations, as well as boats, food and merchandise for sale.

Last year's show was a huge success with over seventy-five vendors. Proceeds from the show go toward the Rotary Club's Scholarship Fund which helps local high school students realize their dream of a college education.

The show is pet friendly (as are most venues in Oriental) so bring the family - including the four legged members - and come enjoy a relaxing, informative weekend.

Oriental's Annual Dog Parade

Yes, as hokey as it may sound, the Annual Dog Parade is a very big deal here in Oriental. Just ask the 80+ pups who turned out last year to strut their stuff for the judges as they vied for a variety of awards.

Oriental has long been a dog lover's haven. There are no leash laws in the village so dogs are free to visit folks all through town. They will soon make you their new best friend, especially if you happen to have a dog biscuit handy. Everyone in town knows all the local four legged characters that stop to greet you with a doggy grin and a wagging tail. Restaurants and shops even keep water bowls on their porches and treats inside for all the tail-wagging celebs that instinctively know which business is an easy touch for that extra gourmet doggie biscuit.

If you love dogs, you have to come down Saturday, March 31st for the Annual Dog Parade which is an absolute hoot! Last year, with over 80 entries, the parade was fun to watch and fun to participate in. There are many categories for awards with "Most Bribed" being the favorite - or at least the most talked about! Folks cheer their favorites on while "impartial" judges decide who gets top honors in the best dressed, friendliest, best in show and other categories. It's a fun filled day for all creatures, two-legged as well as four and, if you've never been to Oriental before, this is a great weekend to come enjoy the parade, bike or stroll through the village, check out the scenic water views and eat some fabulous fresh seafood!

Registration is from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. with the parade following immediately afterwards at 11:00. The awards ceremony takes place at noon and the festivities are in Lou Mac Park on Oriental's beautiful waterfront.

Put March 10th on Your Calendar for Fun in Oriental

The Annual Chowder Cook Off, sponsored by the Oriental Woman's Club, will be held on March 10th, from 11:30 to 1:30 just around the corner from our waterfront hotel. Grab your significant other and come enjoy an unseasonably mild winter while you spoon up some of the best tasting chowder around. Proceeds from the event help provide scholarships to local high school students. The event takes place just around the corner from our hotel in Oriental and competition between the many cooks is stiff. From clam chowder to seafood chowder with every sea creature thrown into the mix, the chowder tasting is definitely the best deal in town.

And if you come down for the weekend, there's lots more fun going on. The Farmer's Market will be held beside the harbour on Saturday morning with their usual offerings from local artists, craftspersons and food vendors. Everything from freshly baked breads to pottery items to freshly laid eggs can be found at our intimate Farmer's Market.

Since our weather has been so mild, why not take a boating trip while you're here and enjoy our wide waters? Captain Jim Edwards from Bow to Stern Yacht Services will take your party out on the water where you can watch for dolphins or explore distant shores.

And on Saturday evening, at 7:30, the Old Theatre Corporation presents Marie Josee Lord in concernt. This award winning, nationally known Soprano will be in concert for a Sunday performance as well.

River Neuse Suites Participates in 2012 Wedding Expo

River Neuse Suites is an ideal waterfront hotel in Oriental for intimate destination weddings and we want to tell everyone about it. So, we are participating in this year's Bridal Expo being held in New Bern, North Carolina to get the word out to prospective brides and wedding planners.

Our lovely, fourteen room boutique hotel is located next to the Neuse River with an unbeatable four mile wide water view. And we offer a one-of-a-kind package deal for wedding parties. If your bridal party, wedding guests, or family and friends book our fourteen rooms we give you free use of our lawn overlooking the river. There is no fee to the bride other than a refundable cleaning deposit.

River Neuse Suites is also the only hotel in Oriental that is near Lou Mac park which is also right on the water. If brides choose to do so, they may hold the wedding ceremony in the park (which is also free of charge) and stroll to the hotel afterwards for a fun-filled reception on our lawn.

If you can't make the expo on the 22nd of January at the convention center in New Bern, just check out the wedding section on our hotel website and be sure to view the video at the bottom of the page from the Nelson wedding to see just how lovely a wedding and reception in Oriental North Carolina can be!

An Oriental, NC Christmas Card

From all of us at River Neuse Suites-- a merry Christmas!

Spirit Of Christmas - December 9th and 10th

This would be a great weekend to come experience Oriental as it presents the Annual Spirit of Christmas - an extrordinary, two day celebration of friendship and old time hospitality. The Spirit of Christmas is considered by many to be a showcase of Oriental's laid back, friendly style.

River Neuse Suites Is All Dressed Up for Christmas!

Every year, on the second weekend in December, Oriental merchants, churches and civic groups put on a dazzling display of fun, food and musical entertainments unlike any other. And, there's a parade, a lighted flotilla and a live nativity as well.

There's laughter in the air as friends old and new greet one another. And just at dusk, as if by magic, the three thousand plus luminaries that line the streets are brought to life by "Santa's Elves." It's an enchanting sight that recalls Christmases past spent with family and loved ones.

And the food! You'll find an incredible array of complimentary goodies, from gourmet cookies and chicken soup to roasted chestnuts and sliders. Visitors and townsfolk alike stroll from merchant to merchant to greet one another and graze on the delectible goodies.

There are musical presentations throughout the village. The Pamlico Chorale presents its annual Christmas program on Friday night at 7:30 and again Saturday night at 8:00. This 60+ member group draws a standing room only crowd each year. But they're only the beginning. Various musicians of different styles play throughout the village all weekend. Programs are available at all merchants so that you don't miss anything!

The fun begins at dusk on Friday, December 9th with a lighted flotilla that cruises up the Neuse River to dock at the town dock where sing-along caroling takes place and the Spirit of Christmas Star is lit. And the fun continues all day Saturday with the parade, open house at area merchants and a live children's nativity. The Gingerbread House competition is judged on Saturday as well. Be sure to stop by and cast your vote for the best creation!

And here at River Neuse Suites we'll be inviting folks in for a cup of gourmet seafood chowder. Our Oriental NC hotel is a great spot to use as your base as you stroll to all the activities and attractions. We're withing walking distance of all the events plus you'll have a front row seat for the lighted flotilla as it passes up the majestic Neuse River in front of the hotel. Rooms start as low as $99 per night - plus we'll apply a 10% discount to guests who follow our blog.

So come on down and join us for a weekend of old time, small town hospitality! We'll be waiting!

Nicholas Sparks Chooses Oriental NC for the Setting of his Latest Book

The residents here in our charming fishing village were pleasantly surprised when they recently learned that Nicholas Sparks' new best seller is set right here in Oriental, North Carolina.

The famed author of "Nights In Rodanthe," from which the movie starring Richard Gere was sprung, was in nearby New Bern last week for a book signing. Lines snaked throughout the New Bern Mall as hundreds of fans showed up for a signed copy of Sparks' latest success.

Oriental mayor, Bill Sage, is contacting Mr. Sparks' agent in hopes that the author will agree to come to Oriental for either a book signing or other event. "We're all looking forward to the publicity that his new book will focus on our village," one resident reported.

And it's true. Oriental is such a charming town that we're sure visitors who have read the book will enjoy coming here and having coffee at The Bean and visiting other shops and restaurants where Sparks' main characters can be found in the pages of his new best seller.

We invite you to our hotel here in Oriental, North Carolina for a taste of the tale that Sparks' has spun in his new book, "The Best of Me."