THE PEANUT PARADE & FESTIVAL
PEANUT PARADE, NUT RUN, CUPOLA MARKET and CAC GALA in PICTURES
Yes, dear readers...I will say that there is no shortage of seduction, skin and sheets in this movie,.... Adachi.
THE NUT RUN
Many Costumed Nuts Ran Like Shells Never to Crack at the Finish...
The Nut Run’s 15K Nutty Challenge tested runners who completed both the 10K and 5K races, with their combined times determining the standings. Mark Cagle, 57, of Belhaven, captured first place overall in 1:04:31.46. Edenton’s Ryland Elliott, 38, finished second in 1:06:33.52, followed by ...
THE SACK RACES
Adult Sack Race Participation Increases Competition...
Age and size no barriers as sack race hosts
Kids of all ages enjoyed this year's sack races. This year saw an expanded field of racers, obviously taken in by the success of last year's race. Along with toddlers, this year's competition sprouted a larger group of adult competitors participating.
PEANUT PARADE
Peanut Parade Marches Edenton Into Fall ...
The rain held off Saturday as Edenton welcomed the spirit of fall when the 51st annual Peanut Parade and Festival brought runners, tractors, colorful floats and families together for a day celebrating community and Chowan County’s agricultural heritage.
COLONIAL MARKET
Colonial Market Brings Artisans and Collectors to Cupola House Gardens
When the floats and tractors finished their journey down Broad Street Saturday, visitors kept the celebration going with a stop at the Cupola House Colonial Market. It turned out to be another amazing shopping experience on Broad St. where shopping among the creative artisans turned into lengthy conversation.
CAC 50 GALA EVENT
A Golden Evening Celebrates 50 Years of the Chowan Arts Council
Beneath a white tent glowing with strings of lights, the Chowan Arts Council celebrated its 50th anniversary Saturday evening, with a Golden Gala that brought art enthusiasts, auction supporters and a wonderful group of well dressed tent full of community members enjoying an evening of entertainment.
ADACHI REVIEWS VERITY
You may consider leaving Mother at home...
By Darryl Adachi
If you are an Anne Hathaway fan, 2026 is turning out to be a bonanza year for you. You may have read my reviews of The Devil Wears Prada, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street. In one, Anne plays a charmingly efficient problem solver for a major fashion magazine. In another, she is the long-suffering wife of a Trojan War hero trying to find his way home. And in yet another, she goes head-to-head with dinosaurs in an effort to save her family after their neighborhood is catapulted 100 million years into the past.
These are remarkably diverse roles for one actor to tackle in a single year. What else could she possibly do, I wondered? Apparently, quite a lot more.
Verity, now playing at the Taylor, tells the story of Verity Crawford, a best-selling novelist who has suffered a devastating car accident that has left her catatonic and unresponsive. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer who is offered a lucrative opportunity to serve as a ghostwriter, completing the remaining books in Verity’s popular series. She accepts the assignment and moves into the Vermont home of Verity and her husband, Jeremy Crawford, where she begins sorting through Verity’s mountain of notes, drafts and ideas.
While staying at the Crawford home, Lowen grows close to Jeremy and the couple’s young son, Crew. Before long, she and Jeremy develop a mutual attraction and begin an affair. Then, while working through Verity’s papers, Lowen discovers a hidden, unpublished autobiographical manuscript written by Verity herself.
The manuscript contains disturbing confessions, including passages describing Verity’s deep resentment toward her children, one of whom had previously drowned in a boating accident. Horrified by what she has read, Lowen shares the manuscript with Jeremy. It is at this point that the movie shifts from a slow-burning examination of the Crawford family dynamic and Lowen’s developing relationship with Jeremy into a bona fide mystery thriller.
That said, for the benefit of those reading this review, I should probably be more precise: Verity is an erotic mystery thriller.
Yes, dear readers. While the Taylor has entertained us this year with superheroes, characters from classical literature, and the bond between a man and his dog, our movie-going community has apparently ventured into the realm of — dare I say it? — s-e-x in films.
I will say that there is no shortage of seduction, skin and sheets in this movie, an observation that is, of course, relative depending on one’s views on the subject. I tend to draw the line on films like this by asking myself, “Would I be comfortable watching this movie with my teenage son or daughter sitting next to me — or, worse yet, my mother-in-law?”
You be the judge.
The film quickly evolves into a series of surprising revelations, an ill-advised attempt to resolve an emerging problem, and, ultimately, a denouement that leaves you questioning just about everything that came before it. The movie runs two hours, but it sometimes feels as though everything that really needs to be seen happens in the final 20 minutes.
I won’t deny that parts of the film are left unresolved and open to interpretation. In fact, as I sit here writing this review, I find myself wondering what really happened.
For those who enjoy heading out after a movie and discussing it over a cup of coffee, that can be a good thing. Some movies are meant simply to entertain us. Others are more ambiguous and multi-layered, forcing us to debate what actually happened and what it all means.
Verity falls into that latter category.
For those who gravitate toward this type of film, it may certainly be worth a visit to the Taylor this week. However, you might want to consider leaving Mother at home.
Colonial Market Brings Crafts and Community to Cupola House Gardens
When the floats and tractors finished their journey down Broad Street Saturday, visitors kept the celebration going with a stop at the Cupola House Colonial Market. It turned out to be another amazing shopping experience on Broad St. where shopping among the creative artisans turned into lengthy conversation.
The third annual market was organized by the Cupola House Association in conjunction with Edenton’s Peanut Festival weekend, the event offered a convenient place to browse before and after the parade.
Beneath vendor canopies, tables displayed jewelry, artwork, books and decorative items. The Cupola House Association displayed kitchen towels almost too pretty to use. Old North Pewter offered a number of pieces with a story to tell. Seasonal wreaths hung overhead at the Edenton Woman’s Club booth, where necklaces, bracelets and earrings invited a closer look. Members wearing club aprons greeted visitors amid displays that ranged from framed art to holiday decorations.
Nearby, Julia Townsend of The Peanut Factory offered a creative example of giving discarded materials a second life. Green, amber and clear drinking glasses made from recycled bottles stood in rows beside mesh bags of tumbled glass. A sign explained that the organization recycled Edenton’s glass waste into drinking glasses, connecting local craftsmanship with resourcefulness.
The market also gave its youngest visitors an opportunity to create something of their own. At a craft table, children leaned over brown paper bags, carefully adding decorations with colorful markers. Stickers, yarn and a basket of beads spread across the table offered plenty of possibilities, while adults helped nearby.
Those small moments added to the market’s appeal: children concentrating on their projects, shoppers examining jewelry and neighbors pausing to talk beneath the canopies.
GFWC Edenton’s Woman’s Club First Vice President Karen Parks offered one of the high points of the market. Ham and Biscuit sandwiches, prepared by Jerry Parks disappeared as rapidly as they were offered.
Before the event, organizers reported that vendor participation had grown each year and anticipated filling the garden to capacity. Saturday’s varied displays offered visitors opportunities to find a gift, or simply enjoy browsing.
The historic surroundings gave the marketplace a character of its own. Built in 1758 by Francis Corbin, the Cupola House overlooks Edenton Bay. Its preservation grew from a community effort in 1918, and the restored house and formal gardens provided a fitting backdrop for an event that brought local organizations, vendors and families together.
With the 51st annual Peanut Parade traveling south along Broad Street toward the waterfront, the market was a natural next stop. Its afternoon hours gave parade goers time to linger and explore.
Across downtown, the festival’s lineup also included the Farmers Market, educational booths and food trucks on East King Street, and “Peanuts on Porches” musical performances near the Courthouse Green.
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