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Tuesday, 30 September 2025
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Written by Amber Little
Fayetteville fandom, it’s time to rejoice! The inaugural Fan Fest will take over the Crown Complex and Downtown Fayetteville on Oct. 17 through 19, for one of the biggest events in the county, celebrating the worlds of anime, comics, cosplay, gaming, science fiction, fantasy, and everything beyond and in between. Experience two days of costumes, celebrity panels, vendors, food, and most importantly, friends. Fan Fest promises to be an unforgettable time, for the smallest attendee to the seasoned festival-goer.
Grab your friends or your family and head to The Sweet Palette, 101 Person Street, for the Fan Fest Comics and Cupcakes kickoff on Friday, Oct. 17. The Dragon’s Lair Art Team is hosting this family-friendly event. Grab a cupcake, find a table, and start sketching. The art team will be providing feedback on sketches for interested artists. Admission is $1, and all proceeds go to the Karen Chandler Trust, Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to assisting cancer patients and their families. The fun doesn’t stop there… for the adults. 226 The Warehouse will host the official Fayetteville Fan Fest Kickoff Party featuring Raleigh’s DJ Jimmi V. Doors open at 8 p.m. and admission is $15, with VIP options available. Tickets can be purchased online at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/skpndgg.
Saturday and Sunday, Fan Fest takes over the Crown. Dress to impress… and maybe win a contest for a full day of over 80 vendors, live music, lip syncing, and panels from some fan favorites. Doors open at 10 a.m., with D.J. Moniy on the ones and twos, getting the crowd ready for a full schedule of entertainment. Organizers have pulled out all the stops to create a festival that people will be talking about and anticipating next year’s lineup.
Gamers, make sure to tap in at the Stop Button gaming competition. They’ll be crowning the best in the Crown for a Super Smash Bros. and Street Fighter 6 tournament.
Cosplayers, no need to worry, Fan Fest has you covered. Litmus Cosplay is hosting the cosplay competition.
“From armor builds to anime icons, superheroes to original creations—this is your moment to shine.”
Special guests this inaugural year will include Alice Wolves, a nationally known cosplayer, Giovannie Samuels from Nickelodeon’s All That and That’s So Raven, Marilyn Ghigliotti, and Vincent Periera from Clerks and Clerks III. Fayetteville native, mental health advocate, award-winning writer, and Survivor: Edge of Extinction star, Keith Edward Sowell, will also be present. If the lineup of special guests wasn’t tempting enough, organizers are bringing back the highly popular Nerd Slam, a nationally recognized competition.
“Nerd Slam is a high-energy, interactive event where contestants compete for prizes. Participants dive into the worlds of anime, comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and fandoms, turning their passion for “nerdy” culture into a king of the hill WINNER TAKE ALL!!!”
Fan Fest can’t be contained to the walls of the Crown. After the Crown closes the doors Saturday night, the party continues around the city with “Side Quests.” The Side Quests will take place across the city and include family-friendly and 21+ only events. Participating businesses include Archives, Gaston Brewing Company, Stop Button, Vibe Gastropub, The Sip Room, and Winterbloom Tea. A full list of “Side Quests” and festival schedule can be found online at https://www.eventeny.com/events/fayettevillefanfest-20696/?srsltid=AfmBOorHjUdBZjhxIEv_FT8nR5h56IJ2gDQH6V3VS7efOnGidNfDFwo5.
Tickets can be purchased at the Crown Complex box office during business hours or online at https://www.ticketmaster.com/fayetteville-fan-fest-2025-saturday-fayetteville-north-carolina-10-18-2025/event/2D006305AC0F2C87.
Sponsors have been a vital part of making this new edition to the Fayetteville Festival scene successful and fun. Those include Base Con, VerseCon, Poetry-n-Motion, LLC, Bowens Counseling Services PLLC, Fayetteville Heckler, Fit4Life Hope Mills, and FayToday News.
LeJuane “El’Ja” Bowens, Director of Programming, is beyond excited to see the vision he and other organizers have been planning for quite some time now, stating, “Fayetteville Fan Fest is designed to be for everyone who loves fandom and community—from lifelong collectors to casual fans, families, and people who just want to experience something new and fun in Fayetteville.
“At its heart, Fan Fest is for anyone who wants to connect through stories, creativity, and fandom—no matter your age, background, or level of experience. Fayetteville Fan Fest has the potential to add value to Cumberland County on several levels: It brings a large-scale pop culture festival to the area, something usually reserved for bigger cities. This diversifies the county’s cultural offerings and makes Fayetteville a hub for fandom and creativity. The festival offers accessible, family-friendly programming like the Autism Trunk or Treat, making it inclusive to all residents. Side Quests and after-hours events encourage people to explore Fayetteville beyond the Crown Complex, spreading foot traffic across the city. This strengthens the county’s image as a place where arts, culture, and entertainment thrive, helping long-term tourism and community pride,” he said.
Fan Fest has been a passion project for Bowen and others.
“The idea for Fan Fest was born from a vision between Keith Gibbs of The Raleigh Llama, LLC and me to bring something fresh and exciting to Fayetteville—an event that goes beyond a traditional convention and creates a festival-style atmosphere with panels, celebrity guests, artist showcases, gaming, live performances, and family-friendly programming. The goal was to give local fans the same level of experience you’d find in larger cities while still highlighting Fayetteville’s own culture and community,” he explained.
Fan Fest truly has an impact on Fayetteville. The first step is community involvement. Purchase tickets, explore the Side Quests, and enjoy Fan Fest 2025!
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Wednesday, 24 September 2025
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Written by Sheila D. Barker
On Friday, Oct. 3, J.J. Brown Productions is bringing its legendary Vampyre’s Ball back to town—and this time, the darkness descends inside a twisted traveling circus. Hosted at North South Brewing Company, The Vampyre’s Ball: Circo della Notta promises an evening of murder, mayhem, and immersive theater unlike anything Fayetteville has ever experienced.
This is not just a show. It’s a world you’ll step into—where covens of vampyres lurk behind painted smiles, clowns hide daggers in their laughter, and every guest is a potential player in the mystery. The stakes are high, the characters are dangerous, and the only question is: will you survive the night, or become part of the story?
For Jennifer Johnson-Brown, owner of J.J. Brown Productions, the circus theme was a natural evolution for this year’s ball.
“I’ve always loved the circus—equal parts magic and menace,” she explains. “This year I wanted to lean into that duality, but twist it with vampyric flair. The idea of an Afro-Italian traveling circus allowed me to mix cultures, legends, and aesthetics into something that feels both otherworldly and dangerous, with a sense of glamour that hides the shadows underneath.”
Jennifer pulled inspiration from commedia dell’arte clown traditions, Somali fire rituals, and Slavic rusalka myths, layering folklore into her vampyric world. Each coven carries its own cultural echoes, giving the Ball a richness that feels both ancient and strangely possible—like these immortal beings could be walking among us, cloaked in human history.
The Vampyre’s Ball is being held at North South Brewing Company this year. The choice of venue is no accident. Jennifer has already collaborated with James and Alicia Orlando of North South Brewing Company earlier this year, and the partnership has grown into something extraordinary.
“Fayetteville deserves immersive theater that feels alive and immediate,” Jennifer says. “North South Brewing is intimate but electric—it can shift from warm and inviting to eerie and theatrical once the lights dim. Plus, their craft beer culture pairs perfectly with a night of mystery. You can sip something bold while unraveling the secrets of the covens.”
Every year, J.J. Brown Productions raises the stakes, and Circo della Notta is no exception. This year, the story centers on Ezra, the new President-Elect of the Vampyre Realm. But his leadership is fragile, and every coven under the Big Top has a motive to see him fall. Betrayal, vengeance, and ambition pulse through the circus, and it’s up to the guests to untangle the truth. Characters are more interconnected than ever. From Velislava, a vampyric rusalka whose mythic presence chills the blood, to Amberline, the sad clown with a broken heart and hidden blade, each suspect is layered with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
So how do guests go from spectators to participants? Jennifer’s answer is simple: the show is built around them.
“We build the show around them. Guests interrogate the suspects twice, which means their questions actively shape the story's unfolding narrative. Choosing a coven and Vampyre name gives them identity, purpose, and loyalty in the story, and dressing as a Vampyre themselves takes it to the next level—it makes the circus feel alive, filled with immortals from every corner of the realm.”
By the end of the show, participants don't just feel like they've attended a show; they feel like they've lived inside a mystery. This approach means no two nights are ever the same. The scripted framework—murder, suspects, and motives—anchors the story, but the improvisation between actors and guests ensures every performance takes on a unique life of its own.
Of course, no Vampyre’s Ball is complete without indulgence. North South Brewing will craft a specialty drink designed to feel like it was poured straight from a coven’s chalice. Guests will also receive a Vampyre Portrait, captured in dramatic style to immortalize their chosen identity.
“We’re even working on coven-themed keepsakes,” Jennifer says, “so people can carry their Vampyre name home with them. It turns the night from an event into a memory.”
Tickets are $35 for singles and $55 for duos. For those who want more, the Celebration Ticket upgrade promises extra gifts, drinks, and personalized touches. Pair it all with an exclusive menu from Bella Nonna, the on-site food truck, and you’ve got a feast fit for vampyres and mortals alike.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.jjbrownproductions.com/event-details-registration/the-vampyres-ball-circo-della-notte-at-north-south-brewing-company
Beyond thrills and theatrics, Jennifer sees The Vampyre’s Ball as an important contribution to Fayetteville’s growing arts and entertainment landscape.
“Fayetteville is alive with creativity, but The Vampyre’s Ball offers something rare: fully immersive, interactive theater. This isn’t a show where you sit back and watch—it’s one you step into with both feet,” says Jennifer.
“It adds a new dimension to the arts scene here. We’re blending live theater, improv, folklore, and community engagement into one electrifying experience that feels equal parts performance, game, and ritual.”
The Vampyre’s Ball: Circo della Notta is more than a performance—it’s an invitation to step into a living story where horror meets humor, secrets meet spectacle, and you become part of the mystery itself. From the clink of your chalice to the whispers of your coven, every detail pulls you deeper into a world where nothing is as it seems.
Will you uncover the truth? Or will you become just another secret under the circus tent? Gather your coven, sharpen your instincts, and prepare for a night that will haunt your memory long after the lights dim. The big top awaits.
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