Entertainment

Sweet Valley Ranch offers new Harvest Fest

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Written by Katie Herring

Sweet Valley Ranch Unveils All-New 'Harvest Fest' Fall Experience for 2026.
Sweet Valley Ranch is expanding its seasonal lineup this autumn with the debut of Harvest Fest 2026, an all-new daytime family experience blending farm life, prehistoric adventures, and interactive storytelling.
The fall event will run every Saturday throughout October from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Owned and operated by Fred and Anita Surgeon, the ranch located at 2990 Sunnyside School Road is set to combine its agriculture and animal roots with exciting seasonal entertainment for visitors of all ages.
At the center of the festival is a brand-new production titled Shivers and the Legend of the Harvest Crow. Guests who purchase the upgraded show experience enter the newly created Whispering Hollow Cave, an atmospheric walk-through filled with cave scenery, oversized insects, special lighting and custom photo opportunities. The 15-minute performance features animatronic characters, including Shivers the Yeti, Professor Hoots the owl, Ruckus the macaw and Old Timber the talking tree, alongside a live performer portraying the Harvest Crow.
Beyond the signature show, families can explore several themed walk-through areas across the property. The ranch's wooded dinosaur trail undergoes a fall transformation, with the life-sized prehistoric creatures becoming the Spooky Dinosaur Trail. Young visitors can also participate in Shivers Harvest Hunt, an interactive scavenger hunt which provides children with a passport to track down clues, follow footprints around the ranch and earn official "Harvest Hero" status.
Animal lovers will find plenty to explore, as general admission covers access to more than 350 farm and exotic animals. Guests can interact with and feed select animals across the property, visit the playground and inflatable area, or check out the Reptile House, which features its own Halloween-themed decorations for the season.
For visitors seeking additional activities, Sweet Valley Ranch offers an array of optional rides and carnival-style entertainment accessible through individual activity tickets ($1 each, with bundle options available). Guests can ride Tiny’s Off-Road Derby, Blackbeard’s Revenge, the Barnyard Express Roller Coaster, or Sky Fighter, as well as play carnival games to win tokens redeemable for prizes at the Gift Shop.
Those looking to explore the grounds can board a 30-minute narrated wagon tour offered every Saturday at 1:30 p.m., catch the farm shuttle, or rent 4-, 6-, or 8-passenger golf carts directly on site. Dining options include standard favorites, such as hamburgers, hot dogs and nachos, alongside Shivers Sweet Shack, which serves specialty fall desserts and seasonal beverages.
When the sun sets, the farm transitions from daytime family fun to nighttime scares with the return of Backwoods Terror Ranch. Operating select weekend nights in October, the haunted attraction introduces a new DEAD WEST theme alongside The Slaughterhouse and its new Scarevator feature. Visitors looking for a full-weekend experience can book a stay at the property’s Farmhouse Retreats, which include complimentary VIP Day & Night passes.
Tickets for Harvest Fest 2026 can be purchased online in advance or at the gate on event days, subject to availability. Buying online does come at a discounted price. General admission online is $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 12. For guests wishing to include access to Whispering Hollow Cave and the Shivers and the Legend of the Harvest Crow production, full-experience admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children online. Children ages 2 and under enter the festival free of charge.
Tickets can be purchased at www.sweetvalleyranchnc.com/

Enjoy Oktoberfest merrymaking at Fort Bragg

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Written by Mahalia Cooks

Fort Bragg’s annual Oktoberfest returns on Saturday, Sept. 26, from noon to 6 p.m., offering a day of authentic German food, drink and music.
The Oktoberfest tradition began in 1810 in Munich, Germany, with a horse race to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince. The state agricultural fair was soon merged with the celebrations, and in 1818, food and drink stands were added, starting the custom of beer drinking.
Since then, the spirit of Oktoberfest has spread all over the world, and German-inspired folk festivals are held in countless ways. Fort Bragg’s Oktoberfest brings many of the event’s beloved staples to life right in the local area, appealing to soldiers and other members of the Fort Bragg workforce who’ve lived in Germany and miss the experience of Oktoberfest overseas.
The festivities will take place at the Iron Mike Conference Center on 2658 Rock Merritt Ave., Building 5-5348, and admission is free. The event is open to the public; people without a Department of Defense ID to enter the base can obtain a Visitor Pass at the All American Visitor Control Center on 3550 All American Freeway. Online pre-registration for a pass is also available at https://home.army.mil/bragg/9617/8101/2132/FORT_BRAGG_VISITOR_PASS_NEW.pdf.
Start the day by participating in the Volksmarch. This component of Oktoberfest takes inspiration from European fitness walking, a non-competitive activity that lets individuals and families get some easy exercise while sightseeing and socializing with others.
The Volksmarch will occur on the 1-mile marked trail behind the Iron Mike Conference Center and includes a midway break where participants can enjoy beer samples at a tent. The trail goes in a loop, so walkers will end up back at the starting point where they can join the rest of the festivities.
If you plan on dressing up for the occasion, don your finest lederhosen and dirndls and come down to see who will take home the prize in the “best dressed” competition. The costume contest will include kids’, women’s and men’s categories.
Attendees who love the spirit of competition can also join kid and adult soft pretzel-eating contests and a stein-holding contest. The latter involves holding beer steins out in front and parallel to the ground while maintaining form for as long as possible. The last one standing wins. The average beer stein weighs 3 pounds when empty and 5 pounds when full, so this contest will put attendees’ strength and endurance to the test.
First and second place prizes will be given out, including rewards like beer and coupons. Even if you don’t join any of the contests, you can enjoy a glass and relax in the bistro-style Beer Garden in front of the bar trailer with a selection of beverages, such as Spaten beer, draft beer, domestic beer brands and specials that combine peach schnapps with various fruit juices. Remember to keep food nearby as you drink; German foods like schnitzel, bratwurst, sauerkraut and soft pretzels will be available for purchase.
Live music will kick off for the first three hours with a German polka band, who also played at Oktoberfest last year and was much loved by festivalgoers. After their set, a DJ will take over for the next three hours to spin traditional German tunes.
Along with cash for food and drinks, bring enough money to stop by the Fall Market inside the conference center, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vendors typically offer a range of homemade fall goods like candles and decor, letting you get a head start on your holiday shopping this season.
The adults don’t have the monopoly on all the fun, though; Oktoberfest is a family-friendly event, so kids can enjoy bouncy houses, a train ride, carnival games and a climbing wall.
Parking will be available in three different areas at the Iron Mike Conference Center. If all of these spots fill up, park in the easy-to-reach spaces across the street at the Fort Bragg Mini Mall.
Prepare to say “Prost!” and knock back the beers at this year’s Oktoberfest. Get more information on the event by calling the Iron Mike Conference Center at 910-907-2582.

Editor’s Note: As a reminder for those going to Oktoberfest, the All American Gate at Fort Bragg is currently closed. Once you have obtained your visitor pass at the All American Visitor Control Center, guests can use Honeycutt Access Control Point to enter Fort Bragg.

(Photo: A family dresses up for Fort Bragg's 2025 Oktoberfest. Photos courtesy of Fort Bragg's Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation)

Artist Village puts a wickedly funny spin on history

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Written by Sheila D Barker

Something wicked, and very funny, is coming to Hope Mills this October. Artist Village Community Theatre will open its 2026-27 season with Witches!? In Salem?!, playwright Matt Cox’s darkly comic retelling of the Salem Witch Trials. Performances are scheduled for Oct. 23-25 at Thomas Campbell Oakman Chapel, 3715 S. Main St. in Hope Mills.
For Artist Village, the production represents something of a departure. Past productions have included War of the Worlds, It’s a Wonderful Life, Dracula, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Nunsense. This year, Executive Director Teresa Davis said the company wanted to venture beyond the genres its audiences have come to expect.
“This season, we really wanted to shake things up a little,” Davis said. “We wanted to step outside of that model, try some new genres, and also look at casting in a different way.”
Witches!? In Salem?! certainly accomplishes that.
“It takes something very serious and approaches it in a completely unexpected way,” Davis said. “And for us, it’s a first — we’ve never done comedy before, much less dark comedy!”
Written by Matt Cox, creator of Puffs, the two-act comedy takes audiences back to Salem Village in 1692. The play is described as a darkly comedic and “mostly historically accurate” examination of the Salem Witch Trials. An eighth-grade narrator, Jenny Anne Bishop, guides the audience through the history surrounding the trials while pointing out where history and theatrical interpretations part company. That mixture of history and irreverence is central to Artist Village’s production.
Davis describes the show as an evening filled with “dark humor, historical mayhem, physical comedy, courtroom chaos, unexpected twists and a whole lot of trouble.”
The script, she said, shows the influence of comedy such as Saturday Night Live and Monty Python, using satire to poke holes in widely accepted beliefs. Yet underneath the comedy is a historical event with very real consequences.
The Salem Witch Trials began in 1692 amid accusations of witchcraft that spread through several Massachusetts communities. Cox’s play incorporates historical people and events while openly acknowledging when it takes dramatic liberties. Artist Village's production uses its young narrator to help audiences distinguish among documented history, Arthur Miller's famous interpretation in The Crucible and Cox's comic version. That relationship between history and storytelling is one reason the Salem trials remain compelling more than three centuries later.
For Davis, the story continues to resonate because the emotions behind what happened in Salem are not confined to the 17th century.
“When people are afraid or uncertain, it’s often easier to look for someone to blame,” she said. Jealousy, resentment, suspicion and fear all played roles in the events, she added, making the story recognizable even to modern audiences.
“We may not be accusing people of witchcraft, but that same tendency to fear what we don’t understand, divide ourselves into groups and look for someone to blame is still there,” Davis said. “It gives us a chance to look at what happened in Salem, but also to look at ourselves and ask, ‘Are we really that different?’”
Turning that subject matter into comedy has presented a new challenge for Artist Village's performers. Comedy depends heavily on timing, and satire can be particularly unforgiving. A misplaced word or a beat that lasts slightly too long can cause a joke to fall flat, Davis explained.
“All comedy writing relies on rhythm,” she said, “and much of the work with the cast is finding the rhythms of each scene to make the comedy flow.”
The production features a 14-member cast ranging in age from 13 to their early 70s, including four performers making their Artist Village debuts. Some cast members have appeared in only a handful of productions, while others have participated in nearly every show the organization has produced. For Davis, that mixture of ages and experience levels reflects an important part of community theatre.
“This show is challenging everyone in different ways and giving each of them an opportunity to explore their creative side, stretch themselves a little, and grow as performers,” she said.
Audiences shouldn't expect Artist Village to reveal all of Salem's secrets before opening night, either. Davis is deliberately keeping details about costumes, scenery, props and other visual surprises under wraps.
“It is a Halloween show, after all,” she said. She did offer one tease: “The last five minutes or so are a real treat. It is quite fun and quite surprising.”
And for someone encountering Artist Village for the first time through Witches!? In Salem?!, Davis has a simple suggestion: leave expectations at the door.
“You’ll get a little history, a lot of humor, some questionable decision-making, and, of course, plenty of witches!” she said. “It’s historical, it’s dark, it’s funny and hopefully you’ll learn something along the way.”
“Come expecting the unexpected,” Davis said, “and you just might leave pleasantly surprised, entertained and looking at the Salem Witch Trials in a whole new way.”
And there is one final reassurance for anyone nervous about visiting Salem.
“We promise not to accuse you of witchcraft on the way out!”
Witches!? In Salem?! runs Oct. 23-25 at Thomas Campbell Oakman Chapel, 3715 S. Main St., Hope Mills. The production contains adult language and Artist Village recommends it for ages 12 and older. Tickets and additional information are available through ww.artistvillagehm.com/home.

(Image courtesy of Artist Village)

J. Cole’s homecoming anchors blockbuster weekend in the 910

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Written by Amber Little

There’s no place like home, and Fayetteville has been preparing for the return of one of its most talented and successful homegrown artists, J. Cole. For the first time in his career, he’ll grace the stage at the Crown Coliseum for a stop on his highly successful The Fall-Off Tour.
Tonight, J. Cole brings home, home. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Guests are advised to arrive ahead of time to ensure a smooth process and avoid congestion, including parking and security checkpoints. The Crown Complex has a strict clear bag policy. To avoid a walk back to the car or frustration, guests are also encouraged to check out the website https://www.crowncomplexnc.com/visit/venue-policies.
The Crown Complex staff have been working diligently to prepare for The Fall-Out Tour.
“The Crown Complex has years of experience hosting major events, and our team has been preparing across all departments to make sure we’re ready to welcome both the tour and the thousands of fans coming to Cumberland County and Fayetteville,” Anna Ricuard, marketing manager, said. “Events of this size require a great deal of coordination and planning, and our focus is on creating a safe and memorable experience.”
The significance of this tour stop is felt by everyone.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing our community showcased on this kind of stage. There’s something special about the American leg of The Fall-Off World Tour closing out here in J. Cole’s hometown, especially with his latest album coming full circle through a performance in the community that has been such an important part of his story. It’s an exciting moment for the Crown, for Cumberland County and Fayetteville, and for everyone who gets to be a part of it,” Ricuard continued.
J. Cole’s concert is the main event of the week, but it won’t be the only thing to do in the city. Organizations across Fayetteville have curated events to further highlight the 2-6 and all of the local artists who still call the city home. Here’s a complete guide to all things 910.

The Fall-Off Magazine Conversation Live
• Wednesday, Sept. 23
• 10 a.m.- noon
• Seabrook Auditorium/ Fayetteville State University
“The event will bring together members of the media and creative community to discuss The Fall-Off Magazine, J. Cole’s Fayetteville roots and the people, places and experiences that have shaped his story,” said Keem Jones, the organizer of the event.
Attendees will hear from Walter C. Barnett, Art Director, The Fall-Off Magazine/Dreamer/Dreamville (Methodist University graduate) and Felton Brown, the creative director of The Fall-Off Magazine/Dreamville, about the process of publishing the magazine, from start to finish. They will also discuss their creative experiences and what it means to call Fayetteville home. At the end, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the careers in creativity.

About The Fall-Off Magazine
The Fall-Off Magazine is a 144-page limited-edition print publication created by rapper J. Cole. He debuted the project in July 2026 to coincide with his Fall-Off World Tour. The publication explores hip-hop as a living culture. Editor-in-Chief Bonsu Thompson and Dreamville Publisher Felton Brown led a team of more than 60 writers, photographers, illustrators, and designers to produce the issue. Conceived as a physical collectible, the magazine brings together original essays, in-depth interviews, and visual storytelling examining hip-hop across generations. Featured artists include JAY-Z, Lauryn Hill, RZA, Lil Yachty, Glorilla and Cash Cobain.
FayNC Dreamers and the Dreamers Cafe
• Wednesday, Sept. 23
• 9 a.m.-noon
• Vagabond Cafe
Come connect with local artists and creatives from around the city. Sounds provided by PME. This is a free community event.
Ville Crawl
• Wednesday, Sept. 23
• Noon- 5 p.m.
• Downtown Fayetteville
Hosted by the one and only Al Bowman. Get ready to experience downtown in a whole new way with downtown activations, community experiences, music, and creative showcases. Activations and experiences include:
• Ville Pilates at Luna Night Club (229 Hay Street)
• Dreamers Pop-Up at The Region Six Project, Inc featuring DJ Swazzey (100 Hay Street)
• Dreamers Social Lounge at The Sip Room hosted by Dominique Womack featuring DJ Candy and Najiyahk (106 Hay Street)
• The Dreamers Closet at Prima Elements (124 Anderson Street)
• Dreamers Terrace at Dad Bod Dive Bar featuring DJ Don't Come Ugly, A.G.A.M.E, Ki the Artist, YEA and Mac Dablacksheep (444 Russell Street)
• Dreamers Ink at Gallery 13 (240 Hay Street)
• Dreamers Den at Gaston Brewing Company (124 Hay Street)
• Dreamers Pub at Charley’s Pub featuring Militia2six and art, 21+ (102 Person Street)
• Dreamers Garden at Stevies (318 Hay Street)
The 2-6 Homecoming: Flowers for Cole
• Wednesday, Sept. 23
• 2 p.m.- 6 p.m.
• Segra Stadium
This is a free community event and an opportunity to come together to connect and create. The event lineup includes:
• Live Vibes: Live sets from Fayetteville’s top DJs keeping the stadium energy up all afternoon.
• Youth & Community Art: Curated galleries spotlighting original work from local student artists.
• Podcast Pop-Ups: Live interviews, creator activations, and on-site conversations diving into hometown legacy and community triumphs.
• Local Marketplace: Exclusive retail vendors, food favorites, and community partners.
• The Golden Ticket Giveaway: Information on how to win VIP Luxury Box Seats to the sold-out J. Cole Fall-Off Tour at the Crown Coliseum.
910 Future Festival
• Sept. 25-26
Fayetteville Next’s two-day event is intended to empower young business owners with information and resources and put local talent on center stage.
PWC Economic Impact Lunch & Learn
• Friday, Sept. 25
• 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
• Segra Stadium
Discover supplier diversity, business opportunities, and contracting resources with Fayetteville Public Works Commission and City Economic Development. Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/910-future-festival-lunch-and-learn-tickets-1997481742663?aff=ebdssbehomepeforyou.
Fayetteville Next Pitch Competition
• Friday, Sept. 25
• Shaw Auditorium (600 Drum Circle/FSU Campus)
• 2 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Ten startups will battle it out for a cash prize. The winner takes home $2,500. The competition can be watched live on the website at https://910futurefest.delemateme.com/.
910 Future Festival Concert
• Saturday, September 26th
• 5 PM- 10 PM
• Segra Stadium
Keeping the vibes going and closing out the festival is a concert. Get ready for a spectacular lineup of artists spanning over several genres, including headliners, Lloyd and Waka Flocka Flame to Rookie of the Year. The lineup also includes: Anella, The 82nd Airborne Division Band, CJ Monet, BRN BMore, Ianna Renee, YEA, CammyGotBarz, James Vadar, Militia2six, MackDaBlackSheep, Nikki GotIt, and Trev Truth. Guests will be able to enjoy the food, drinks and a curated vendor village. Tickets can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/475FGoL
Fayetteville is set for the week to welcome J. Cole, dreamers and go-getters.

(Photo: J. Cole will be coming back to Fayetteville to perform at the Crown on Sept. 23. The concert marks a special homecoming for J. Cole, and the city he grew up in. Photo courtesy of J. Cole's social media)