Weekend Kickoff: Grand Openings in Downtown Edenton

COMPILED BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

Five new businesses will open this weekend in downtown Edenton.

Coastal Threads, Huckleberry Ice Crean Parlor and Kraken Coffeehouse will open at noon Saturday in The Brick, 211 S. Broad St., Edenton.

Kraken, which has three locations in northeastern North Carolina, will be open from 6 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday. The coffeehouse is the latest location for the business that first opened in Elizabeth City three years ago.

Coastal Threads offers men’s and women’s casual attire. Its business hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Carrozza, an Italian restaurant brought to Edenton by Herringbone Hospitality, will open at 11 a.m. Friday at 206 S. Broad St., Edenton, in the Taylor Theater building.

Saturday, the restaurant will be open from 11-6 p.m. Regular hours will be 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For information, visit carrozza-nc.com.

Down East Home, a store featuring home decor and more, will open in the Down East Preservation building at Broad Street. Some of the items are made by Down East Woodworks, which creates replicas of historic items and original, one-of-a-kind pieces.

“We wanted to touch the tourist market,” Down East co-owner Dawson Tyler said in an interview during the facility’s grand opening. “People can buy things in our shop that are made right here in northeastern North Carolina.”

According to the Edenton Chowan Chamber of Commerce, Lazlowe will have a soft opening Sunday. While we don’t know many details, we can say that the business is at 110 E. King St., Edenton, the former Edenton Tea Company site.

Regionally, the local NCWorks Career Centers, operated by the Northeastern Workforce Development Board, will host the Community Comeback Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the K.E. White Graduate Center in Elizabeth City. This event will feature employers, community resources and an opportunity to learn about the expungement process. It is free and open to the public.

For those who enjoy reading, writing and all things related to books, the Roanoke-Chowan Literary Festival will be held Friday and Saturday. Friday has many school-age activities along with a keynote address. While Saturday will feature several events at the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library.

The festival’s schedule includes:

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

Located at Edenton United Methodist Church

9 – 10 AM Coffee service and registration
10 AM – 10:30 AM Student Keynote: Junious “Jay” Ward
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Workshop 1: Poet Jay Ward
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Workshop 2: Illustrator Julia Townsend
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Workshop 3: Author Kathryn Wood
12 PM – 1 PM Lunch Break
1 PM – 3 PM Student Presentations
6 PM – 7 PM Keynote: Dr Jonathan Schroeder
7 PM – 7:30 PM Q&A
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Reception

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Located at Edenton Baptist Church, and Shepard-Pruden Libarary

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Coffee service and registration
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM General Welcome to Festival, Announcements, Introduction of Panelists
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM “Past Penmasters”: Burgwyn, Fletcher, and Harris (15 minutes for each panellist, then 15 minutes for Q & A)
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break, Restrooms
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Panellist: Jay Ward
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Panellist: Julia Townsend
12 PM – 12:15 PM Review of afternoon plan/options, Announcements about next year
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Lunch, Move to Shepard-Pruden Library
1:15 PM – 3:00 PM Author Book sales and signings, Announcements about next year

Below are many of the events happening in the region from April 4 to 11. Our events calendar lists these activities and more.

To add an item to our events calendar, email us at albemarle.observer@gmail.com or send us a direct message on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or NextDoor.

April 4, 2025

Community Comeback Fair — 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at K.E. White Graduate Center, ECSU, Elizabeth City. A job fair featuring community resources and an opportunity for justice-involved people to see whether they can work toward expunction.
Wizard of Oz — 7 p.m. at Perquimans High School, 305 S. Edenton Rd. St., Hertford.
Evening Under the Stars — 7-9 p.m. at the COA-Elizabeth City, campus. Features astronomy activities for all ages. Stop by before or after dark to enjoy a range of activities. COA will also provide telescopes.
Roanoke Chowan Literary Festival keynote speaker — 6 p.m. at Edenton United Methodist Church, 225 Virginia Road, Edenton. Admission is free and a reception will follow. Jonathan Schroeder will speak about the book “A True Story of Slavery: The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots,” by John S. Jacobs, the brother of Harriet Jacobs. The book is based on Jacobs’ unedited text that were restored by Schroeder.
2025 Cupola House Association Spring Speaker Series — 5:30-6:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 101 W. Gale St., Edenton. “Finding Corbin’s Colors: The Intriguing Results of Paint Detective Work at the Cupola House,” presented by Susan Buck, a conservator and paint analyst from Williamsburg, Va.
JAHHS Men’s Tennis — 4 p.m. will host DH Conley in Edenton.
JAHHS JV Baseball — 4:30 p.m. at Hicks Field. Will host Currituck.
JAHHS Softball — 5 p.m. at John A. Holmes’ softball field. Will host Currituck.
JAHHS Women’s Soccer — 5 p.m. in Edenton. Will host Hertford County High School.
JAHHS Varsity Baseball — 7 p.m. at Hicks Field, Edenton. Will host Currituck.

April 5, 2025

Chowan Arts Council — 6-10 p.m. New Orleans Gala at The Venue on Water St., Edenton. This fundraising event will feature music, dancing and more.
Mental Health First Aid Training — 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Edenton United Methodist Church, 225 Virginia Road, Edenton. Registration is free but limited to a maximum of 30 participants. Facilitated by Trillium, with lunch sponsored by ECU Health Chowan Hospital. To register, send a direct message via Facebook to Betsy Johnstone with your name and email address.
The Brick opening — Coastal Attire, Huckleberry’s Ice Cream Parlor and Kraken Coffeehouse will open in The Brick, 21 S. Broad St. Edenton.
Roanoke Chowan Literary Festival Community Day — 9 a.m.-noon at Edenton Baptist Church, 200 S. Granville St., Edenton. Meet authors Jim Clark, Kathryn Wood, Julia Townsend, Jay Ward and more from 1-3 p.m. at Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library. Free and open to the public.
Statewide Star Party — 7:30-9 p.m., Bertie Beach, 243 Bal Gra Road, Merry Hill. Pre-registration to the free event is appreciated by not mandatory. Call 252-287-9407 or send an email to katie.sanford@ncparks.gov with your name and the number in your party who will attend. Hosted by the NC Science Festival.
Live Auction — 3 p.m. at Durants Neck Ruritan Club, 2151 New Hope Rd., Hertford.
Wizard of Oz — 7 p.m. at Perquimans High School, 305 S. Edenton Rd. St., Hertford.
Healthy Soles 5K — 9 a.m. at NC Historical Sites Welcome Center. Race will start on East Gales Street, near St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Register at runtheeast.com. Proceeds will benefit the John A. Holmes High School’s Herren Project Club. Register at runtheeast.com

April 6, 2025

4th Anniversary Sunday Street Party — noon-4 p.m. on East King Street, Edenton. Celebrate Surf, Wind and Fire’s anniversary with food, music and more.

April 7, 2025

Board of Equalization and Review — 6 p.m. Public Safety center, 305 W. Freemason St., Edenton. The Chowan County board can hear appeals from taxpayers who own or control taxable property assed for taxation in Chowan County regarding the valuation of such property of the property of others. Requests for a hearing must be received by 5 p.m. May 5. Hearing requests should be made to Chowan County Board of Equalization and Review, c/o Chowan County Tax Department, PO Box 1030, Edenton NC 27932, or call (252) 482-8487.

April 8, 2025

COA Board of Trustees meeting — 5:30 p.m. COA – Elizabeth City, Building AE, Room 208.

April 9, 2025

COA Career Fair — noon-2 p.m. at COA – Elizabeth City, Building AE. Event is open to the public and features more than 30 employers.
COA Health Sciences/Wellness Programs Open House — 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at COA-Elizabeth City, Dr. Zack D. Owens Health Sciences Center. Register by going to bit.ly/45Zsxv2

April 10, 2025

Softball and Football Fundraiser — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. lunch; 4-7 p.m. dinner at the parking lot in front of Hicks Field along North Broad Street. The cost is $12 per plate and includes a raffle ticket. Catered by Captain Bob’s of Hertford, the meal will include pork chop plate with green beans, potatoes and hush puppies. Four tickets will be drawn after 7 p.m. for cash prizes ranging from $25 cash to $100 cash. For information, call or text Kristie Mize (252) 312-6426, JP Pippins (252) 562-2794, Jon Nixon (252) 312-8246) or Matt Brinson (336) 870-4093.
‘Estuaries’ release party — 4-6 p.m. COA-Dare, 205 US 64, Manteo. Event will include a discussion of the 2025 submissions by featured artists and writers.
Grand Opening Celebration — 5:30 p.m. at Broad Street Diner, 301 S. Broad St., Edenton.

April 11-12, 2025

Pilgrimage — The tour of historic private homes and sites in Chowan County will be held April 11-12. The event is hosted by the GFWC Edenton Woman’s Club. To purchase tickets or for information, visit gfwcedentonwomansclub.com
100 years of the Taylor Theater — 208 S. Broad St. Celebrate this downtown Edenton icon’s 100th anniversary by enjoying a free soft drink and popcorn with purchase of a movie ticket. Available to Pilgrimage visitors.
Music in the Courthouse — 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, 117 E. King St., Edenton. Nora Crouch owns and operates Rose Gate Studio in Hertford, where she teaches music and art to children and adults. “Fairesong” is her musical persona for performances with her favorite instruments, the hammered dulcimer and Celtic harp.

April 11, 2025

Fish Fry Lunch — 11 a.m.-2 p.m., downtown Edenton Waterfront, rainy day location 116 W. Albemarle St., Edenton. Hosted by the Fannie A. Parker Woman’s Club, the plate includes trout, green beans, coleslaw and hushpuppies. The cost is a $10 donation. For information and tickets, call Geraldine Hill, 252-331-9577 or Stella Brothers, 252-333-6410.
Fish Fry Dinner — 4:30-6 p.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church Parish Hall, 207 N. Broad St., Edenton. Hosted by Knights of Columbus, this meal includes catfish, hand-cut French fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. Cost is $15.
Boogie on Broad — 5-10 p.m. in downtown Edenton, on the first block of South Broad Street. Featuring free live music by the Adrian Duke Project, food trucks, and beer and wine for sale.

Albemarle Observer