Over the past year or so we have heard a lot in Oriental about tourism and how we have to promote it. Tourism, it is said, either will be or has been the economic salvation of the town.
When we arrived here, Oriental had for a number of years been a tourist destination on New Year's Eve. Families would come from all over Eastern North Carolina to see the running of the dragon about 8:00 p.m. Many adults of all ages would come for the first running of the dragon, have dinner at a local restaurant, reappear for the second running about 11:00 and stay for the lowering of the Croaker from the mast of a local sailboat at Town Dock.
It was a fun evening, in keeping with Oriental's quirky character.
A year ago at midnight, a crowd gathered at Town Dock expecting the Croaker to appear. They were disappointed.
This year, it seems there will be no 11:00 running of the dragon. There will probably be more disappointed visitors to Oriental.
Preparing and organizing events like the Croaker drop and Dragon Run involve a lot of planning, recruiting and coordinating for something that lasts only a few minutes. Those who enjoy the fun should make sure to thank the organizers and volunteer to help.
The event organizers might give some thought to establishing a permanent entity to be in charge and make sure such attractions continue in the future.
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