On Oct. 10, vehicles at LaFayette Ford will become storybook scenes, candy stations and evidence that friendly competition can bring a community together.
LaFayette Ford will host its sixth annual Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 5202 Raeford Road. The free, rain-or-shine celebration will feature Truck or Treat, children's games and prizes, complimentary face painting, food trucks, first responders, vendors and nonprofit organizations. Costumes are welcome, and free parking will be available onsite.
The festival began in 2021 as Truck Day, during a season when the COVID-19 pandemic had canceled many events the dealership normally sponsored. Addison Fisher Cummings, LaFayette Ford's associate marketing director, said the staff missed interacting with the people and organizations beyond the dealership's doors.
The dealership had something many groups needed: outdoor space. LaFayette Ford invited nonprofits, first responders and food trucks to the lot, creating a place for residents to reconnect while supporting local work.
“We wanted to create a space for local nonprofits to share the good they are doing in our community, a space for local vendors to promote their businesses, and give back to the community through a food drive,” Cummings said. “All things we felt the community really needed during that uncertain time.”
As families and organizations returned, Truck Day grew into a broader fall celebration for employees, customers and neighbors.
Her grandfather, former LaFayette Ford owner Don Price, established the values behind the event before his death last year.
“Our family and community are the heart of our business,” she said. “I'm so glad that he got to experience the growth of our Fall Festival event before he passed. I know it would make him proud that we continue to carry his legacy on through this event.”
LaFayette Ford's Sales, Service, Parts and Business Office teams transform vehicles around secret themes and compete for bragging rights. Past displays included “Alice in Wonderland,” “Barbie” and a Candyland truck that made the Business Office a first-year contender.
Q98 will judge the entries for creativity and execution, with bonus consideration for employees who dress in character. The winning department will receive a catered lunch later in the month.
“The thing I love most about our dealership is that everyone who works there becomes part of a big family,” Cummings said. “And what family doesn't love a bit of friendly competition?”
The event's deeper competition is against hunger. Guests are encouraged to bring canned food for the Armed Services YMCA at Fort Bragg. The first 250 guests who donate a can will receive a complimentary lunch plate from one of the onsite food trucks. Each person must be present to receive a lunch ticket.
Cummings said the partnership is personal because many dealership employees are veterans or grew up in military families. The Armed Services YMCA supports military households through its food pantry, thrift store and New Parent Assistance Program. LaFayette Ford has also supported the organization's Month of the Military Child Kids' Bash and held a donation drive for its Baby Bundles program. This collection will help stock the pantry before the holidays.
Festival food options will include Allison's Fast Food, serving Latin American favorites; Harmon's Deutsche Küche, offering German cuisine; and Cornbread Kitchen & Smokehouse, serving Southern barbecue. Fancy Faces will provide free face painting, while Q98 supplies music.
Participants include Toys for Tots, Fayetteville Breast Cancer Center, Team Rubicon, Cumberland County Animal Services, Association of Fort Bragg Spouses and The CARE Clinic. A Fayetteville Fire Department truck, artisans and one of LaFayette Ford's mobile service units will also be displayed.
Family-friendly businesses and organizations may request free vendor space by emailing contactus@lafayettefl.com before Oct. 8. Food and face-painting vendors are already filled.
Cummings said success will not be measured only by crowd size. One family helped, or one pound of food collected, would still create a meaningful result. Her favorite moment comes when she steps back and watches returning guests talk, children laugh and donations fill the back of a Transit van.
“Any positive impact we can create in our community, no matter how small, is meaningful,” she said.
For a festival born during a time of distance, that closeness remains the point. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Twufn9

(Photo: Employees at LaFayette Ford decorate a truck in a Toy Story theme. Photos courtesy of LaFayette Ford)