Families, neighbors and local organizations will gather this fall at the Eutaw Shopping Center for the Eutaw Family Jamboree, a free outdoor event hosted by The Calico Boutique.
The jamboree will be held at The Calico Boutique in the Eutaw Shopping Center, 2738 Bragg Blvd., on Friday, Nov. 28.
This is the first year it’s being held, designed to showcase local talent and support small businesses. The event will create a space where families can connect in a fun, safe environment. Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., organizers say anyone in the community is welcome to attend.
Guests can expect a festive market atmosphere with vendors offering a variety of products and services from local entrepreneurs. This Inaugural event will also feature interactive activities geared toward children, giving families a chance to enjoy games and in-person experiences while exploring what area businesses have to offer.
Nonprofits are invited to host vendor spaces at no cost, which is part of the boutique’s efforts to make the event accessible to organizations that serve the community. City and county offices can also reserve spaces at deeply discounted rates to share information about services, programs and local resources.
Vendor fees collected from participating businesses will go toward covering event setup, including safety, security and permits. Organizers say that structure helps keep the jamboree free for attendees while ensuring that the event remains welcoming and secure for families.
While the jamboree will not include food vendors, attendees are encouraged to enjoy the many dining options already available in the Eutaw Shopping Center. Event organizers hope that directing visitors to on-site restaurants will further support local businesses and highlight the center as a community hub.
In addition to vendor participation, The Calico Boutique is accepting donations of bottled water, juice, snacks and basic supplies to stock a First Aid Area. Those contributions will help keep guests comfortable and prepared throughout the day.
The event also reflects the mission behind The Calico Boutique’s Kingdom Focused Entrepreneurship initiative. The faith-based effort is aimed at empowering entrepreneurs to build and grow businesses guided by purpose, integrity and biblical principles. Through this initiative, the boutique offers resources, blog articles and specialized courses designed to equip business owners to serve their customers and communities with both excellence and conviction.
Organizers say the Eutaw Family Jamboree is a natural extension of that vision: a space where small businesses can gain visibility, nonprofits can share their work, and families can discover new connections close to home.
With its emphasis on collaboration, faith and service, the jamboree is positioned as more than just a market. It is intended to be a community gathering where residents can meet their neighbors, learn about local services and make lasting memories together.
The Calico Boutique encourages residents across Fayetteville and surrounding areas to bring their families, invite friends and spend the day exploring all that the Eutaw Family Jamboree has to offer.

Sista Scrooge: The Diva and Her Demons is an event presented by Cruising Against Cancer. The play will be held at the Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University,1200 Murchison Road, on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. The ticket prices are $39 and available at https://bit.ly/4pl9TYi. The proceeds from the live stage play support dream cruises for cancer survivors. Sponsors include Dynamik Works, RB Visions, and Creative Agency.
“Cruising Against Cancer is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to restoring hope and celebrating life through all-expense-paid vacation cruises and soul-nourishing experiences to cancer survivors, fighters, and their loved ones. Through the power of travel, storytelling, and the arts, we aim to create moments of peace and lasting memories through relaxation therapy, which goes beyond the diagnosis,” according to Cruising Against Cancer.
Sista Scrooge: The Diva and Her Demons is a live stage play about a chart-stopping diva with hits across pop, R&B, and gospel who hides a threatening secret while juggling fame, family, and her whispering demons: Pride, Lust, and Addiction. The Spirit of God breaks through, calling Sista to face the truth and fight for her life. Blending original music, faith, and drama, Sista Scrooge: The Diva and Her Demons is a holiday stage spectacular filled with soul, laughter, and hope.
“The story was written by me,” said organizer Rick Barber. “I wanted to do a Christmas production with a twist to the holiday classics, Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol. It’s designed to be something for the family.”
Rich Barber, Rick’s son, is the executive producer and did the music mixing for the show. The production also got help from Tanisha Stidwell, the recording engineer on the project, and Sam Stidwell, who is also the assistant director and an executive producer.
“All of the performers are phenomenal,” said Rick. “We have a cast of talented people who have grown into a cohesive unit, no, more like family. We enjoy rehearsals and they enjoy singing together, although they get jealous when I sing. (I can’t sing a lick).”
Performers include: Sheena Black as “Sista Scrooge,” the lead character; Dr. Arnescia Moody as “Momma Dee”; Ajahnah Lambert as “Peachie”; Sam Stidwell as “Mr. Willie”; LaSharal Amos-Blue as “Jackie”; Zack Ledwell as “Shine”; Van Barber and Shbetta Reid as the Prayer Sisters, ”Miriam and Elaine”; JR Matthews as “Deacon Smoove”; Charity Corner, Faith Stidwell, and Billy Mabddeen are the demons “Peni Pride, Lusi Lust, and Addie Addiction”; and Faith Brown as “Dena.”
“This is the second time this production has been performed. It was first done at Insoul Fellowship Church in the mid-2000s. And it took about two weeks to write. The storyline has drastically changed, and all original music has been added, so this version has taken close to a year,” said Rick
Rick hopes the play encourages people to look after their health.
“The most important things in life are faith in God, love for God and your family, and caring for your health. Cancer is nothing to play with. If you’re not feeling well, go and get examined. You know when you’re not feeling 100 percent. Men, get your annual check-ups to include a prostate exam. Ladies, do your self-exams and your annual exams also.”
Sista Scrooge: The Diva and Her Demons is a live stage production presented at Seabrook Auditorium. The proceeds from the stage play support Cruising Against Cancer. For more information and for tickets, visit https://sistascrooge.com/.

The holiday season in Cumberland County will begin with jingling bells, running shoes, and a strong sense of community as the 14th Annual Green Beret Jingle Jog returns Saturday, Dec. 6, at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom.
Organized by Special Forces Association Chapter 100, the Jingle Jog has become a cherished tradition in the Fayetteville area, blending festive fun with a serious mission: raising funds to support Green Berets and their families. Proceeds from the event benefit programs that provide assistance to soldiers of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the broader Special Operations Forces community.
“This race is about more than fitness,” said organizers Kyle and Susana Hiser. “It’s about honoring service, building community, and ensuring families of Special Forces soldiers know they are supported.”
Race Details
The Jingle Jog will feature both 5K and 10K races, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Runners will gather at Dirtbag Ales, located at 5435 Corporation Drive in Hope Mills, where the brewery will host the event and provide space for vendors, post-race celebrations, and family activities.
Registration fees range from $33 to $45, depending on race length and date of sign-up. Discounted rates are available for high school students, JROTC, and ROTC participants, encouraging younger athletes to join in the tradition. Packet pickup will be held at Fit4Life All American, 210 Owen Drive in Fayetteville, on Dec. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Race-day registration will also be available, though organizers recommend early sign-ups to guarantee race shirts and preferred sizes.
The Jingle Jog is known for its holiday spirit. Participants often run in festive costumes, with strollers and pets welcome on the course. Families line the route to cheer on runners, creating a lively and supportive environment. The event has grown steadily over the years, drawing athletes from across North Carolina and beyond.
Local businesses and organizations play a key role in sustaining the event. This year’s sponsors include Dirtbag Ales, Fayetteville Soccer Club, and Fit4Life All American, each contributing to the race’s success and community impact.
• Dirtbag Ales provides the venue and post-race gathering space, offering a family-friendly environment for runners and spectators.
• Fayetteville Soccer Club, a cornerstone of youth athletics in the region, supports the event by encouraging families and young athletes to participate, reinforcing the connection between sports and community service.
• Fit4Life All American, a leading fitness facility in Fayetteville, not only hosts packet pickup but also promotes the event through its network of members and fitness enthusiasts.
Mission Beyond the Finish Line
While the Jingle Jog is festive and fun, its purpose is deeply meaningful. Funds raised go directly to programs that assist soldiers and their families in times of need, whether through financial support, memorial initiatives, or community outreach.
“Every step taken in this race represents a step toward helping a soldier or family in need,” said Kyle. “We’re proud to see the community rally behind this cause year after year.”
The Special Forces Association emphasizes that the Jingle Jog is not just a race but a fundraiser with lasting impact. The event has helped provide scholarships, emergency assistance, and support for memorial services honoring fallen soldiers.
The Jingle Jog has become a cornerstone of the Fayetteville-area fitness and military community calendar. With Fayetteville’s strong military presence, the event resonates with service members and their families, many of whom rely on fitness as a cornerstone of resilience and readiness.
Sponsors say their involvement reflects a commitment to both health and community. Fayetteville Soccer Club highlights the importance of teaching young athletes about service and giving back, while Fit4Life All American emphasizes the role of fitness in building stronger communities. Dirtbag Ales, meanwhile, has become a hub for local events, offering a space where families can gather and celebrate.
Looking Ahead
Kyle and Susana Hiser hope to continue growing the Jingle Jog, expanding participation and sponsorships to ensure even greater support for Special Forces families. With its mix of holiday cheer and meaningful purpose, the event has become a tradition that embodies the spirit of Fayetteville and Hope Mills.
“This is about community,” said Susana. “It’s about showing our soldiers and their families that we stand with them, not just during the holidays but all year long.”
Register at https://greenberetjinglejog.itsyourrace.com . The Green Beret Jingle Jog is more than a race. It is a celebration of service, resilience, and community spirit. Whether running in costume, cheering from the sidelines, or supporting through sponsorship, participants are part of a movement that honors soldiers and strengthens the bonds of Fayetteville and Hope Mills.

“The Herdmans were the worst kids in the whole history of the world.” Thus begins one of the longest-standing holiday traditions in Fayetteville: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Since 1991, Cape Fear Regional Theatre has produced this adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s book by the same name. The play brings to life the story of one church’s annual tradition gone awry when the neighborhood tough kids show up for the free cookies and stay for the pageant.
The show starts with an introduction to the Herdmans, the five siblings who wreak havoc on the fictional town:
“They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids.” After Mrs. Armstrong, the long-standing director of the church’s annual Christmas pageant, is put out of commission with a broken leg, Grace Bradley gets drafted to take over. On the day planning for the pageant begins, the Herdmans show up, curious about this event that is the subject of so much fascination. Chaos ensues as Christmas Eve draws near, and everyone waits to see what the Herdman kids will do next and if they will ruin the pageant.
This year’s cast is made up of about 160 kids, between the ages of 5 and 18. That number is divided into four groups of around 40 kids, each group identified by a different holiday-related flavor: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, and Nutmeg. Joining the kids onstage are three grown-ups: Amber Dawn French as Mrs. Bradley, Matthew Jackson as Mr. Bradley, and Joyce Borum as Mrs. Armstrong.
As is the case each year, some of the young actors in BCPE, as the little show with the long title is often abbreviated, are seasoned veterans of the show. For example, Zoe Washington (14) plays Beth (the show’s narrator) in the Ginger cast, is in the show for the third time, though this is her first time in the role of Beth. Others, of course, are taking the stage for the first time, like Charlotte Bittner (9), also in the Ginger cast.
After years of watching her older brother onstage in the show, she decided it was high time that she joined the fun; Charlotte is part of an adorable herd of sheep in the pageant. Both young ladies expressed that, while rehearsals can be hectic, the whole experience is a lot of fun, and they enjoy being part of the antics onstage.
While the story, characters and dialogue are the same year after year, the show has undergone many evolutions over the years. This year marks the second year that the show will be onstage at 1707 Owen Drive, Cape Fear Regional’s home away from home, as their location on Hay Street is undergoing an extensive renovation.
The hotel ballroom-turned-theatre is a different configuration than the Hay Street theatre, with seating on three sides of the stage (an arrangement called a thrust). The arrangement of the audience creates a more intimate, up close and personal feel in which the audience feels as if they are part of the action.
The whole space at the Owen Drive theatre has been turned into a winter wonderland for this time of year.
Marketing Director Ashley Owen says, “It feels like you’re stepping into a snow globe.”
So, how does the same show keep selling out for 32 years running? In a word: tradition! The Fayetteville community loves a tradition, especially one at Christmas time. As Owen points out, BCPE is one of the tentpole holiday traditions in the Fayetteville area. For many people, the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without the Holly Day Fair, or the Singing Christmas Tree, or The Nutcracker; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a crucial part of the holiday season for many families.
Additionally, with such a long run of continuous productions, BCPE has become a multi-generational event. Parents have the unique experience of seeing their kids do the same show they did when they were younger, or they remember going to see it on a field trip in elementary school.
Whether you’ve never experienced The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or you’ve never missed a year, this year’s production is not to be missed. Don’t wait to buy tickets, though; at the time of printing, the opening weekend is nearly sold out, and the second weekend is sure to be, too. Tickets can be purchased at cfrt.org or by calling the box office at 910-323-4233.

Fayetteville, established in 1756, has always been a city where history lingers in the air—sometimes in ways that send a chill down the spine. With centuries of triumph, tragedy, and transformation behind it, Fayetteville carries stories that refuse to rest quietly.
Beginning Nov. 22, locals and visitors alike will have the chance to step directly into that haunted past during the Fayetteville Ghost Walk, presented by Triangle Walking Tours. This recurring tour will take place every Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., offering an atmospheric evening steeped in eerie tales and lingering spirits.
The one-hour tour begins at Garnet Skull, 120 Hay Street, a fittingly mysterious starting point that sets the mood for what lies ahead. As guests gather under the streetlamps of Historic Downtown Fayetteville, the guide leads them into a world where the veil between past and present feels unusually thin. This isn’t a simple stroll through local landmarks—it’s a journey into the heart of the city’s most unsettling stories.
Participants will hear the enduring legend of Fayetteville’s ghostly mourning brides, women said to wander eternal paths after meeting tragic fates. These tales are woven with sorrow, romance, and unexplained sightings reported throughout the decades. Equally chilling are the stories surrounding the city’s old penitentiary, where restless prisoners are rumored to still linger, their presence felt by those who wander too close after dark.
Triangle Walking Tours has crafted an experience that is both informative and spine-tingling—a blend of researched history and the supernatural whispers that have endured through time. Each stop along the route combines storytelling with architectural and historical context, fostering a deeper appreciation for the city’s heritage and the mysteries embedded in its foundation.
Seasoned ghost-tour enthusiasts, local history buffs or those simply looking for a uniquely thrilling Saturday night will find that the Fayetteville Ghost Walk promises an evening of intrigue, atmosphere, and perhaps even a few goosebumps. As the tour winds through the historic streets, one thing becomes clear: in Fayetteville, the past is never truly gone—and it just might be walking beside you.
Tickets for this tour are $15 per person. For more information on this tour and to purchase tickets, visit Triangle Walking Tours online at https://www.trianglewalkingtours.com/book-online

Enjoy a down-home holiday on the farm at the inaugural Christmas Market at S&K, set for Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entertainment, vendors, farm-fresh products, food, fun, and even Old Saint Nick are coming to S&K Farm Market, 3607 Chicken Foot Road in Hope Mills, to help put the fa-la-la-la-la in your 2025 festivities.
Brother and sister owners and operators, Ryan Kennedy and Paige Smart, are excited to offer this December event following their inaugural and very successful fall festival held on Oct. 4. While events are new to the ever-diversifying operation, agriculture and everything from cattle to crops are not. Kennedy and Smart are following in the footsteps of earlier generations, including their parents, Rose and David Kennedy. The land has been a working farm since the mid-1800s, in the Smith family lineage on their mother’s side for six generations.
“We have transitioned from Smith & Kennedy to Smart & Kennedy, but we’ve all managed it together over the years,” Ryan explained.
Growing high-quality hay and raising Red Angus and Black Angus cows under the LLC of S&K Livestock Development, the farmers sell Bermuda and alfalfa hay and their signature grass-fed, grass-finished farm beef. We’re talking steaks, beef stew, hamburger roasts, brisket, ribs and other quality cuts. For more than a decade, S&K has also marketed its beef to brands sold through Whole Foods and Harris Teeter supermarkets.
“We do a little of everything,” said Paige. “You can come in and buy a pound of ground beef, one rib eye or a roast. And then, we also sell shares if you want to order a 1/4, 1/2 or a whole cow and offer bundles to give people a little bit of a discount.”
For example, the November bundle brings the beef in a big way—a large chuck roast, a wide selection of dinner staples including ground beef, beef stew and stir fry, plus two sirloin steaks.
When you don’t feel like cooking, cozy up to the delicious ready-to-cook meals from Pies & Sides, sold in the S&K freezer. Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken & Dressing Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie and other dishes are pie-in-the-sky delicious and convenient. The new Country Girl Pie is a mashup of cubed steak, gravy and grits.
What else can be sourced from S&K? The collaborative farm partners with other local farms to offer Dixie Duroc pasture-raised pork, The R Farmstead poultry and eggs, Parnell Acres lamb, Good Seeds Microgreens, Sandhills Mushroom Co. mushrooms, Charissa’s Salsa and Painted Desert Sauces. Regular favorites Veterans of America Roastery coffee, Blooms Backyard Flower Co. bouquets, Closer to Eden baked goods and Sweet Southern Macarons stock the shelves at S&K, too. Home décor from Sassy Hassy and Chickenfoot Crafts, plus products from Homestead Creamery, featuring milk, custard and seasonal eggnog direct from a Virginia Amish community, ensures market carts are never empty.
“It’s the most addictive milk ever,” according to Paige and countless Facebook reviewers.
What about seasonal produce and products? Whether it's collards and pecans for the holidays or tomatoes and squash come summer, the market makes shopping by the calendar easy. Sip by the season while you shop with a Lu Mil non-alcoholic slushie, deliciously sold in a variety of rotating flavors. When available, keep it cool with grape, watermelon, cherry, peach, pineapple or lemonade. Spice things up with the Hot Apple Cider variety.
With free admission, Dec. 6 Christmas Market-goers will enjoy complimentary and ticketed activities and over 70 family-owned businesses and vendors set up on the grounds. Parkton Animal Oasis exotic animal petting zoo, goat petting and milking, a farm hayride and photography with Santa are available for a nominal fee each. Free activities include the Santa Meet and Greet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a hay bale decorating contest. Guests can shop from the large product lineup, including arts and crafts, toys, custom shirts and hats, fine art, jewelry, home décor, snacks, baked goods, bread, coffee, healthy food creations, and of course, the farm’s menu of meats. Make it a day and have lunch from the Pittsburgh-inspired Yinzers and/or pizza from Pazzos; both food trucks will be on site. The event rain date is Dec. 13.
Find out more about the holiday happening and the farm on Facebook @S&K Farm Market.

Get ready to cheer, Fayetteville! The hardwood is calling, and the buzz of high school basketball season is about to reach a fever pitch right here in our community. On Nov. 28 and 29, the Methodist University campus, located at 5435 Ramsey Street, will once again become the epicenter of local and regional basketball talent as it hosts the 8th Annual Hoops and Dreams High School Basketball Showcase.
The showcase features girls and boys teams from both public and private schools. Several Cumberland County School teams will be featured, as well as teams from Moore County, Harnett County, Hoke County and more.
This isn't just another weekend of basketball; it's an annual tradition and a cornerstone community event that brings together high school athletes, their families and fans for two days of exhilarating competition. For just $20, fans can purchase a day pass that grants all-day access to every thrilling game, making it an affordable and action-packed way to spend the post-Thanksgiving weekend.
A Bridge to the Next Level
While the atmosphere promises exciting entertainment for every basketball fan, the core mission of the Hoops and Dreams Showcase is profoundly impactful: to provide a critical platform for underserved high school basketball players to gain crucial visibility.
In today’s competitive athletic landscape, simply being talented isn’t enough. Players need to be seen by the right people to advance their careers. That’s at the heart of this showcase’s purpose. This year, the event continues its powerful partnership with Phenom Hoops, a nationally recognized scouting service. This collaboration ensures that the gymnasium is filled not just with cheering fans, but also with influential college coaches and scouts.
Phenom Hoops acts as a crucial liaison, connecting promising high school players directly to the next level—whether that’s a spot on a Division I, II, or III collegiate team, or even a shot at professional basketball. For many athletes, this showcase represents the single most important opportunity of their young careers to catch the eye of someone who can open the door to a college education and continued athletic pursuit.
The goal is clear: to democratize the scouting process and ensure that talent, regardless of school size or geographical location, gets the recognition it deserves without having to travel long distances or pay expensive fees.

The Perfect Time for Family and Fans
The timing of the Hoops and Dreams Showcase is no accident. Strategically scheduled for the weekend immediately following Thanksgiving, the dates were chosen with the players’ families in mind.
By holding the showcase right after Thanksgiving, families who may already be in town for the holiday have the perfect chance to extend their visit and watch their loved ones compete on a major stage. It’s about celebrating both family and basketball.
Furthermore, placing the event at the beginning of the regular basketball season serves a critical purpose. It provides a high-level competitive proving ground just as teams are hitting their stride. It allows coaches to evaluate their squads against top-tier competition early on, and it gives players a chance to set the tone for their season with an impressive showing in front of scouts. The Showcase effectively kicks off the competitive year with a bang.
A True Community Event
While its reach is national, the heart of the Hoops and Dreams Showcase remains fiercely local. The organizers are emphatic: this is a community event, intended to bring together athletes and fans to celebrate the next generation of basketball talent.
Hosting the event at Methodist University not only provides an excellent, central facility but also underscores the partnership between local institutions and the community at large. The success of the showcase relies heavily on the support of Fayetteville residents—the fans, the volunteers, and local businesses.
For the young men and women competing, the cheers from the stands aren't just noise; they are a vital source of energy and support. When the stands are packed, it demonstrates to the visiting scouts and the athletes themselves that the local community cares deeply about their success and their future. This communal embrace can be the difference-maker for a player battling nerves or striving for a key play.
Don't Miss the Action!
Whether you’re a die-hard fan looking to scout the next college superstar, a community member eager to support local youth, or a family member ready to cheer on your athlete, the 8th Annual Hoops and Dreams High School Basketball Showcase is an event you won't want to miss.
Mark your calendars for Nov. 28 and 29. Head down to Methodist University and be a part of the excitement. Come witness the dreams being pursued, the hard work being celebrated, and the talent being discovered. Tickets will be on sale at the door both days of the Showcase. Attendance doesn't just buy you a day of great basketball; it supports the future of high school athletes looking to take their game to the next level. For more information, go to lucasmoorerealthyinc.com/hoops-and-dreams.
We’ll see you on the court!

(Hoops and Dreams is a basketball event open to high school students in Cumberland County. Photo courtesy of Hoops & Dreams)

Sweet Tea Shakespeare will help usher in the season with Behold. The concert will be held Dec. 4-6, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 1601 Raeford Rd. The show, a mix of story telling and song, creates a unique experience meant to be thoughtful and uplifting.
“This is one of those shows that our performers (myself included) look forward to coming back to year after year. It truly is a magical, beautiful experience to blend joyful noises and contemplative sounds together. For me, it is like a breath of fresh air after rushing around all year,” said Jessie Wise, executive director and CEO of Sweet Tea Shakespeare. “It's my hope the rest of the performers and the audience get to experience that as well.”
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church serves as the backdrop to the event, a tradition that Wise says has been going on since Behold began several years ago.
“Holy Trinity Episcopal Church has graciously been hosting this concert since we began offering it many years ago. We will be performing in their Sanctuary, which is a beautiful space for this concert,” Wise said.
The concert includes select readings as well as songs from Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God and the Oh Hellos. Wise said STS likes to call the performance a folk Christmas cantata. The majority of those performing this year have been a part of Behold or other Sweet Tea Shakespeare productions in the past.
“Behold will be sung by Traycie Kuhn-Zapata, Lexi Robinson, Jeremy Fiebig, Tocarra Patrick, Taj Allen, Greg Harper, Izaiah Zapata and myself, and musicians include Jacob French (guitar), Mike Canino (bass), Jonathan Breitzer (violin), Joel Wise (drums), Dean Dibling (guitar), and Evan Bridenstine(keyboard),” Wise said.
Behold has been a fixture in the Fayetteville community for several years.
“I believe it began as a passion project from our music director, Jacob French and STS founder Jeremy Fiebig,” she said.
The passion is truly felt, as the performance leaves both the audience and performers feeling introspective. STS’s website says the performance is a way to “feel the spirit of the Season.”
It is with this in mind that STS has designated the performance as a “pay as you can” show. Tickets can be purchased through their website at https://sweetteashakespeare.com/behold-december-fayetteville/, and concert goers can choose how much they pay for their tickets.
“We want to make sure that tickets are accessible to all, especially during the holiday season when finances are tight,” Wise said. “The pay what you will option provides opportunities for us to open our performance to everyone while also allowing those who feel passionately about our productions to give back. We have used this model for some other concerts in the past, and probably will do so in the future.”
Described as an intimate concert that “blends stirring melodies and meaningful narratives,” Behold will truly be an event to bring in the holiday season. It will be a time when those who attend can breathe and feel a few moments of peace.
“This time of year, it's so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle and stress of the season and expectations placed on ourselves, either by others or ourselves,” Wise said. “We hope that Behold is an opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath, and reflect on the stories of the season.”

Hear ye, hear ye! Cumberland Choral Arts invites the community to step back into the splendor of the Renaissance for one enchanted evening as A Yuletide Feaste returns to Cumberland County on Saturday, Dec. 6. For one night only, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her Royal Court will welcome guests to a grand holiday banquet filled with music, merriment, wassail, and pageantry—all to support the mission of CCA and its programs.
This year’s Feaste will take place at Salem Methodist Church, located at 2165 Middle Road, chosen not only for its capacity and kitchen facilities but also as part of CCA’s ongoing effort to reach communities throughout the entire county.
“There are so many communities outside of Fayetteville's city limits that we want to reach,” explains Elizabeth Wise, CCA Vice President and the evening’s Queen Elizabeth. “We are ‘Cumberland’ Choral Arts, after all.”
The evening begins when the Queen’s Banquet Hall opens at 6 p.m., with festivities commencing promptly at 6:30 p.m. A plentiful feast will be served, offering a traditional holiday banquet complete with a hearty meal, flowing wassail to warm the spirit, and figgy pudding to sweeten the celebration.
The idea for A Yuletide Feaste blossomed during CCA’s European performance tour in April 2024.
“A small group of us sat around reminiscing about when Methodist University’s chorale put on a Yuletide Feaste,” Wise recalls. “We had the crazy idea to resurrect that event with Cross Creek Chorale, and thus the tradition has continued.”
CCA President Sandy Cage adds that the group had long sought a fundraising event that showcased their artistic strengths.
“That evening discussion in Prague was the spark. Our first attempt was more of a ‘fun’raiser—we basically broke even. We hope that with donors and sponsors, it will become a true fundraiser this year.”
Guests attending the Feaste can expect an immersive production combining medieval dining, live choral performance, and interactive theatre.
“It’s a medieval dinner theater where guests are serenaded and occasionally invited to participate in Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas feast,” Wise explains. “There will be singing, eating, and most importantly, wassail!”
The Cross Creek Chorale plays a central role in bringing the court to life.
“We are the court,” says Wise. “We provide the music and merriment through song and dramatic acting. It is our job to transport you out of Fayetteville to Elizabethan England for the evening.”
The result is a fully immersive experience—from period costumes and historic décor to traditional carols and holiday favorites.
Musically, the program blends authentic Renaissance pieces with familiar seasonal works.
“The music is a mix,” says Artistic Director Curt Kinzey. “We wanted to include authentic music of the time period, but also songs that elicit the holiday spirit.”
But beyond the festive atmosphere, the event carries an important purpose.
“All proceeds from A Yuletide Feaste go right back into the community,” Cage explains.
Funds support CCA’s concert season, collaborative musicians, venue costs, and the Campbellton Youth Chorus—a no-tuition choral program for students in grades 4 through 10.
“Concert ticket prices only cover a small percentage of costs. We rely on sponsors, donations, and grants.”
The Feaste also serves as an introduction to choral music for newcomers.
“Some may come for the holiday entertainment without knowing whether they like choral music,” Kinzey notes. “It may serve as a fun and novel introduction.”
Ultimately, CCA hopes guests leave with more than a full stomach.
“I hope they will leave with hearts full of holiday spirit and a sense that quality fine arts are alive and well in our community,” Kinzey reflects.
Cage adds that the evening closes with a meaningful message from the Queen: “Let us henceforth journey together into a new, harmonious year, and perhaps, we should pray not that we keep Christmas but that Christmas keeps us.”
A limited number of seats are available, and all tickets must be purchased online by Nov. 30. Tickets are $65 and include a regular or vegetarian meal option. While royal attire is encouraged, it is not required—only a spirit of merriment and wassail. To purchase tickets, visit https://secure.givelively.org/event/cumberland-choral-arts/a-yuletide-feaste-fundraiser.

(Queen Elizabeth welcomes Feaste goers during A Yuletide Feaste in 2024. Cumberland Choral Arts is bringing their Feaste back again this year. Photo courtesy of Cumberland Choral Arts)

The literary heartbeat of downtown Fayetteville is growing louder as City Center Gallery & Books continues its successful Chat with an Author series. After drawing enthusiastic crowds for recent events featuring Dylan Nigh and Janet Gibson, bookstore owners Hank and Diane Parfitt say the momentum has transformed their Hay Street shop into one of the city’s most vibrant cultural hubs.
Their newest guest, Joseph Bathanti, former North Carolina Poet Laureate (2012–14) and recipient of the 2016 North Carolina Award for Literature, represents a milestone in the series and a significant moment for the region’s military and writing communities.
Bringing Bathanti to Fayetteville holds special meaning.
“The North Carolina Literary Review is excited to connect with the military community in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, to assist with writing their stories,” said Devra Thomas, digital editor of the North Carolina Literary Review. “We believe literature is an important method for increasing understanding of this important population in North Carolina, which is why we are featuring Current and Former Military authors in our 2026 Feature sections.”
According to Thomas, Bathanti’s deep ties to veterans’ writing initiatives make him a natural fit.
“Joseph Bathanti has been an important voice in North Carolina literature for decades, and he’s using his wealth of knowledge and experience to assist veterans in crafting their own stories to share. We are excited to be able to use a North Carolina Arts Council military project grant to bring Professor Bathanti to Fayetteville for this free workshop and to partner with City Center Gallery for a public reading by Professor Bathanti himself.”
The Parfitts launched Chat with an Author earlier this fall: an intimate, informal gathering where readers can pull up a chair, talk craft, and connect with writers one-on-one. The first event featured Dylan Nigh, whose memoir, Fool’s Gear: A Completely Devastating Thing I’ll Probably Do Again, explores heartbreak, healing and a winter motorcycle journey across the country.
“The turnout for Dylan set a tone we couldn’t have predicted,” Hank said. “Folks stayed long after the event ended. They needed space for real conversation, and that’s what we want this series to be.”
Shortly after Nigh, the store welcomed Janet Gibson, author of In My Heart This Morning. Gibson’s reading drew readers from across the region and ended in a warm, reflective book signing where guests shared their own stories of gratitude and loss.
“Janet offered a moment of quiet grace,” Diane said. “Everyone left feeling lighter.”
Upcoming Events at City Center Gallery & Books
With the holiday season underway, the store’s calendar is filling quickly:
All events will be held at 112 Hay Street, and are free and open to the public. City Center Gallery & Books’ phone number is 910-678-8899.
NOVEMBER 28 | 2–3 p.m.
Elliot Engel - A Dickens Holiday Presentation
NOVEMBER 29 | 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Shop Small Saturday & Ladies’ Shopping Day
DECEMBER 4 | 6 p.m.
Joseph Bathanti - Workshop & Public Reading
Presented in partnership with the North Carolina Literary Review & NC Arts Council Military Project Grant
Bathanti’s visit includes a free writing workshop designed especially for military and veteran storytellers and an evening reading open to the public.
“This event means a great deal to us,” Hank said. “Joseph Bathanti represents the highest caliber of North Carolina literature, but he also believes deeply in helping others find their voice, especially veterans. That mission aligns perfectly with Fayetteville.”
DECEMBER 6 | 4–6 p.m.
Reggie Barton - I Never Heard That Before
DECEMBER 13 | 5–7 p.m.
Starr Branch - Poetry Reading
Ask Hank Parfitt what’s happening in downtown Fayetteville, and he’ll tell you the truth: something is stirring.
“People are rediscovering that bookstores aren’t just retail spaces,” he said. “They’re gathering places. They’re where ideas catch fire.”
The couple has operated City Center Gallery & Books since 2003. They’ve weathered shifts in retail, competition with online giants, and even the ebb and flow of downtown revitalization. But this moment feels different.
“There’s a buzz in this city,” Hank said. “It’s in the air. These authors bring people together: veterans, families, young readers, long-term locals, new residents. They sit shoulder to shoulder, talking about books. That’s community.”
For Diane, the joy is in watching people rediscover reading as a shared experience.
“You see strangers walk in, then leave as friends,” she said. “Books do that. Stories make people brave enough to talk.”

(Photo: Joseph Bathanti will be at City Center Gallery & Books in December to talk about his poetry and give a writing workshop. Photo courtesy of Hank Parfitt)

The community is encouraged to attend a public hearing and sign up to speak in opposition to a request from the Town of Fuquay-Varina to transfer up to 6.17 million gallons per day of water from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. in the FTCC Cumberland Hall Auditorium.
On Nov. 17, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to oppose the transfer based on cited concerns, including “impacts to the limited water supply in the Cape Fear River Basin, increased pollutant concentration and potential restrictions on future County growth tied to State regulations.”
At the meeting, commissioners emphasized the importance of opposing this transfer, which would significantly impact the Cape Fear River Basin and the communities that depend on it as their main source of safe and reliable drinking water. The transfer of moving water would reduce river flow, threaten water availability and potentially damage vital infrastructure.
If anyone wishes to speak at the public hearing, sign-in begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/11/04/ncdeq-division-water-resources-hold-public-hearings-draft-environmental-impact-statement-fuquay.

City of Fayetteville
The Fayetteville City Council voted unanimously at their work session on Nov. 6 to request a state audit of six failed construction projects, some of which are under a separate criminal investigation by the District Attorney's office.
The projects include Fire Station No. 4, designed by the W.B. Brawley Company, and the Hay Street parking deck, previously handled by Prince Charles Holdings, Inc. The other four projects were contracted by Mohammad Mohammad and the Apex Contracting Group and include the Rosehill Road sidewalk, the Mable C. Smith Community Center, the Mazarick Park Tennis Center building and the new tennis courts at Mazarick Park. The criminal investigation is connected to those four projects.
The state audit, separate from the criminal investigation, is intended to provide an independent review and ensure transparency in the city's financial processes, particularly regarding the handling of millions of dollars in project funds.
In other news, council members approved an agreement (8-1 vote) at its regular scheduled meeting on Nov. 10 to complete the Stadium View Project with multi-family development residential units, hotel units, retail space and a long-awaited installation of elevators at 466 Hay Street downtown. The development is adjacent to Segra Stadium, home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and will be located above the current Hay Street parking deck.
The Stadium View Project began as Project Home Run back in 2016, but has since changed developers and is slated to begin construction in June 2026. Lansing Melbourne Group, operating locally as Fay Hay Master Venture, is anticipated to invest over $70 million to complete the space, according to city officials.

Joint 911 Call Center
The Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners both unanimously voted to merge 911 call services at a joint meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13, although the decision as to which agency would run the center is still up in the air.
The county proposed a joint board with three representatives from each the county and the city. The city, which now operates in City Hall downtown, would like to run the operation entirely. The costs are anticipated to be split evenly between the city and the county.
After much discussion, the decision ended in an impasse. The two governing bodies have attempted to combine 911 centers since 2007 and have been unable to agree due to “disagreements over governance and operational control,” according to officials.
The city and county managers have been directed to reconvene in January to “chart a path forward” for joint operations as they merge into the county’s current 911 center on Executive Place in Fayetteville.

National Civics Bee®
The National Civics Bee®, a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will allow middle school students (6th, 7th and 8th grades) to participate for the first time in North Carolina this year, and Fayetteville, through the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, was chosen as a regional site. Applications for students are officially open. Students have until Feb. 3, 2026, to register.
For more information about the program, including educator resources and how to participate in the 2026 competition, visit www.faybiz.com/civicsbee.

About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber
Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice shaping policies, driving economic success and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com or email jmclaughlin@faybiz.com.

Time is flying. Tempus is fugiting. This column will darken Up & Coming Weekly newsstands and various bird cage floors the day before Thanksgiving. The holiday season is upon us like a giant boulder of calories rolling down Mount Everest. The gluttony has only just begun. Loosen your belts. It’s the Eating Season from Thanksgiving until Jan. 2, 2026. Who better to guide us through this season of empty calories than our old pal Pugsley Addams, who appeared in the Thanksgiving pageant dressed as a turkey chanting, “EAT ME.” Pugsley offers advice on navigating this fraught period of the calendar. His tips are below. Abandon your diets, politics, and self-control, all who enter herein.
The season starts with the traditional showing of the WKRP episode of the Thanksgiving turkey drop. WKRP’s star newsman, Les Nessman, describes the birds being dropped from a helicopter to provide free turkey dinners. Unfortunately, these turkeys could not fly. They crash into the ground like sacks of wet cement. Holiday shoppers run for their lives to avoid the rain of hapless turkeys.
“Oh, the humanity!” cries Les. The scene ends with the station manager saying, “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
Thus warmed up for Thanksgiving, kindly ponder the day’s events. The Macy’s parade of corporate balloons begins the ritual. The house is filled with exquisite aromas of cooking all morning long for a meal to be consumed in 15 minutes. Dinner is filled with political land mines and more calories than stars in the sky. Will Drunk Uncle expound his MAGA views only to be confronted with Cousin Elise’s support for ANTIFA? Can they be separated far enough from each other to avoid the inevitable explosion? Next comes the ritual food coma during the Detroit Lions football game.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the cleanup begins. What to do with the gigantic amount of grease generated by the turkey? No empty can is large enough to contain it all. Can’t pour it down the sink where it would coagulate into a call to the plumber. The ultimate solution is pouring it into an obscure corner of the yard, where also lies the vain hope the dogs won’t find it. Naturally, the dogs find it. They return exuberantly to the house, muzzles covered in dirt glued to their faces by turkey grease. Dogs love Thanksgiving.
Black Friday looms as that special time of year when bargain hunters arise before dawn to shove and trample each other while seeking Christmas deals to die for. Somewhere in this fair land, Black Friday shootings break out in food courts in malls that are otherwise empty the rest of the year. The unholy trinity of Mariah Carey’s super festive anthem “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Elmo & Patsy’s “Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer,” and Madonna’s “Santa Baby” play endlessly like Chinese water torture.
I used to look forward to watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special on ABC every year. But the Tech Dudes at Apple bought Charlie Brown in 2020 and have held him hostage ever since. If you want to see Charlie, you have to pay a ransom to Apple to catch a glimpse of his not-bad little Christmas tree. Sigh. I miss Snoopy’s brilliant ice-skating display.
The Christmas TV ads become inescapable. My favorite is the NC Uneducational Lottery Ad featuring shiny peppy people at a Christmas party who are given the gift of “What If?’ They get Holiday Scratch Off Tickets, which could make everyone’s dreams come true as Christmas presents. The happy folks receiving Christmas Scratch Off lottery tickets dream of a big win, buying houses, trips to Europe, and living happily ever after. If spending the kid’s college fund on lottery tickets isn’t the real meaning of Christmas, call me Ebeneezer Scrooge. Makes you wonder why the Three Wise Men didn’t bring lottery tickets to Bethlehem, doesn’t it?
Between Christmas and New Year, your tax preparer sends you the annual tax organizer so you can render unto Caesar. Nothing says holidays are ending like the arrival of the tax organizer. The days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day have blurred into Bub and Hubbub. They end in the cold grey dawn of January 2nd. The annual ritual of resolving to lose weight, becoming more active, and being kinder comes into focus. Gyms are joined and abandoned. Resolutions disappear into the perma-frost of failed January good intentions.
The final coup de grace of the end of the Holiday season is the arrival of the credit card bills. As the Beach Boys once sang: “Christmas comes this time each year.”
Truer words were never warbled. Merry Christmas anyway.

(Illustration by Pitt Dickey)

As the main source of drinking water for Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the Cape Fear River serves as the lifeline for the residents of our community and the surrounding areas. The Town of Fuquay-Varina is seeking state approval for an Interbasin Transfer certificate that would authorize withdrawal of 6.17 million gallons of water from the Cape Fear River.
An Interbasin Transfer refers to the process of withdrawing surface water from one river basin and subsequently discharging the wastewater into a different basin. Under this proposal, rather than returning treated wastewater to the Cape Fear River Basin, the discharge would occur in the Neuse River Basin.
This approach will almost certainly have implications for the long-term stability of our region's primary water source.
Every day, the Fayetteville Public Works Commission delivers safe and reliable drinking water to over 250,000 residents within our service territory, while also supporting nearby communities like Fort Bragg, Hoke County, the Town of Spring Lake, and the Town of Stedman. This river, a limited and essential resource, must be managed with care and responsibility. It doesn’t belong to any one person or group; instead, the Cape Fear River is a vital, shared resource that sustains life throughout our region.
Since PWC was chartered in 1905 and began offering water services, our mission has been to help manage this river carefully for the wellbeing of all communities, both local and downstream. As a regional water supplier, we recognize and acknowledge statewide water needs, however our focus remains in delivering safe, affordable, regulation-compliant water with enough supply for current residents and future growth.
Responsible resource stewardship is returning water to the river promptly, which supports all local communities' growth, sustainability, and ultimate viability.
When water is permanently diverted and not returned, the river’s flow decreases, straining the ability of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Fort Bragg, and other downstream communities to access the water they need for drinking, sanitation, industry, agriculture, and recreation. Over time, the ongoing loss of this volume of water will lead to water shortages, hamper economic growth, and reduce the Cape Fear River’s capacity to support healthy ecosystems, ultimately threatening the wellbeing and prosperity of our entire region.
The absence of returning water to the basin from which it was taken should raise alarm for all who depend on the Cape Fear River’s enduring vitality. PWC keeps water in the Cape Fear River Basin by withdrawing, treating, and returning it to the same source.
This closed loop supports both local and downstream communities. When water is removed without being returned, river levels drop over time, especially during droughts, impacting drinking water, industry, recreation and PWC's infrastructure.
These risks are especially important because the basin currently provides resources to hundreds of thousands of people as well as a key military facility.
The Cape Fear River has sustained our region for generations, supporting families, businesses, and national defense. It is a shared resource, not a commodity to be moved from one basin to another for convenience. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Management Commission must reject this Interbasin Transfer request as proposed and uphold a principle that has served this state well: water drawn from the Cape Fear River Basin should stay in the
Cape Fear River Basin.
No one can predict what river conditions will look like decades from now. Climate change, population growth, and industrial demand make it even more important to protect what we have. Once water is allowed to leave the basin, it does not come back.
PWC has a long history of defending the Cape Fear River from similar proposals. With your help, we have successfully challenged past attempts to move water out of the Cape Fear River Basin, ensuring that this essential resource remains available for the people who depend on it.
Those efforts reflect our responsibility not only to our current customers but also to future generations.
We need your help again; our community’s future depends on it.
How You Can Help
Protecting the Cape Fear River Basin requires community action. Attending public hearings on the Interbasin Transfer proposal is a direct way to make an impact and show support for preserving our water source.
Join a hearing to voice your concerns and advocate for responsible stewardship.
Public Hearing Details
• Fayetteville, N.C.
When: 6 p.m., Dec. 4, 2025
Where: Fayetteville Technology Community College, Cumberland Hall Auditorium, 2220 Hull Road, Fayetteville, N.C.
Register: Sign-in and speaker registration will begin at 5:30 p.m.
• Raleigh, N.C.
When: 6 p.m., Dec. 9, 2025
Where: Ground Floor Hearing Room, Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, N.C., 27604
Register: Sign-in and speaker registration will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Parking information: Public parking will be available after 5 p.m. at Parking Deck 64, which is located across North Salisbury Street from the Archdale Building. Please see the Interactive State Parking Map for additional parking options: https://www.doa.nc.gov/divisions/state-parking/interactive-state-parking-map
• Pittsboro, N.C.
When: 6 p.m., Dec. 11, 2025
Where: Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, 1192 U.S. Hwy 64 West Business, Pittsboro, N.C. 27312
Register: Sign-in and speaker registration will begin at 5:30 p.m.
By attending a public hearing, registering to speak, and sharing your perspective, you will help ensure that our community's concerns are heard and considered. Together, we can protect the Cape Fear River Basin and the future of our region.
Help us Save Our Water.
Very truly yours,
Fayetteville Public Works
Commission
Richard King, Chairman, PWC Board of Commissioners

Rachel Heimann Mercader has done an excellent job of reporting in her recent CityView article, shining a light on Fayetteville’s little-known City Council dinner meetings. Her thorough coverage captures both the history and the controversy surrounding these gatherings. Yet the point that truly stunned me was learning why these meetings actually began in 2008: former Mayor Tony Chavonne revealed they were created because council members were failing to read their packets and come prepared for official sessions.
Both Mayor Chavonne and his successor, Nat Robertson, admitted the practice was meant to bring council members up-to-date and avoid embarrassment once the TV cameras rolled. That revelation raises a troubling question—why are we electing leaders who are too lazy or incompetent to understand the business of governing our city? These closed-door dinners either need to end or be made fully accessible to the public.
Transparency is not difficult, and Cumberland County Commissioners under Chairman Kirk deViere have shown how to effectively keep citizens informed with openness and accountability. Yet when Councilman Mario Benavente’s motion to make these meetings more transparent failed in a 5–4 vote, the message was clear: Mayor Mitch Colvin intends to preside over a rubber-stamp council beginning Dec. 1, with business as usual and little interest in bringing Fayetteville citizens into the sunlight. Not good. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
—Bill Bowman, Publisher

Before the cameras roll, before the microphones click on, and before the public meetings begin, the Fayetteville City Council gathers in a cramped room on the third floor of City Hall.
These sessions are the council’s little-known dinner meetings. For nearly two decades, the gatherings have quietly shaped city policy—all without livestreams, video or audio archives, or easy public access.
The dinner meetings are where council members ask questions, rehearse talking points, and sometimes strategize what they’ll say later in the first-floor city council chamber, where the public is watching.
Critics say the practice reflects a broader culture of avoiding accountability, where key decisions can unfold with little public oversight. Supporters call the meetings essential for candid conversation and practical preparation.
In the November election, the city council candidates campaigned on promises of transparency. As the winners prepare to take office on Dec. 1, the private nature of these dinner meetings puts that promise to a test.
Former mayors said the dinner meeting was created to help unprepared council members get up to speed. But over time, it’s morphed into something more opaque, former and current council members said, where votes are sometimes taken, discussions veer off agenda, and the public is left guessing what happened.
“The city’s preference is always going to be to obfuscate,” said City Council Member Mario Benavente, who will leave office on Dec. 1.
The dinner meetings start at 5:30 p.m. and end by 6:30 p.m., when the regular council meetings are scheduled to begin. If the dinner meetings run long, as happened at a recent gathering in October, the council meetings start late.
Access to the dinner meetings is limited. The stairwell to the third floor requires a staff badge. If members of the public want to attend, as allowed by law, a city employee has to be summoned to let them in and take them up to the meeting room.
Once there, attendees will find limited space. The room seats maybe eight members of the public, shoulder to shoulder against the wall, next to the long table that the city council and staff sit around.
The city clerk makes an audio recording of each meeting, but the file is destroyed once the council approves the minutes at the following session, as permitted under state law, city spokesperson Loren Bymer told CityView.
In the last two months, council members used dinner meetings to discuss a new contract with developers to build a hotel and apartment tower atop the downtown Hay Street Parking Garage, and whether the city should re-file a lawsuit against the previous developers who never finished the project.
They also had a polarizing vote on Oct. 27 to postpone a council meeting until after the Nov. 4 election. Some members believed it was designed to avoid discussion of an audit of controversial and failed construction projects on the day before the election.
“I think they should be moved down to the first floor so they are more accessible,” Benavente told CityView. “It’s not truly public.”
Last week, Benavente put forth a proposal to make the dinner meetings more transparent. It failed in a 5-4 vote.
The dinner meetings have not had written agendas. Benavente’s proposal would have required a formal agenda set by the city manager. He said this would be a small step toward greater transparency and accessibility.
Benavente and Council Members Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Kathy Jensen and Deno Hondros voted yes. Mayor Mitch Colvin and Council Members Lynne Greene, Brenda McNair, Malik Davis, and D.J. Haire voted no.
Council members said dinner meetings foster more candid conversations.
Greene, who voted against Benavente’s motion to have more formal agendas, acknowledged that dynamic to CityView.
“Do I think that sometimes with the public present, we are limited and we are more cautious in the way that we speak to each other? Yes,” she said.
Greene said it was her understanding that the meetings are intentionally structured to limit public access. “Not to prohibit the public, to just make it not as easy,” she said.
Critics say that’s exactly why the meeting should be more accessible.
“It’s important for us to gain the public’s trust by doing our business in public,” Hondros told CityView.
The dinner meetings weren’t always controversial. Former Mayor Tony Chavonne, who led the city from 2005 to 2013, said he started them in 2008 to address a basic problem: Council members weren’t reading their agenda packets.
“It was embarrassing,” Chavonne told CityView. “We had to get it together for the public.”
Chavonne’s successor, former Mayor Nat Robertson, had similar thoughts.
The dinner meetings, Robertson said, were meant to help council members prepare, especially those who hadn’t done their homework before the cameras turned on. Robertson left office in 2017.
Former Council Member Kirk deViere described the dinner meeting as informal. It was never a place for votes, just a space to ask questions and get clarity.
deViere was on the city council from 2015 to 2017. He is now the chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.

UCW Editor's note: This article has been edited due to space. To read the article in full, visit https://bit.ly/3XIPjFk

Many vitamins are important for personal health, but come the wintertime, vitamin D may dominate the headlines. That's because hours of sunlight dwindle in the winter, which can lower levels of vitamin D in the body.
Vitamin D is sometimes referred to as the "sunshine vitamin" because of its ties to the sun. The Cleveland Clinic says sun exposure on the skin is one way for people to get vitamin D. However, people with darker skin or those in certain geographical locations that do not get enough sunlight may not get sufficient vitamin D. Supplementation with foods that contain vitamin D or through pills may be necessary.
Vitamin D helps maintain a balance of calcium in the body and facilitates the building and maintaining of strong bones. The Mayo Clinic says low vitamin D levels have been tied to cancer, cognitive decline, multiple sclerosis, rickets, and psoriasis. But how much vitamin D does a person need? The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for those ages one to 70 years old, and 800 IU for people over 70 years of age. However, some doctors recommend people take higher amounts. The Endocrine Society, for example, suggests higher daily doses of 1,500 to 2,000 IU may be needed for some adults.
Although vitamin D deficiency may compromise health, it's important to note that going too far in the other direction also is unhealthy. Harvard Health advises against taking more than 4,000 IU per day, which is considered the safe upper limit. High doses of vitamin D can cause too much calcium to form in the blood, a condition called hypercalcemia. This raises the risk of fatal heart conditions. Increasing vitamin D intake also increases the risk for kidney stones, so the pros and cons must be weighed. Symptoms of too much vitamin D can include vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, increased thirst, and frequent urination.
Getting vitamin D naturally through sunlight and food sources is preferable to supplements. Fatty fish, mushrooms, liver, shrimp, and oysters are some foods that are excellent sources of vitamin D. UCLA Health says eight to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon produces the recommended amount of vitamin D. However, in the winter when only 10 percent of the body is exposed, nearly two hours of sun exposure at noon is needed to produce a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Geographic regions may produce different rates of exposure needed to ensure sufficient vitamin D production.
Vitamin D is necessary for health, but many people are not getting enough. Increasing exposure to the sun, eating the right foods and supplementation when needed can improve vitamin D levels.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, creativity and technology converge under the Computer Information Technology Department, where the Simulation & Game Development and Digital Media programs are redefining what it means to prepare students for the modern digital world. Both programs empower students to transform imagination into interactive experiences and visual storytelling. Students learn to blend technical precision with artistic innovation. Together, these departments serve as a hub for aspiring creators, programmers, and designers eager to shape the future of entertainment, education, and digital communication.
The Simulation & Game Development program provides hands-on experience in designing and programming interactive 2D and 3D environments, from video games to virtual training simulations. Students learn industry-relevant tools and techniques in areas such as game design, 3D modeling, level development, motion graphics, and artificial intelligence. By combining creativity with critical thinking, the program prepares graduates for a variety of careers—not just in gaming, but in fields such as defense, education, healthcare, and corporate simulation. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that FTCC students are ready to meet the growing demand for immersive and interactive digital experiences.
Meanwhile, the Digital Media program focuses on the art and technology of visual communication. Students master digital video production, user interface, animation, figma, and multimedia storytelling, using industry-standard software to bring their ideas to life. Through collaborative projects and real-world assignments, they learn to communicate effectively through visuals, sound, and motion—skills that are increasingly vital in marketing, entertainment, and online content creation. The program encourages students to merge artistic expression with technical proficiency, preparing them to thrive in a fast-paced and media-rich professional landscape.
The excellence of FTCC’s Simulation & Game Development and Digital Media students has also been recognized at both state and national levels. Most recently, FTCC students earned third place in a national competition for game development, showcasing their talent and innovation on a major stage for SKILLS in Atlanta, GA. In addition, they achieved impressive placements in animation, video editing, and audio editing categories at state competitions, demonstrating the department’s comprehensive strength across multiple digital disciplines. These achievements highlight not only the skill and dedication of FTCC students but also the strong mentorship and collaborative learning environment fostered by the department.
Students from both areas often collaborate on projects, combining animation, coding, and design to produce professional-quality digital content. This synergy fosters teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity—key competencies for success in today’s digital industries. As technology continues to evolve, FTCC’s Simulation & Game Development and Digital Media departments stand at the forefront, shaping the next generation of digital storytellers and interactive creators.
Are you ready to learn more?
Please contact Torie Quismundo, department chair, at FTCC. Spring classes begin in January, and registration is now open. The start of a new year is a great time to explore something new. Quismundo’s office is located in the Advanced Technology Center, Room 220-D, 2300 Hull Rd., Fayetteville. Call 910-678-8331or email Quismundo at quismunt@faytechcc.edu.

Karen and Andre Wynn never expected to hear the word cancer and especially not at the same time in their lives. Being diagnosed a month apart, the married couple allowed their faith, love and the care they received at Cape Fear Valley Cancer Treatment & CyberKnife Center to carry them through their darkest days.
Their journey began with Karen’s routine yearly mammogram at Valley Regional Imaging. Because her mother had breast cancer, she made sure never to miss her screenings. This visit would be different; her doctor would call with difficult news.
“I was at work when she called,” Karen said. “She told me, ‘I hate to say this over the phone, but it’s breast cancer.’ Words can’t explain how I felt at that moment.”
Doctors found Karen’s cancer on the outside of her milk duct, which is the tube that carries milk to the nipple. The doctors decided to do a lumpectomy, a surgery to remove the cancer, and another surgery to take out lymph nodes under her right arm to make sure it hadn’t spread. Thankfully, it hadn’t.
Following the procedures, Karen began radiation treatments and started medicine to keep the cancer from coming back.
“Everyone at Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center was wonderful,” she said. “They played the music I wanted during treatments and made me feel at ease. Now, follow-up mammograms show the cancer is gone, and I only go back once a year.”
While Karen was fighting her battle, Andre began his own. He noticed a growth in his neck that quickly became prominent. After an Ear, Nose and Throat evaluation and biopsy, he was diagnosed with stage-two throat cancer, which was located at the back of his tongue.
“The first day I stepped into the cancer center and saw the sign, that’s when reality really hit me,” Andre said. “But everyone there made me feel so loved and cared for.”
Andre began radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Halfway through, he lost his voice — a painful loss for a minister who loves preaching and singing. He also developed severe burns on his neck from radiation, with open sores that nearly exposed bone. His weight dropped from 250 to 170 pounds, and he eventually needed a feeding tube because he could no longer swallow.
“There were days I couldn’t walk or bathe myself. My wife took care of me through it all,” he said. “But honestly, watching her go through cancer, too, was the hardest part.”
Karen agreed. “My journey was hard, but seeing his burns, weight loss and pain was heartbreaking.”
Despite their challenges, they supported each other every step of the way, and the couple is grateful for all their doctors, including radiation oncologist, Dr. Sunjay Barton.
“He was amazing,” Karen said. “I also had Dr. Kenneth Manning for chemo, and Andre had Dr. Sajjad Malick. Both were wonderful. Whenever we needed anything, they were there for us. Dr. Barton always kept it real. He told us, ‘You can beat this.’”
Both Karen and Andre were touched by the kindness of volunteers and staff. “People offered us blankets and drinks, always checking on us,” Karen said. “When Andre had chemo on Mondays, I never worked those days so I could sit in the lobby and wait for him.”
The couple has lost many loved ones to cancer over the past year, making them even more grateful for each other and the care they received at Cape Fear Valley Cancer Treatment & CyberKnife Center.
“Early detection saved my life,” Karen said. “Many people skip their yearly screenings, especially in the Black community, but you have to go,” she insisted. “God is a healer, but we have to do our part, too.”
Andre added, “We men hesitate to go to the doctor, but if something feels different, get it checked out. It could save your life.”
Looking back, Andre says Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center gave them truth and hope.
“They treated us like family,” he shared. “They told us cancer is not a death sentence. Look at us now. We’re here!”
Their journey changed how they see life.
“We slow down and appreciate everything,” Andre said. “The flowers, the colors – it all feels more vibrant now.”
Karen nodded. “We spend more time with family. You never know when it’s your last day.”
Above all, Andre wants others to know:
“Cancer is not the end. You have to fight, believe you’re healed and trust the treatments. There’s a testimony on the other side.”

(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Valley Health)

Just in time for the eerie season’s lingering chill, The Exorcist returns to the big screen at the Cameo Art House Theatre. Often hailed as one of the scariest films ever made, William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece remains as unnerving and powerful today as it was over fifty years ago. Now, audiences in downtown Fayetteville will get to experience it once more as part of the Cameo’s Fourth Friday Fright Night series.
A nightmare that changed cinema
When The Exorcist premiered in 1973, it didn’t just scare audiences; it shocked them. Reports from the time described moviegoers fainting, screaming and even fleeing the theater. Police were called to control crowds. Churches condemned it, and lines still wrapped around blocks. The film became more than a movie; it was a cultural event that blurred the line between entertainment and trauma.
Directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty (based on his own best-selling novel), The Exorcist tells the story of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, a sweet Georgetown girl who suddenly begins exhibiting terrifying and inexplicable behavior. Her mother, played with desperate realism by Ellen Burstyn, seeks medical and psychological help. She tries everything until her last resort arrives, the Church. Enter Father Karras (Jason Miller), a young priest struggling with his faith and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), an older exorcist who’s faced this evil before. What follows is one of the most harrowing confrontations ever depicted on film: the battle for a child’s soul.
The power of cinema and the devil’s details
What made The Exorcist different wasn’t just the subject matter; it was how seriously it treated it. Friedkin, fresh off the Oscar-winning The French Connection, approached the supernatural story with a documentary-like realism. He insisted on shooting on location, using cold breath effects, hidden sound cues and even extreme methods to elicit genuine reactions from his actors. The result was a film that felt disturbingly real, grounding the unholy in the ordinary. The ordinary home became a battleground between heaven and hell.
Blatty, whose novel was inspired by a 1949 case of alleged demonic possession in St. Louis, wanted to explore the question of faith in a skeptical age. The movie, for all its spinning heads and projectile vomit, is at its core about belief; both the loss and rediscovery of it. Father Karras, tormented by doubt and guilt, finds redemption not through theology, but through sacrifice. It’s a horror film that moves beyond fear into something deeply human.
Why The Exorcist still matters
In an era when horror films are often saturated with digital effects and quick scares, The Exorcist endures because it lingers. Its fear is psychological, spiritual and deeply personal. The film also broke barriers in Hollywood. It became the first horror film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and earned ten nominations in total, winning two with Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. Its success paved the way for a new era of “serious horror,” leading to films like The Omen, Alien and Hereditary.
And even fifty years later, The Exorcist continues to provoke discussion. Is it a story of possession or psychological collapse? A tale of faith rediscovered or the cruelty of the unknown?
Of course, part of The Exorcist’s mythology comes from its reputation as a “cursed” production. Fires destroyed sets, actors were injured and eerie coincidences haunted the cast and crew. Nine people associated with the film died during or soon after production. Whether one believes in curses or not, the stories have added to the film’s aura.
Even today, Friedkin’s direction feels dangerous, unflinching and completely committed. The crucifix scene, the levitation, the demonic voice (created by actress Mercedes McCambridge through whiskey and cigarettes). And yet, through all the sensationalism, there’s still heart, faith and sacrifice at the center of it all.
Fourth Friday Fright Night: where horror lives again?
The Cameo Art House Theatre has made a name for itself as Fayetteville’s home for great films—both new independent releases and classic revivals. Its Fourth Friday Fright Night series has become a beloved local tradition, giving moviegoers the rare opportunity to see the horror greats on the big screen. From Halloween to Psycho and The Shining, each screening is a celebration of cinema’s darker side. On Friday, Nov. 22, at 9:30 p.m., The Exorcist will take over the Cameo’s main auditorium. Patrons are encouraged to come early, grab popcorn and a soda or beer. Tickets and info can be found at www.cameoarthouse.com.

“Keep Moving Forward” will be more than a slogan in Cumberland County this Christmas season. It will be a promise laid gently on thousands of veterans’ headstones.
Wreaths Across America, a national nonprofit organization, coordinates an annual effort in which volunteers place live evergreen wreaths on veterans’ graves each December. A tradition that began in the early 1990s as one small act of gratitude at Arlington National Cemetery has grown into a year-round mission to remember the fallen and honor those who serve.
This tradition reminds future generations of the value of freedom. Each wreath is laid by hand, and each veteran’s name is spoken aloud in a moment of personal remembrance.
For 2025, Wreaths Across America has announced its new national theme: “Keep Moving Forward.” Those three words were the final command of Capt. Joshua Byers, US Army, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2003 when an improvised explosive device struck his Humvee. As smoke filled the air and chaos unfolded, Capt. Byers urged his driver to keep moving forward. That command saved other soldiers’ lives and later became a rallying cry for his unit, his family and now for volunteers across the country.
The theme also connects to an idea Wreaths Across America highlighted in 2024: the “ten bouquets” that make up a veteran’s wreath. Written as a poem by the organization’s founder for Gold Star parents Mary and Lloyd Byers, the ten bouquets represent qualities such as courage, character, loyalty and sacrifice. Together, they form a living symbol of what our service members stand for and why their stories should never be forgotten. The 2025 theme invites communities to carry that spirit into their daily lives and to keep moving forward with purpose.
Here in our area, the mission comes to life in a very visible way at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake and at the Main Post Cemetery on Fort Bragg. Several local Wreaths Across America groups support these efforts in and around Fayetteville, but the primary Sandhills campaign is led by local coordinator Ann Provencher. Each year, she and her volunteers set a clear goal: to place a wreath on every single grave at Sandhills and at the Main Post Cemetery so that no veteran is left out.
That goal is both inspiring and challenging. Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery alone is the final resting place for thousands of men and women who served. So far for the 2025 season, 3,790 wreaths have been sponsored for Sandhills, which represents 42.1 percent of the total goal.
To cover every grave, the community still needs 5,210 more wreaths. Each wreath sponsored moves the cemetery one step closer to complete coverage and ensures another veteran’s name will be spoken aloud on Wreaths Across America Day.
National Wreaths Across America Day will be observed this year on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. At Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, the ceremony will begin at noon, with wreath placement taking place immediately afterward. The event is free and open to the public.
Families, veterans, civic groups, churches, and individual citizens are all invited to attend.
Volunteers typically gather for a brief program honoring service and sacrifice, then spread out across the cemetery with boxes of wreaths, quietly working their way down each row of headstones.
What sets this ceremony apart is the simple ritual that accompanies the wreath placement. Volunteers are encouraged to pause at each grave, place the wreath, read the name engraved on the stone, and say it out loud.
That short act turns the gesture from a decoration into a personal tribute. For family members who may be present, hearing a loved one’s name spoken by a stranger can be deeply moving. For those without family nearby, it is a promise that their service still matters to the community they once defended.
Although the wreath laying happens in December, the work to make it possible begins months in advance. Wreaths can be sponsored now, and early sponsorships are vital to ensure there are enough wreaths available to cover both Sandhills and the Main Post Cemetery when the big day arrives. Community members can also volunteer to help on the day of the ceremony. Assistance with outreach, promotion or help with organizing group efforts through schools, businesses, places of worship, or civic organizations.
One wreath represents one name spoken, one life recognized and one more step forward together in gratitude.
To sponsor a wreath, visit https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/16700/Overview/?relatedId=0

The holiday season has officially started. Shopping lists are being made, menus are being prepped, traditions are being locked in on the calendar, and the Gilbert Theater is preparing for its annual Christmas production. Last year’s production sold-out shows and brought an aura of nostalgia so overwhelming that they had to do it again.
For the second year, the classic family tale of a boy and his journey to secure the most coveted gift on his list, a Red Ryder BB gun, is coming to the stage. Based on the classic 1983 Christmas film of the same name, and adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian, this funny and still relatable story set in 1940s America follows Ralphie, a young boy with big hopes to secure the BB gun of his dreams. But much to his dismay, all the adults he talks to, including a memorable department store Santa, consistently and loudly declare, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
A Christmas Story runs from Nov. 21 to Dec. 7. Tickets are available at the box office located at 116 Green Street or online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/36002/production/1236835.
Choosing to do A Christmas Story again as the holiday season production was a no-brainer for Artistic Director Matt Lamb. After seeing such success last year, including guests dressed as their favorite movie character, packed shows, and the pure joy the show brought, there was no denying the love for this production.
“We had a lot of great compliments last year where audience members said that ‘it wasn't Christmas until I watched this movie, and now I get to see it live.’ And we did have a lot of patrons that left that said, ‘This is better than the film, because of the way they get to experience [it].’ We had audience members dressing up, and we had audience members who were literally moving their mouths to what the actors were saying,” Lamb said.
This year’s production will have all the favorites from last year but with some slight differences, with Lamb handing over the Director’s chair to industry veteran Malissa Borden. He will instead be taking on his first role since an accident sidelined his onstage presence. Ralphie is a ten-year-old local actor and rising star, Oliver Benander. Sydney Dukic, local thespian and teacher, will play opposite Lamb as Mother. The incredibly witty, eleven-year-old Renny Westmoreland will be playing the role of Ralphie’s younger, more whiny brother, Randy. Rounding out the cast is a Gilbert Theater newbie, Fritz Barnes, playing Ralph, the present, much older version of the story’s protagonist and narrator.
Although Barnes is fairly new to acting (just around 5-6 years), he’s excited to join the Gilbert family and bring such a beloved production to the stage.
“I am playing Ralph. I'm not playing the old man. I am the old man. There's nobody in the room who couldn't be my child or younger. I didn't get into acting until I was in my late 50s. I've been acting for five or six years now and am having a good time with it. This is my first show at the Gilbert, and I'm just really happy to be here,” he explained.
With such a beloved classic in their hands again, the cast and crew are working hard to repeat the magic and create some new, in this year’s production. Westmoreland is excited about his role, being that he’s a huge fan of the classic film.
“What made me really want to audition for this show is that it's like my favorite movie ever! I have a Red Ryder BB gun, and I was very, very excited to be put in that gigantic snowsuit and see that lamp sitting on that table over there. [And] to have my mom do it with. My mom [being in it] has just made me love it even more,” he said.
Lamb, whose performance will mark his grand and brief return to the stage, is equally excited about the show.
“I wanted to do something this season, and I thought, you know what, why not this one? As the season progresses, my job's going to get a lot crazier with all the projects we have coming and some new things that we are working on. And just being on the director's side of the table and knowing I wanted to work with Malissa, flip-flopped it this year, and it's been a lot of fun,” he said.
“I keep going back to this is my first full production back… There were things that I have gone back within, you know, I'm basically here around the clock, but I actually listened to Gene Shepard's old radio broadcasts while I'm at work. And I've discovered things that I thought I knew about this show or the movie that I didn't realize are spun differently. I've been learning a lot, and I deeply love what this show is, what it really is. And I think this is a great way to be able to do something. I'll be back to the other side of the table as soon as the show closes.”
Dukic, a longtime Gilbert Theater actor and the co-star of last year’s hit production, Stop Kiss, sees parallels between her character, Mother, and herself.
“Being cast as a mother, I see so much of her in my day-to-day job, when I'm working with my students. I see so much of the ‘let's go, let's go.’ [As] a mother, you're the heart of the family. Being a teacher, you're the heart of the classroom. It's been such an enjoyable experience being able to just recognize that, both in here and in the classroom. I'm really excited to be part of it,” she said.
The Gilbert Theater isn’t just bringing the nostalgia with this show. They are bringing food security to the Cumberland County community. For a second year, the theater will be partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to collect donations of nonperishable food items and toys.
Anyone interested in donating can do so at one of the shows, Friday through Sunday, or during office hours, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only. There will also be a mailbox to drop off letters to Santa during the production.
The Gilbert Theater is a true Fayetteville gem and downtown staple. For more information about the upcoming season, visit https://www.gilberttheater.com/.

(Photo: The cast of A Christmas Story at The Gilbert are excited to bring the production back to the stage. Photo courtesy of Matt Lamb)

“Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul” (STUDDS)

The ALL-AMA Partzilla Regional Arenacross Series Fayetteville takes place at the Crown Coliseum, Crown Center in Fayetteville on Nov. 21 and 22, at 7 p.m. The Crown Coliseum is located at 1960 Coliseum Drive. Transworld Motocross presents this event. Ticket prices range from $51 and up, depending on seating. Tickets are available at the Crown Box Office, Fort Bragg Leisure Travel Office, and online at Ticketmaster.com.
The Arenacross has roots in motocross. The sport’s history is tied to the evolution of motocross in the UK during the early 1900s and eventually spread to the United States. The American Motorcyclist Association approved rules for motocross in 1961, and by the 1970s, both motocross and its indoor counterpart, AMA Supercross, had gained massive popularity. Arenacross emerged as a distinct discipline, taking the core elements of motocross and adapting them to an indoor seating arrangement, according to the AMA.
Arenacross is a dirt bike racing event held in an arena with man-made tracks filled with obstacles, tight turn berms, jumps and woops. Woops are specific bumpy parts of the track designed to test the rider’s skill in speed regulation, and can increase the technical difficulty of a track.
Arenacross is a type of indoor motocross racing held on man-made obstacles. It is known for its fast-paced action and often includes entertainment like pyrotechnics and music. Riders greet the guests, making it a family-friendly event. The races cater to different skill levels, from professional to amateur, and follow the guidelines of the AMA.
Gary Rogers, Director of Marketing, Oak View Group, shares his enthusiasm.
“Get ready for heart-stopping action as the AMA Partzilla Regional Arenacross Series rolls into the Crown Coliseum on Nov. 21 and 22,” he said. “Fans of high-octane two-wheeled mayhem won’t want to miss this pulse-pounding event, where the top athletes in indoor motocross will battle for the gate, the checkered flag, and arena bragging rights. Expect gravity-defying jumps, tight turns, screaming motors and non-stop excitement. Whether you are a devoted motocross fan or looking for an electrifying night out, Arenacross has something for everyone: friends, family, music, entertainment, fast bikes, and unforgettable memories. We are so excited to get Dirty at the Crown! We are hauling in 2050 cubic yards of red clay so Arenacross top athletes can race, jump, and compete. The athletes may inspire the next generation of motocross athletes. We are excited.”
See the dirt fly! Feel the heart pump with gravity-defying jumps. The AMA Partzilla Regional Arenacross Series Fayetteville will be held at the Crown Center on Nov. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m.

Get ready to make your season merry and bright. Fayetteville Holiday Lights is back at Segra Stadium for another dazzling year. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, the home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers will be transformed into a winter wonderland filled with over 2 million sparkling lights, festive displays, and joyful holiday experiences for the whole family.
Visitors can stroll through a breathtaking maze of lights, explore themed areas, enjoy choreographed light shows, and even roast s’mores under the stars. Santa Claus will also be making special appearances through Dec. 23, ready to hear holiday wishes and pose for photos. A variety of food options, along with holiday-themed drinks and concessions, will be available throughout the concourse — making it the perfect spot to sip, snack, and soak in the magic.
New this year will be a corn hole tournament, held Dec. 4. Thirty two teams will battle it out in a double elimination tournament. The entrance fee is $65 per team and includes admission into Holiday Lights as well as two drink tickets per team. First place wins $500, and second place will win $250. All proceeds go to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To register, visit https://bit.ly/4pcQBnW
Here is the nightly line-up of promotions and deals:
Daily Deals
• Military Mondays: 12/1, 12/15, 12/22, 12/29-Every Monday, active duty service members and Veterans can receive a free ticket. Family and friends will receive $8 tickets, up to 6 tickets per order, with proof of military ID. This deal can only be done at the box office.
• Kids-Eat-Free:12/2, 12/16, 12/30-Kids eat free on select Tuesdays. Every kid 12 and under can get a free hot dog and drink with the purchase of a ticket. The “kids eat free” deal can only be done at the box office.
• Silver Bells (60+): 12/2, 12/16, 12/30-Anyone 60 years or older can be a part of the Silver Bells program and on select Tuesdays get an $8 ticket with proof of ID. This deal can only be done at the box office.
• Lights and Leashes: 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28-Bring your four-legged friends out to enjoy the beautiful light displays on any of these selected dates. NOTE: Dogs do not require a ticket. Those with dogs will need proof of updated vaccinations (Bordetella, DHPP, Rabies), and dog owners will have to sign a waiver before entering the park.
• Friday Night Flicks Deal: 12/5, 12/12, 12/26- Take advantage of the Friday Night Flicks Deal every movie night during Holiday Lights. For only $64, get four tickets to Holiday Lights, four popcorns, and four hot chocolates (or soda/water). Use the coupon code MOVIE when purchasing your tickets. This deal can only be done online. Have tickets scanned at participating concession stands. and you'll receive popcorn and a drink! The movies this season are: 12/5 - Home Alone; 12/12 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; 12/26 - Moana (Hawaiian Night)
• Family 4 Packs: 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28-Take advantage of their Family 4 Packs every Sunday during Holiday Lights. For only $56, get four tickets to Holiday Lights, four hot dogs, and four sodas/waters. Use coupon code CHEERS when purchasing tickets. Like the Friday Night Flicks Deal, have tickets scanned at concession stands to receive hot dogs and drinks!
Promotions
• Friday, Nov. 28: Opening night with fireworks
• Saturday, Nov. 29: First 500 fans through the gates will get a replica Christmas jersey
• Thursday, Dec. 4: Healthcare Appreciation Night Medical professionals get a free ticket and family and friends receive a discounted $8 ticket. Take advantage of this deal at the box office with proof of ID.
• Thursday, Dec. 11: First Responder's Appreciation Night All first responders will get a free ticket, and friends and family can get a discounted $8 ticket. This deal can be done online or at the box office with proof of ID.
• Saturday, Dec. 13: The first 500 fans through the gates will get a Bunker Santa Bobblehead.
• Thursday, Dec. 18: Teacher Appreciation Night. All teachers and school faculty can receive a free ticket and friends and family will receive an $8 discounted ticket. Take advantage of this deal at the box office with proof of ID.
• Friday, Dec. 19: fireworks at the end of the night.
• Saturday, Dec. 20: The first 500 fans through the gates will get to take home a Bunker Beanie.
Adding to the festivities is the return of Pints and Lights on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For $40, guests can enjoy an exclusive evening featuring unlimited samples of 12 beers and seltzers, all-you-can-eat appetizers, and full access to Fayetteville Holiday Lights. The event will take place near the Right Field Bar and includes delicious bites such as Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Sausage and Brat Kabobs, Potato Wedges, and Cheese Curds.
Beer lovers can sample popular brews like Shiner Bock, Blue Moon Belgian White, Dirtbag Ales Blood Orange Kolsch, Hatchet Brewing Bragg N Rights, and Downeast Cider Guava Passionfruit, among others.
All tickets are general admission, giving guests full access to all attractions and activities. Children 2 and under are admitted free, and ticket prices vary by night. Once inside, guests are welcome to stay as long as they’d like to take in the sights. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.fayettevilleholidaylights.com/ or at the Segra Stadium box office at 460 Hay Street.
Hours for Fayetteville Holiday Lights are Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last entry at 8:00 p.m.) and Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (last entry at 9:00 p.m.). On New Year’s Eve, the celebration continues until midnight, offering a magical way to ring in 2026 with lights, laughter, and fireworks.

(Photo courtesy of Segra Stadium's Facebook page)

The sound of laughter, the smell of broth, and the thump of bass will fill the air on Saturday, Nov. 23, when Ichi Kaku, Fayetteville’s Japanese street food restaurant, hosts its annual Ramen Eating Contest and Block Party at 350 N. Eastern Blvd.
The event kicks off at 1 p.m. and promises more than just a food challenge. It’s a celebration of community, culture, and culinary creativity. Five competitors will battle it out to conquer a five-pound bowl of ramen, complete with noodles, vegetables, and steaming broth. The rules are simple but ruthless; every bite, every sip must be finished. The first to clean their bowl earns the title of Fayetteville’s Ramen Champion, along with three free ramen tickets valued at over $300.
“This isn’t just a contest, it’s a thank you to the people of Fayetteville,” said Chef Yohei, owner and head chef of Ichi Kaku. “We do this every year to show appreciation to our customers and community. It’s fun, it’s loud, and it’s full of love.”
The challenge, now in its third year, began as a playful in-house idea among regulars. In its early years, contestants were faced with seven pounds of ramen, a Herculean task no one could complete. This year, Chef Yohei decided to scale it down to five pounds to make victory possible.
“I think someone can finally finish it this time,” he said with a grin in his voice.
But the event is about far more than who eats the fastest. The restaurant transforms its parking lot into a full-on block party, complete with live music, food specials, and a lineup of Japanese sports cars courtesy of Cruzin Auto Performance. The cars gleam under the sun as spectators gather to cheer on their favorite contestants, creating a mashup of speed, sound, and spice.
“We wanted it to feel like an outdoor festival,” Chef Yohei said. “You get the energy of a car meet, the flavor of Japan, and the warmth of Fayetteville all in one space.”
Hosting duties will be handled by MC Tameka Bright, a familiar voice to local radio listeners and fans of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, where she serves as on-field host. Her charisma and humor will keep the crowd engaged while a live DJ spins upbeat tracks that blend hip-hop with Japanese pop and lo-fi instrumentals, a nod to Ichi Kaku’s modern yet authentic style.
The restaurant will also feature a special one-day-only menu, showcasing new street food items alongside customer favorites like tonkotsu ramen, chicken shio, and Japanese curry. Patrons can grab a drink, enjoy the music, and watch as five brave challengers attempt to conquer their massive bowls.
“People think it’s just about the food,” Yohei said. “But it’s about connection, seeing everyone together, smiling, supporting one another. That’s the best part for me.”
For Ichi Kaku, the event is both a culinary spectacle and a love letter to its loyal customers. Yohei’s approach to community is as generous as his portions. “Every time someone comes into my restaurant, I’m thankful,” he said. “This block party is how I say thank you back.”
As the countdown begins and the competitors take their seats, the crowd will chant encouragement while the DJ drops the beat. In minutes, the air will fill with cheers, laughter, and the unmistakable rhythm of chopsticks clinking against bowls. When the dust and broth settle, one person will stand victorious, holding up an empty bowl and earning the bragging rights of Fayetteville’s fiercest noodle warrior.
For everyone else, it’s a chance to enjoy good food, good people, and good vibes in a space that celebrates both flavor and friendship.
The Ramen Eating Contest and Block Party begins at 1 p.m. on Nov. 23 outside Ichi Kaku, located at 350 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville, NC 28301. The event is free and open to the public. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early, as space fills quickly.
Follow @ichikakufay on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for updates, sneak peeks, and highlights from past events.
“It’s all about fun,” said Chef Yohei. “We just want to make people happy, one bowl at a time.”

(Photo: Chef Yohei, owner of Ichi Kaku, hopes the ramen eating contest is part of a larger day of celebration, giving back to the community. Photo courtesy of Ichi Kaku Facebook page)