The Junior League of Fayetteville’s Holly Day Fair marks the official beginning of the holiday season for Fayetteville. Vendors from all over the country convene annually at the Crown Expo Center, providing a wall-to-wall, one-of-a-kind holiday shopping experience. This year’s event will begin Nov. 2 and run through Nov. 5.

The Holly Day Fair offers a variety of shopping experiences for those in search of the perfect holiday gifts.

Super Shopper Day opens the fair with a stroller-free experience for shoppers from 9 a.m. to noon. Shoppers can also enjoy the Sip and Shop experience, which includes brunch, mimosas, and a bag of goodies from fair vendors.

On Thursday, the first day of the fair, general admission allows shoppers to enjoy the fair from noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the fair will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday may be the last day, but it will not lack family-friendly activities. Families can enjoy the Cookies with the Clauses event. Children will enjoy story time, cookies and a chance to chat with Santa. Pictures with Santa will also be available on Sunday, just in time for the holiday card season.
Long-time Holly Day Fair shoppers know and look for vendors who set up in the Expo Center each year. Seasoned favorites include Celestial Cocoa, Lu Mil Vineyard, Sew Southern Designs and Nut’n Better.

A full list of this year’s vendors can be found on the Junior League of Fayetteville website, along with an event map to help shoppers find old favorites and discover new gems.

The Holly Day Fair allows the Junior League to fundraise in order to support their initiatives that benefit the community.

“We had around 18,000 attendees last year — that is what we are expecting again this year but the more, the merrier! Each ticket sold helps us give back to our community,” Executive Vice President of the Holly Day Fair, Sierra Joplin, said. Joplin also offers some sage advice and thanks to the anticipated attendees.

“Wear comfortable shoes and come ready to fill your shopping bag and kick off the holiday season,” she said. “The Junior League of Fayetteville is able to give back to the community because of your support.”

Some members, like Joplin, experienced the Holly Day Fair for the first time as shoppers.

“My first experience with Holly Day Fair was as a show attendee. When I moved to Fayetteville years ago, I came to the show and absolutely loved it,” Joplin said.

“I saw the League ladies in their red aprons, and knew I wanted to be involved. Holly Day Fair is what led me to join the League, and I’m so grateful. Working alongside like-minded women to do our part to help our community is very rewarding,” she added.

Like Joplin, Junior League of Fayetteville President Tamara Bryant found her way to the organization through the Holly Day Fair event.

“My first experience with the Holly Day Fair was a girls’ outing with my two best friends, and then it became a yearly girls’ event until I joined the Junior League of Fayetteville,” explained Bryant.

“The Holly Day Fair is when I learned about the Junior League and its mission. I wanted to be a part of an organization that empowered women to give back to their community.”

A portion of all proceeds made at the fair go back into the Junior League of Fayetteville’s Community Assistance Program, or CAP, grants, the Fayetteville Junior League Scholarship fund, and an array of community initiatives.

According to Bryant, the organization depends on the success of funding these programs,
“As president, it is our goal to continue to increase awareness about the Junior League of Fayetteville, raise funds to exceed last year’s goals and encourage the community and surrounding counties to attend the fair to kick-start their holiday season,” Bryant said.

Planning for an event of Holly Day Fair magnitude is a huge undertaking. One Joplin has become very familiar with in her new position on the planning committee.

“Planning actually kicks off in February. We like to take some time off to re-energize and enjoy the holidays with our families, then it is time to start thinking about Holly Day Fair all over again,” Joplin said.

As for the annual theme that ends up on the Holly Day Fair bags, that is a group decision, says Joplin.

“We ask our Junior League members to submit their ideas for a theme. We take those ideas and combine them with some creative planning of our own to come up with our theme each year,” she said.

Although a bulk of the back-end work is done by the Holly Day Fair Committee, the whole organization plays a part in making the event successful every year. Each Junior League of Fayetteville member has worked the fair in some capacity.

The Holly Day Fair is just one part of what the Junior League of Fayetteville does in its effort to serve the women and children of Cumberland County and surrounding areas.

“The vision for the future of the Junior League of Fayetteville is to [increase] awareness for professional women who are interested in developing their leadership skills to impact the community and their careers to join the Junior League of Fayetteville,” explained Bryant.

Bryant also extends an open invitation to women who may be interested in learning more about being a part of the organization.

“If there are any professional women who are interested in giving back to their community and would like to connect with like-minded professional women, consider joining the Junior League of Fayetteville,” she said.

Tickets for all Holly Day Fair events are available through the Junior League of Fayetteville website: https://www.jlfay.org/hollydayfair/

CAP grants are offered to Cumberland County nonprofits and those in surrounding counties. More Information on CAP grants can be found on the Junior League website, www.jlfay.org/grants-and-scholarships/. The application deadline for CAP grants is Jan. 1, 2024.