Right off Needmore Road in Rowan County, at RiverPark-Cooleemee Falls, better known as “The Bullhole”, catfish was frying, French fries were popping, and the hushpuppies were delivered to the pan right on time.
Ten years was a long time to wait for friends and strangers to gather once again to eat great catfish and socialize, with some sharing reminiscences.
Keeping a RiverPark Tradition Alive
The catfish fry was started by the late Ricky Glass. After his passing, Ronnie Shoaf, Ron Webb, and Ron Bivins, ‘the three Rons,’ made commitments to keep the fish fry going.
A new crew was manning the fryer this year: Walter Ferrell and two young guys, Nathan and Noah West. As we can all agree, better to start training the younger ones to keep it going, and they did a fantastic job.
Walter Ferrell cooks Boston Butts to help raise money for the Cooleemee Historical Association, so he was the right man to steer these guys in the right direction.
Volunteers Make It Happen
A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who were standing by. The servers, like Rebecca Hursey and Teresa Bivins, greeted everyone with warm welcomes and big smiles.
The Bullhole Is No Longer a Secret
A lot of work and maintenance have been completed at the Park, with additional improvements underway. The RiverPark board has made great decisions that have brought it to what it is today.
People say the Bullhole is the best-kept secret, but it’s been proven the secret is out. Thousands of new visitors and regulars flock to the dam’s cold waters every weekend in the summer to enjoy its falling waters, trails, two portals, and beautiful surroundings.
The town of Cooleemee owns the property, including the Rowan and Davie County sides of the South Yadkin River.
It’s a must-see.
Don’t just hear about it; go check it out!
Feel free to contact me at www.cooleemeenews@gmail.com or learn more about the Bullhole at https://www.cooleemee.org/riverpark/.