Nothing to do in Laurinburg?

The 13,000 or so people who visited the John Blue Cotton Festival over the past two days might suggest otherwise.

The event — in its 26th year — offered a wide assortment of things to do, see and eat.

Of course, the festival would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the hundreds of volunteers who will be busy planning next year's festival in a few weeks.

Included among those volunteers is the festival’s steering committee. We named the committee members in a special section on the festival on Friday. We will do it again here. They are: Rebecca Blue (Festival Chair, House Tours); Jim Walker (Committee Vice-Chair, Tractors/Engines); Jim Blue (Children's Games, Entertainment, Grounds); Juanita Bowen (Old Timey Games); Leon Butler (Security, Parking); Sandy Carter (Old Timey Church Service); Harold Connors (Children's Games); Whit Gibson (Children's Games, Grounds, Past-Chair, Entertainment); Roylin Hammond (Parking & Security Chair); Lloyd Hinson (Entertainment Chair); Andy Ingram (Festival Secretary/Treasurer); Leigh Ingram (Vendors); Gene Ivey (Antique Engines & Tractors); Allen Johnson (Publicity, Grounds); J.P. Locklear (General Grounds);Clyde Marsh (Publicity, Children's Games, Grounds); R.F. “Mutt” McCoy (Honorary); Jenny Minnick (Web site);Tasha Oxendine (Publicity, Youth, Vendor Hospitality); Kylee Patterson (Past Youth Representative, Festival Store); Tish Patterson (Vendor Hospitality, Festival Store); Erin Shelley (Youth Representative, Vendor Hospitality, Festival Store); Jessica Shelley (Youth Representative, Vendor Hospitality, Festival Store); Nancy Shelley (Gate,Vendor Hospitality); John F. Stewart (John Blue Grist Mill-Corn Meal)

To them we say thank you for a job well done.

And we have a lot to be thankful for. The festival allows us to showcase Scotland County’s rich history by focusing on businessman and inventor John Blue and his contributions to agriculture.

We also get the chance to attract some much-needed tourism dollars. It is hard to argue with vendors and visitors spending money not only at the festival but in and around Laurinburg.

So if you were feeling Blue this weekend, good for you — more importantly good for all of us.