AURORA – The population of the small Beaufort County town of Aurora swelled this weekend during the 18th annual Fossil Festival, a traditional Memorial Day weekend celebration in the area.

The event began Friday evening with opening ceremonies and musical entertainment, and continued Saturday with a full day of activities. The festival concluded Sunday with a church service and all-day gospel sing.

Planning for the festival began about six months ago, according to Wayne Sawyer, in his second year as chairman. Several dozen volunteers work diligently to make the festival a success each year, he added. The celebration is funded by the Aurora-Richland Township Chamber of Commerce and local sponsors.

A focal point of Saturday’s schedule was the Fossil Festival parade, which featured approximately 50 entries. For coordinator Gail Phelps, it’s a labor of love.

“I just enjoy the pleasure of doing the parade and the comments that people give about how good it is,” Phelps said as she supervised the line-up. “Everybody always tells us we do the best parades.”

Among those featured in this year’s parade were Thomas and Joan Walker, who were given the honorary titles of “Fossil Masters” for their work with past festivals. In fact, the Walkers chaired the first four events.

“The festival started in 1994 … they wanted to do something to try to build up Aurora, and fossils is what we have,” said Joan Walker, who admits that she often misses the hustle and bustle involved in organizing such an event. “Sometimes you wish you were still a part of it and then sometimes you’re glad you’re not!”

Walker recalled a comment made during a radio broadcast from one of the town’s earlier festivals.

“Someone asked me if I was picked to plan the festival because I was the oldest fossil in town,” she said with a laugh.

Joining the Walkers in Saturday’s parade were elected officials on the local and county level, Sudan Shriners, the Sassy Red Hat Fossils, American Red Cross Disaster Services, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League Inc., local Scouts, Navy Seabee Veterans of America and the chamber of commerce. Others included entries representing various civic, church, youth and school groups, as well as classic automobiles and the 82nd Airborne All American Band from Fort Bragg. Also joining the parade were fire and rescue units from Aurora, Richland, Blounts Creek and Chocowinity.

Since the festival is held Memorial Day weekend, organizers always include a salute to area veterans. This year’s festivities honored those who served the country with a breakfast and special presentation following the parade.

Other activities, held throughout the day Saturday, included bus tours of the PotashCorp mine, helicopter rides, children’s activities, live musical entertainment, car show, lawn mower pulls, petting zoo, marina events and lectures hosted by the Aurora Fossil Museum. Vendors offered everything from crafts, stuffed toys and souvenir t-shirts to homemade ice cream, funnel cakes and snow cones.

And no Fossil Festival would be complete without the opportunity to find your own perfect specimen. To that end, PotashCorp placed around town piles of reject material from its mines. Festival-goers who were lucky, and diligent, came away with shark teeth and other fossilized keepsakes.