Entertainment

Brews, boos, baseball: Pecktoberfest returns to Segra

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by Sheila D Barker

Baseball uniforms will be replaced by Halloween costumes when Pecktoberfest returns to Segra Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24. Prepare for an evening of beer, cider and a friendly costume competition in downtown Fayetteville.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., attendees will be able to sample more than 50 beers and ciders from over 25 different breweries.
General admission includes unlimited sampling, giving guests plenty of opportunity to explore different styles and discover a new favorite.
This year's Pecktoberfest is the first to feature a costume contest, presented by Main Event. Guests can compete for best overall costume, best group or duo costume, and the best zombie costume. Prizes include Main Event gift cards, Woodpecker ticket vouchers, and for the winning zombie, a VIP Pecktober package for 2027.
Advance general admission is $50 and $45 for military. VIP tickets are $80 and $75 for military. VIP tickets include admission at 4 p.m., buffet access and an exclusive VIP tent. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.milb.com/fayetteville/ballpark/pecktoberfest. Segra Stadium is located at 460 Hay Street.
Pecktoberfest is a 21-and-over event. Participants must be present to win. Submissions must be family-friendly, and weapons are not allowed as costume accessories.

Murder, music, masks take over Paddy’s on Halloween

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by Jamie Bishop

At Paddy’s Irish Public House, Halloween will not arrive quietly. It will come with a suspicious death, a room full of amateur detectives, a rockabilly backbeat and enough costumed creatures to make Raeford Road feel briefly supernatural.
Paddy’s Haunted Halloween House Party is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2606 Raeford Road in Fayetteville. According to the pub’s public event announcement, the annual bash will divide the building into two experiences before bringing them together for one long night of comedy, music, costumes and mischief.
The evening’s first act is “Killer Jokes,” an interactive murder-mystery show running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the club. The production mixes stand-up comedy, live theater and audience investigation, giving guests more responsibility than simply watching a crime unfold. Somewhere between the punchlines and clues, the crowd will have to decide whom to trust.
That participatory format fits Halloween. A costume party already asks everyone who enters to become somebody else. A murder mystery takes the transformation one step further, turning guests into witnesses, suspects and detectives. For three hours, the room becomes a stage without a firm boundary between performer and audience.
At 10 p.m., Paddy’s changes the soundtrack and doubles the choices. DJ EPIC is scheduled to take over the club while THEM! Rockabilly Band performs in the pub. Paddy’s social-media announcement bills the arrangement as “two parties, one venue,” allowing guests to move between a dance floor and live music without surrendering the same Halloween atmosphere.
THEM! is scheduled to perform until 1 a.m., according to the band’s public event listing. Its rockabilly sound should bring a natural sense of theater to the pub side: sharp rhythms, vintage swagger and music made for a room that does not plan to sit still. In the club, DJ EPIC will carry the celebration toward closing time.
Paddy’s has also advertised themed cocktails, drink specials, Jell-O shots, treats and an extended patio. Costumes are central to the night, although guests planning masks, large props or elaborate accessories should review the venue’s latest social-media guidance before arriving. The public announcement states that there will be no cover on the pub side before 9 p.m.; attendees should check the official event page for any later cover charge, ticket requirement or age and identification policy.
The annual party works because Paddy’s is already built around gathering. A public house is more than a counter and a drink menu. At its best, it is a neighborhood room where music begins conversations and regulars make space for newcomers. Halloween exaggerates that familiar purpose. Masks make introductions easier, decorations change the emotional temperature, and a shared performance gives strangers something to talk about.
Practical planning still matters. Guests who intend to drink should arrange a designated driver or rideshare before the night begins. Costumes should allow safe movement through a busy venue, and groups should leave time for parking and pickup along Raeford Road. Event details can change, so Paddy’s official website and Facebook page remain the best sources for final updates.
The draw is not simply that Paddy’s is hosting a Halloween party. It is that the evening has a plot. It begins with a mystery, shifts into two competing soundtracks, and ends with a room full of people who helped create the spectacle.
The venue can provide the lights, music, and haunted pints. The guests will decide which characters walk through the door.
Event information: Check Paddy’s official website at https://paddysirishpub.com/ and their Facebook page for final admission and age requirements.

Halloween after dark: Frightfully fun events for grown-ups

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by Sheila D Barker

Who says Halloween is just for kids? While the little ghosts and goblins are busy collecting candy, the grown-ups have plenty of opportunities to get into the spooky spirit themselves. From costume parties and haunted happenings to live music, creepy cocktails and nights filled with things that go bump in the night, Fayetteville and the surrounding communities are serving up a wickedly good time this Halloween season. So dust off your witch's hat, summon your favorite ghouls and get ready for some Halloween fun that's strictly for the grown-ups.
OCTOBER 23
• Zombie Bar Crawl, Downtown Fayetteville-5 p.m.: Head downtown for the Zombie Bar Crawl featuring multiple downtown bars, zombie-themed drinks, and lots of Halloween fun. Meet up location is Dad Bod Dive Bar at 444 W Russell St. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/5yvyv79d.
OCTOBER 24
• Saints & Sinners Costume Party at Paddy's Irish Public House, 2606 Raeford Rd-8 p.m.: Get ready for a night of fun, music and incredible costumes. Dress up as your favorite saint or sinner and dance the night away with free social dance lessons from Rolands Dance Studio from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Ater that DJ Puerto Rican Choclate will be spinning some Latin Fusion on the club side and catch Paddy & Bill performing on the pub side. No cover before 9 p.m. and then $20 per person after. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2yvmurec.
• One Hell of A Night: Halloween Party at 1367 Shadbush Ln-9 p.m.: This Halloween party promises food, music and good vibes. The best costume prize is up for grabs. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4sfreyhh.
OCTOBER 29
• Haunted Hockey at Crown Complex, 1960 Coliseum Dr-7 p.m.: Haunted Hockey is taking over the Crown with a graveyard smash. The arena will be transformed into a spooky treat with thrilling themed entertainment and eerie surprises. Dust off your favorite Halloween costume and round up your fellow ghouls. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3r7hz3bb.
• Halloween Themed Trivia at Gaston Brewing Company, 124 Hay St-6:30 p.m.: Join this special Halloween-themed trivia hosted by Samson. Get ready to be challenged on your pop culture, movie, music, and everything Halloween knowledge. Specialty-themed drinks will help bring home the Halloween theme. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4pryfs97.
OCTOBER 30
• Halloween Cake Decorating Class at Keshia's Cakery, 5847 Ramsey St-6 p.m.: Try a different spooky and delicious activity this year with a fun, hands-on Halloween cake decorating experience. Use your creativity to decorate your own cake with a Halloween-themed edible image and lots of decorating supplies. Get step-by-step instructions and a certificate of completion. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/ysa5yujy.
• Trick or Treat Tasting at Grapes & Hops, 5780 Ramsey St #106-4:30 p.m.: Join Grapes & Hops for a Halloween-themed tasting, costume contest, and spooky good time. This event is no tricks, all treats. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3kvwnvw7.
• Boo Bop: A Grown-Up Halloween Party at Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 535 N. Eastern Blvd-8 p.m.: Costumes, cocktails, and dancing. Boo Bop is Halloween fun for grown-ups! Bring your friends, show off your look in the costume contest, and dance to 90s-inspired party energy. Browse local vendors, grab dinner from a food truck, and explore the Garden after dark. Admission includes one specialty cocktail or mocktail. This night is for adults ages 21 and up. For more information, visit https://capefearbg.org/event/boo-bop/.
• Pirate Prom at Dirty Whiskey Craft Cocktail Bar, 5431 Corporation Dr, Hope Mills-9 p.m.: Ahoy, mateys! Dirty Whiskey Craft Cocktail Bar is hosting its first Pirate Prom, and your swashbuckling best, or worst, is welcome. Dress in your pirate costume and dance to live shanties from Folkknot. Prizes await the Pirate King and Queen, so bring your crew and claim your crown! This event is for guests 21 and older; everyone must show ID. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/5ep3b786.
OCTOBER 31
• Annual Costume Competition & Halloween Party at Stop Button, 4251 Legion Rd, Hope Mills-9 p.m.: Ghosts and goblins are taking over the arcade. This 18-and-older Halloween party will feature a costume contest, games, drinks, music and lots of Halloween fun. Trophies will be awarded for best costumes, so bring your best looks. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/zth4a4h8.
• The Witching Hour Halloween Party at Group Therapy Pub & Playground, 1906 Skibo Rd-9 p.m.: Join in for some Halloween fun featuring a DJ, dancing, themed drinks, $10 mini golf, Halloween vendors, tarot card reading and a costume contest with cash prizes. Save by getting a $10 presale ticket or opt for the $30 VIP option. $20 at the door. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2zr4rncc.
• Roaring 20s Halloween Extravaganza at Charlie Mike's Pub, 195 Starpoint Dr-8 p.m.: Travel back to the Roaring 20s with a spooky twist. Break out the flapper dresses and gangster suits and enjoy a night of drinks, costumes, and Halloween fun. Cash prizes will be given out for this 20s-themed costume contest. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4h3kr48s.
• Bikes 'N Boo's at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd-11 a.m.: Get ready for a Halloween celebration packed with bikes, costumes, food and Halloween fun. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/nzw5d65w.
• Haunted Halloween House Party at Paddy's Irish Public House, 2606 Raeford Rd-6 p.m.: Get ready for a unique Halloween experience with Killer Jokes: A Live Murder Mystery Show that blends comedy, live theater and audience investigation. Enjoy music from DJ EPIC in the club and THEM!, a Rockabilly band, in the pub. No cover before 9 p.m. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2s6wzvvt.
• Chaos Prom: Til Death Do Us Prom at White Rabbit Pub, 3030 Fort Bragg Rd-8 p.m.: Get ready for some live music, costume contest and lots of Halloween fun! For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/549evm4v.
• Zombie Prom at Dirtbag Ales, 5435 Corporation Dr, Hope Mills-7 p.m.: Join Dirtbag Ales and Rock 103.5 for a zombie prom with local food trucks and the crowning of zombie prom king and queen. Come dressed to kill and get ready for a Halloween night of boos, brews, and bad decisions. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycx64w8n.

What one mile can carry at Walk to End Alzheimer’s

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by Tiffany Haywood

Fayetteville’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s connects personal stories with the support, research and determination driving the fight against the disease.
One mile may not seem like a lot. It is not what you would call a workout. It is not necessarily what you would call a challenge. But when one mile has the ability to carry a family’s story, a family’s hope and a family’s support, that mile means more than the steps it takes to complete it.
On Oct. 24, more than 1,000 people are expected to gather at Segra Stadium for Fayetteville’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Each will arrive with a story represented by a Promise Garden flower.
Purple represents someone who has lost a loved one. Yellow is carried by caregivers and those supporting someone living with Alzheimer’s. Orange represents supporters of the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission, while blue is carried by someone living with the disease.
“It is quite surprising just how many blue flowers you’re going to see on walk day,” said Victoria Huggins, senior manager of the Fayetteville Walk to End Alzheimer’s. “It’s so inspiring that so many are brave enough to raise that blue flower high and know they’re not alone in this fight.”
The final flower is white. No participant carries it yet because it represents the hope for the first survivor of Alzheimer’s.
Until that flower can be raised, people like Sara Gilliard Ballard are carrying the stories that explain why the Walk matters.
Known throughout Fayetteville as “Auntie Sara,” Ballard builds, uplifts, supports and encourages others by showing up, sharing and giving.
Her support of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, however, is different. This one is personal.
Ballard walks for her father, Ulysses Gilliard Sr., better known as “The Mighty Duke.”
“My dad was the baddest dude on the block,” she said.
A Korean War Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient, Gilliard was strong, proud, independent and community-minded. He loved dancing, traveling and following the news. His example taught Ballard the value of serving her community.
When Alzheimer’s entered their lives, it changed the man she knew and made him dependent on her care. It also changed her understanding of her grandmother, whose symptoms had once been dismissed as becoming “senile.” Ballard later recognized that she had likely been living with dementia.
“This became very personal to me,” she said.
The Walk is the Alzheimer’s Association’s signature fundraising and awareness event. Fayetteville’s is one of more than 600 nationwide and 17 in North Carolina. Money raised supports research, advocacy, education and family services.
For Ballard, that journey meant balancing her father’s desire for independence with his need for support. A senior independent living facility gave him his own apartment, structure and check-ins. When he failed to answer one morning, staff found that he had fallen and contacted Ballard. The incident helped confirm that he needed the supervision of memory care.
Ballard said families may believe they can manage every stage at home, but around-the-clock care is more complicated.
More than 210,000 North Carolinians are living with Alzheimer’s, according to Christine John-Fuller, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association – North Carolina Chapters. More than 338,000 family members and friends provide care for them.
The Association’s 24/7 Helpline, 800-272-3900, connects callers with master’s-level care clinicians and specialists. Using a caller’s ZIP code, they can help locate resources. Assistance may include education about a diagnosis, preparing for difficult conversations, financial and legal guidance, or help as care needs change.
“The Walk is an incredibly powerful day,” John-Fuller said. “It is the jumping-off point for them to realize there’s an entire community to support them.”
That support includes helping families understand what they are seeing. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. It accounts for approximately 60% to 80% of dementia cases.
Warning signs can include memory loss that disrupts daily life, difficulty completing familiar tasks, problems with planning or solving problems, and changes in mood or personality.
For Ballard’s family, those signs appeared in her father’s home, hygiene, driving and behavior. His refrigerator had become what she described as a “science experiment.” He forgot where he parked his car and eventually began making driving decisions that were no longer safe. At times, he became angry or used language that was unlike him.
“This is not Dad,” Ballard remembers thinking.
The incidents formed a pattern that could not be ignored. Ballard learned to separate the disease from the person she loved.
She now serves on the Walk’s community engagement committee and leads Team Mr. G in honor of her father, grandmother and other families affected by the disease.
“I don’t want to forget,” she said. “Because when you forget stuff like this, you become complacent.”
John-Fuller encourages regular movement, healthy eating, consistent sleep, learning new skills and community engagement. Those habits may support brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline, but they cannot guarantee prevention.
The Association-supported U.S. POINTER study, led in part through Wake Forest University, found that lifestyle changes can improve cognition in older adults at risk of decline. FDA-approved treatments are available for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s. Huggins said money raised in Fayetteville is helping “move the needle” toward a world without the disease.
Last year, the Fayetteville Walk raised nearly $182,000. This year’s goal is $205,000, the first time the local event has aimed to surpass $200,000.
Huggins has watched the Walk grow from a few hundred people into an event that turns Segra Stadium into what she calls “a sea of purple.” The Association’s relationship with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers began during the team’s inaugural season.
Fayetteville’s military community extends the Walk’s reach beyond the city. Families have continued participating after being stationed elsewhere, including Germany and Greece.
“It’s not just Fayetteville, but it all leads back to Fayetteville,” she said.
Ballard is raising money and inviting others to join Team Mr. G. On walk morning, she wants the team at Segra Stadium, ready to carry the names and experiences that brought them there.
Check-in begins at 9 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. The accessible, one-mile route welcomes participants of all ages and abilities.
Walkers will leave Segra Stadium, travel through downtown Fayetteville and return through the right-field gate before finishing near home plate. Those unable to complete the route can remain inside the stadium and welcome participants as they return.
The day will include the Promise Garden, a tribute wall, children’s activities and local performers. Cheerleaders will carry pom-poms matching the flower colors, including one white pair representing the future everyone is working toward.
Advance registration is encouraged at alz.org/Walk, although on-site registration will be available. Parking will be available in the Hay Street parking garage, and the event is dog-friendly.
One mile cannot erase a diagnosis or undo what a family has endured. But it can carry a name, a memory, a lesson and a promise.
For Ballard, stepping forward is part of honoring the people whose stories she carries.
“You lead from the front,” she said.
At Segra Stadium, each step will help carry Fayetteville closer to the day when someone can raise the first white flower.

(Photo: Attendees at Fayetteville's Walk to End Alzheimer's in 2025 pose with flowers from the Promise Garden. Photo courtesy of Joseph Dwyer)