09 SCHOOL KIDSAs summer events are wrapping up, 4th Friday continues to offer an entertaining and family-friendly experience in downtown Fayetteville. 4th Friday is a tradition that occurs on the fourth Friday of every month and offers entertainment or art (or both). 4th Friday will fall on Aug. 23. The theme will be “Back to Cool Bash.” 

“It’s an end-of-summer bash for the kids going back to school,” Johanna Brum of the Cool Spring Downtown District said. “There will be a food truck, there will be artists. Maxwell Street will be closed, so we’ll extend that out and do bouncy houses and face painting.” 

There will also be artists and dancers. 

 The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County will also host its monthly parking lot party. The Arts Council’s 4th Friday Artist’s Program creates a space for artists to make and show their work and share their passion with others. Artists can visit www.theartscouncil.com/ParkingLotParty to sign up .

 The Arts Council will also offer an activity to keep with the “Back to Cool” theme — a dunk tank. “In the dunk tank, we will have school officials from several different schools to be dunked,” explained Antonio Renteria, the assistant director of operations at the Arts Council. “All proceeds will go to our Artists in Schools program.” 

The juried art exhibit 10:10:10 will also open on 4th Friday. It will include work from ten different artists. The display will be ten linear feet and will have ten self-curated exhibitions. 

There will also be a beer garden. Beer enthusiasts can look forward to “a fairly good mix of domestics, a couple different craft beers.” said Renteria. “There’ll be an IPA and an ale. A variety. There will also be seating for people to eat and local artists on our sidewalks and in our parking lots.” 

For people who are interested in learning more about the history of Fayetteville, The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum has an exhibit every 4th Friday. This month’s exhibit is called “Market House History.”  Half of the Market House is a permanent exhibit. The exhibit will be “featuring collectibles and displaying different ways that the Market House has been promoted and displayed over time. It’s always been a symbolic place and has been used as an image on a lot of items,” said Bruce Daws, the museum’s director.

At Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, children can decorate a cloth lunch bag to use at school from 7-9 p.m. Playing at the museum is free for kids every Fourth Friday as well. 

 In His Presence Coffee, Books & More is partnering with Praise NOW 2019 will take place from 4-8 p.m. at Festival Park. It will have Christian music and be worship-centered. 

  Call the Cool Spring Downtown District at 910-223-1089 or visit www.theartscouncil.com to learn more about 4th Friday.