On Saturday, November 14, food trucks fill Walter B. Jones Park at 2 Governmental Ave. in Havelock from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Generators will be running, retail tents will be weighted down against the wind, and the Greater Havelock Area Chamber of Commerce will have decided where every vendor parks.
That last detail matters most. Before a single truck pulls in, the Chamber has already picked how many of each cuisine come and where each one sits. Those choices decide what your lunch looks like, so they're worth knowing before you go.
Two or three of a kind, then the door closes
The Chamber hosts the festival twice a year, in April and November, together with the City of Havelock. Its vendor rules, posted on the festival's Givebutter page, limit how many vendors of any one kind can sign up:
"To ensure a fair opportunity for all vendors, we will accept a maximum of 2-3 vendors within the same or similar category. Once that category has reached its limit, we will no longer accept additional applications for vendors offering similar products or services."
For this fall, several categories hit that limit well before the event. Here's where they stood on the Chamber's page in late October:
| Category | Status for November 14 |
|---|---|
| Drinks | Full |
| Shaved ice | Full |
| Ice cream | Full |
| BBQ | Full |
| Mexican/Hispanic | Full |
| Filipino | One spot still open |
| Crochet | Full |
| 3-D printing | Full |
When BBQ shows "full," it means two or three BBQ trucks have signed up. The same goes for shaved ice and ice cream. Every category that fills up leaves room for a truck selling something else, and that's how the lineup ends up varied.
The Chamber also decides who parks next to whom
The cap controls how many of each kind come. The parking plan controls where they end up. Vendors can't pick their spots. The Chamber says it assigns spaces "to properly distribute vendors throughout the festival" and to keep "similar food trucks or retail businesses from being clustered together." Vendors get their assignments by email after the event map is finished, about a week before the festival.
On the day, that means the two or three BBQ trucks will probably be parked apart, and so will the taco trucks. Whatever you're hungry for at 11:15 may be at the far end of the park from where you came in. Before you get in a line, walk the full loop of trucks, because the layout is built to spread similar food across the whole park.
What fits inside the park
Walter B. Jones Park has room for 34 food trucks, 60 retail vendors and 2 beer vendors, according to the Chamber's FAQ. For comparison, WCTI12's preview of the November 2025 festival reported about 30 trucks, so last fall came close to that limit.
There's room for two beer vendors, but the page doesn't say who they are or confirm they'll be selling.
The 60 retail spots work under a separate rule. The Chamber asks retail vendors and nonprofits not to sell food or drinks during the festival, which leaves the eating to the trucks. The one exception is bakeries, which can sign up as retail vendors and sell baked goods and bread. If you see someone selling loaves between the crochet and 3-D printing tables, that's the bakery exception.
Four hours this fall, five last spring
The fall festival runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The spring festival on Saturday, April 25, 2026, ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The same number of truck spots now has one less hour, so lunch will be busier. Arriving close to 11 gives you the most choice before lines form.
The power setup matters too. The park doesn't provide electricity, so every truck brings its own generator, and retail vendors need one if they use power.
Then there's the weather. The festival goes on rain or shine. Only severe or hazardous weather would move it, and the backup date is Saturday, November 21, 2026. A gray, drizzly day on November 14 still means a festival. If a real storm is forecast, keep the following Saturday open.
Getting in, paying, and the "Donate & Tickets" button
The Givebutter page has a "Donate & Tickets" button that can look like an admission charge. The Chamber's own wording explains it. Sponsors are told to click it and then choose "I'd just like to donate." In late October, that fundraiser showed $11,065 raised toward a $12,000 goal from 64 supporters. The law firm Ward and Smith is sponsoring this year and announced it in an October 19, 2026 post.
The fall 2026 listing doesn't list an admission or parking price. Recent festivals were free to attend. WCTI12 reported in April 2026 that the spring festival had free admission and plenty of parking. In WCTI12's November 2025 video preview, the Chamber's executive director said admission and parking were free and told visitors to bring money for food and crafts. If you have a question about this year's terms, call the Chamber at 252-447-1101.
The park is on Governmental Avenue off Highway 70, and that same WCTI12 video describes it as being by the police station.
The lineup is still being filled
Late vendor registration runs from November 1 to November 12, closing at 4 p.m. That leaves two days before the gates open, so the lineup can change during the week of the festival. The Chamber says it will post the participating trucks, retail vendors and live entertainment on the Havelock Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
Last November's festival gives an idea of what to expect, though it doesn't confirm anything for this year. The Chamber's October 2025 announcement listed live music, lawn games and activities for all ages for the November 15, 2025 festival, with Elijah Harris as headliner. WCTI12's preview that week also mentioned crafts and free face painting. Who performs on November 14 is up to the Chamber.
Next up: two parades and Candlelight
After the food trucks, the next big Saturday in eastern Craven County is three weeks later. Three events fall on the first two Saturdays of December:
- Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. The City of New Bern Christmas Parade starts on George Street near the police department and runs through downtown on George and Pollock streets.
- Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. The City of Havelock Christmas Parade comes down East Main Street with the theme "Christmas Storybook & Movie Magic." For entry information, call 252-444-6429.
- Saturday, December 12, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tryon Palace lists Candlelight Night One at the palace in New Bern.
The Havelock parade starts at 10 a.m. and Candlelight doesn't open until 3:30 p.m., so you can catch the floats on East Main Street and still get to the palace in New Bern for the afternoon.
If you're thinking about putting down roots near Walter B. Jones Park, Vicki Lemmond can show you how state programs could lower your upfront costs. See if you qualify for NC Home Advantage.
