2026 is the 47th year that the folks of Piney Grove Baptist Church in the Farm Life Community near Williamston, NC, have been performing this 90-minute outdoor drama of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

North Carolina loves its outdoor dramas. Every year, our hometown folks pour their time and talent into this production that feels every bit as grand as a big city show, sharing a powerful story with all who come to listen.

In its first few years, The Message of Easter was performed on the lawn. Now visitors enjoy the performances in a large outdoor theater that seats 3,000 folks with special lighting, surround sound, and ample parking. And all this is offered at no charge.

Big buses often roll in, and on some nights the crowd reaches into the thousands. If you go, remember the bleachers are hard, and they can get chilly as the night wears on. Take a cushion, a blanket, and a flashlight never hurts.

It is more than amazing what this small community has done – all hometown folks, and many of them are my cousins. “Pilot” was my first boyfriend – he was three and I was two. Billy’s wife Betty Jo says she is tired of hearing that story! (Sadly some of these folks are gone)

(A special thanks to Piney Grove Church for use of photographs)

For information call:  252-792-1342

The Message of Easter drama is just a few miles from Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 252-799-8787. At this time, we are only taking Extended Stay rentals.

PERFORMANCE DATES in 2026:  This year’s 2026 drama is the 47th year.

Spanish Performance is March 27 , beginning at 8 p.m. 

English performances:  March 28, 29 and April 2, 3, 4, 5 at 8 p.m.  For information about the Message of Easter call 252-792-1342. Remember, spring can be chilly. If our Big Mill B&B Extended Stay guests attend the Easter drama, we send them off with cushions and blankets.

DISTANCES FROM:
110 miles of Raleigh, NC
114 miles south of Norfolk, VA
54 miles north of New Bern, NC
39 miles east of Greenville, NC
8 miles south of Big Mill Bed &Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

Old Tobacco Barn at Moratock Park with “Tobacco Times” Quilt block

Quilt trails are popping up everywhere the U.S.A. and Canada. You can see them all over the mountains of North Carolina and now we have a trail here in eastern North Carolina. The first barn quilt in Martin County (part of the Tar-Roanoke River Trail) was on the Pack House barn at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast. We now have 12 quilts installed in our county – and more to come.

Quilt Trail in Martin County – Eastern North Carolina Crossed Canoes, Four Planes, Shoo Fly, Oak Memories, Tobacco Times, Family Memories, Court House Steps, Bow Ties, Oak Leaf, Train, Fish Tales & LaMoyne Star

These quilts are more than just pictures painted on a barn. They each tell a story – who made them, why they were made, how they were made. They were created with love and not just for comfort. They were painstakingly created and each is beautiful in its own way.

The Martin County, NC, Arts Council joined the Franklin County, NC, Arts Council Tar River Quilt Trail and now it is the Quilt Trails of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers. Barney Conway and Martin County Travel and Tourism Authority have been instrumental in making this happen.

HOVER OVER PHOTO TO ADD TO PINTEREST

I heard about these Barn Quilts some years ago and knew I had to have one honoring my mother, Chloe. I already had the perfect barn here at Big Mill B&B that my father built in 1935. How fitting: Ops made the barn and Chloe Lavenia made the quilt. She made many quilts, but I picked the one she and her friends made for the Bicentennial in 1976. Of course, it is red, white, and blue. Some of the quilts are painted directly on the barns. The Barn Quilt at Big Mill was painted on wooden squares and then hoisted up onto the barn. You can see the finished quilt on Chloe’s Blog – and, of course, on the barn.

Map of Martin County’s Barn Quilts

Sad Note: The Fish Tales Quilt that was at the Cypress Grill is no longer there. The wonderful old Cypress Grill Burned in 2018. We lost a real treasure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Tar-Roanoke River Quilt Trail:

Martin County Travel & Tourism Authority, Williamston NC 27892
Phone: 252-792-6605
Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 27892 tel. 252-792-8787

If you like history, canoeing, hiking, fishing, golfing, birding, antiqueing, outdoor dramas, eating local seafood and road food with Norman Rockwell scenes – then you will love Eastern North Carolina.

Visit one of our charming coastal towns – watch the fishing boats as they come in, see historic Edenton or Bath, participate in a Civil War re-enactment at Ft. Branch in Hamilton or at Plymouth. Y’all come and sit a spell.

To see more videos of Big Mill & eastern North Carolina check out our Big Mill You Tube channel. We have some fun videos of evening primroses, tobacco harvesting, hummingbirds who don’t know we’re watching and other life on a farm bed and breakfast.

If you “Subscribe” to follow the channel, then you’ll get a notice when we upload a new video. It doesn’t happen that often, but we have fun doing them as time allows.

As always, we hope you will join us at Big Mill B&B in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787.

(Video credit: Barney Conway of Palm Radio Productions)

Clary Sage is a gorgeous plant.

Bertie County and the surrounding counties in eastern North Carolina grow 15,000 acres of Clary Sage. This sage is in the Salvia family; I remember my mother calling the red salvia that is so popular “scarlet sage.” Clary Sage is a beautiful plant that grows upright and blooms with vibrant, mostly purple flowers.

Fields of blooming sage are all over eastern North Carolina in May

Avoca Farms in Merry Hill is one of the sponsors for the Sage Festival. Avoca Farms is named for Avoca Plantation that was located where the farms are now. Bertie County had its share of plantations including Avoca, Scotch Hall and Hope Plantation.

At Avoca, the sage is distilled, extracting a waxy material that is used in many products including expensive perfumes, to make fragrances linger longer. Sage has many uses, including medicinal.

If you are tempted to stop and pick a bouquet – don’t. Not because someone will arrest you, but because the sage flowers really don’t smell good.

Beautiful Clary Sage blooms in eastern North Carolina every May

Lewis Hoggard of the Windsor Bertie Chamber of Commerce said you can watch folks stop and pick a flower or two, and guaranteed about 100 yards down the road, they pitch them out. Glad they compost!

On Saturday, the folks from Avoca will host an “in-field” Sage Harvest demonstration  Hope to see you all there.

Sage Festival, Windsor, NC – 2016 was the last Sage Festival-too bad. But the sage is still all around us so come on to Eastern North Carolina for a visit in early summer and you can see this beautiful plant.

Details – Windsor Chamber of Commerce, 252-794-4277

Distances from:

124 miles east of Raleigh, NC

91 miles south of Norfolk, VA

41 miles east of Greenville, NC

17 miles north of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

Thanks to Joan Daniels for these gorgeous photos.

Map from Big Mill B&B to Sage Festival (17 miles)

View Sage Festival in a larger map

View Sage Festival in a larger map

People come from everywhere to the small eastern North Carolina town of Windsor just to see these lights. Folks turn off their headlights and drive slowly through the lighted arches, past elves and Santas, angels and reindeer, cut-out critters and blow-up scenes – and lots of lights, up in the trees, on the scenes. It is almost too much to see at one time.

Some nights real elves are there, chatting with the folks. I talked to one, very nice chap. 

It takes Herman and Thurman, and sometimes Sherman three months to put up all the characters and scenes – it takes two months to take them down.

The Hoggard triplets began this loving project in 1997 as a tribute to Thurman’s daughter. (Pictured above – Herman & Thurman…or is it Thurman & Herman?)

Herman does the painting of all the scenes; each year new decorations are added. They leave most of them up all year.  And their December electricity bill often tops $5,000 – they pay it gladly – there is a box for donations.

I have read  that this is one of the largest private Christmas light displays in the country – easy to believe with over 450,000 lights!

Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the magic of the lights begins – they will glow every night until New Year’s.

View Larger Map

DISTANCES FROM:

116 miles east of Raleigh, NC
90 miles south of Norfolk, VA
23 miles south of Edenton, NC
82 miles west of Manteo, NC (Outer Banks)
18 miles north of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Event: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. beginning the day after Thanksgiving through January 1st;  Phone:  252-794-4277  Bertie County Chamber of Commerce

No fuss, no stress – our team does it all for you with your guidance. Our photographer, Guy, takes the bride and groom around the farm, the lakes, the barns to get that perfect shot.  He might even use the old red truck.

Brides love my Old Red Truck

If you want a different setting, we will travel – if you want to renew your vows on your boat, we will go. At your house or at the beach – our wedding officiant, Barney Conway, and photographer, Guy Livesay will join you there. Need a cake? We do that too.

We host weddings with 8-10 folks…but call us, we might accept a dozen.

We only do small, intimate ceremonies – we want your day to be an affair to remember. Call us at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast 252-792-8787

(Video by Barney Conway & video photos by Guy Livesay)