WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The annual Fire in the Pines Festival is set to return to Halyburton Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The family-friendly environmental education festival aims to raise awareness about the importance of fire to forests in southeastern North Carolina and help people learn the need for controlled burns.

There will be interactive games, activities, and exhibits from local environmental groups, a beer garden, and food trucks at the free festival.

Guests can expect NC Forest Service fire equipment, firefighters and Smokey Bear, live music from the Folkstone String Ban, hay-ride tours through the park, raffles, a scavenger hunt, photo and art contest, guided hikes and plant walks, birds of prey, reptiles, snakes and other native animals and plants, and a controlled burn as the grand finale.

“The Fire in the Pines Festival is hosted by The Nature Conservancy, The NC Forest Service, the City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation Department and Coastal Land Trust. This festival is free for the community and would not be possible without our wonderful community support,” a festival announcement states.

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