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Spring Fling at Legends Bar benefits “One of our own”
- Details
- Tuesday, 29 April 2025
- Written by Anna White
Make Fayetteville your home for any length of time, and you may catch wind of a local spot that is fittingly known as Legends Pub. Owner Holly Whitley isn’t kidding when she talks of the “family” that has grown around the institution through the years. For her, it’s a natural fit.
"It’s not hard — after 29 years, it becomes a way of life, probably more than anything," she said. The place is known for its wide appeal to the military, veterans, and bikers.
When she bought the bar 29 years ago it became home to her friend group, lovingly dubbed “The Gypsy Women” by the community. From there, they began hosting an annual party at the bar, which would eventually become the Spring Fling. Initially, a chance for the community to have fun, they ultimately transitioned the event to a benefit in the wake of a friend’s motorcycle accident. It’s now their largest of the year and spans three days.
Over its lifetime, the pub has grown with Whitley and her family in addition to growing a family of its own. "My children were teenagers when I bought the bar - my grandchildren know about the bar. They understand what it does for the community," she explained. “They’ve always been very supportive of the bar.”
Whitely says she's had the privilege of watching patrons’ children grow up, being a place that supports military families, and hosting annual memorials and tributes.
“I’ve watched military careers go from beginning to retirement. I’ve watched friends and their children and grandchildren as they grow up and have their first drink at Legends Pub.”
One of those tributes, an annual toast and poker run in honor of Staff Sergeant Scott D. Sather, is of particular significance for Whitley.
A friend of Whitley’s and regular patron at Legend’s, Sather was killed in action on April 8, 2003, in Northern Iraq. According to the Combat Control Foundation, “his death marked the first combat casualty for the US Air Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Whitley says the tribute often brings back patrons she hasn’t seen in a while who want to take part in keeping Sather’s memory alive.
“He has been remembered greatly in our bar and by the whole community,” she said.
This commitment to honoring and supporting each other underscores the familial bonds formed by many of Legend’s regulars. The bar serves as a hub for those who don’t have connections nearby.
“A lot of us in this area - this military town - decided to stay,” Whitley explained. “Some of us don't have any other family besides our immediate family. Several people are by themselves, their families live elsewhere. We're always there for each other, for birthdays and celebrations, and to comfort each other during bad times and to be supportive like this.”
Another patron, Mike Slater, is the beneficiary of this year’s Spring Fling. Like many chosen family members who frequent the bar, Whitley has lost track of exactly how long
she’s known Slater.
“Twenty years or so,” she speculated. “It’s hard to say, I don’t really remember. Everything becomes a blur. So, several years, let’s put it that way.”
Slater was recently diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma, and Whitely hopes the Spring Fling will be an opportunity for the community to make a difference as Slater and his wife, Pam, face this battle. A Facebook announcement from Legends bar said the two were facing the diagnosis with “incredible strength, faith, and determination,” and concluded by rallying attendees behind these words, “Let’s stand together, celebrate community, and make a difference! Together we fight. Together, we support. Together, we are family.” One commenter said, “Yes, yes, yes!!! I’ll be there to support Mike and the Legend’s Pub family!”
The Spring Fling will take place Friday, May 2, Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4. The schedule of events:
Friday: Pool tournament and pre-party.
Saturday: Scott Sather Memorial Poker Run, first bike out, Pig Pickin’, auction.
Sunday: Bike Show (Sign-up, 1 p.m., judging, 3 p.m.)
Categories and prizes:
1903 -1990, Best of Show.
1991 -present, Best of Show.
On display at the Spring Fling will be a Superbird restored by John Breach, recently featured in Mopar Magazine.
“I love to feature something that a friend of mine has taken from a burned-out junk car to such a beautiful machine,” Whitley explained.
While Legends is known as a biker bar, she believes patrons will appreciate seeing the work that has gone into restoring the vehicle.
“We call ourselves the oldest biker bar in Fayetteville, but you know, we have such a wide range of people,” she said. “What he has been able to do as far as restoring cars is, I think, quite phenomenal.”
While Whitely is deeply enthusiastic about the experience the Spring Fling offers car and bike aficionados, she doesn’t lose sight of the mission. Attendees comment particularly on the concern and care shown for Legend family members who need support.
“I’ve had people over the years turn around and say, ‘I’ve never seen anything to this level.’” She continued, “I’ve watched people come here for the first time and the next thing you know, they’re sitting around six other people that you know are regulars and just enjoying themselves.”
Whether a regular or newcomer, Whitley is certain that community members will find their place at Legends Spring Fling.
“The way the group comes together,” she shared, “It’s something to experience.”
(Photos: Top photo: Holly Whitley's crew of women at Legends Pub have become known as the "Gypsy Women" by the local community. Whitley has been the owner of Legends for 29 years.
Bottom photo: Holly Whitley and her bartenders are the Gypsy Women at Legends Pub. Legends is hosting their 29th Annual Spring Fling starting May 2. The proceeds from this year's event will go to help offset the costs of care for Mike Slater, one of the regulars at Legends. "Let's stand together, celebrate community, and make a difference!" Legends' announcement proclaims. Photos by Aly Hansen)
