Entertainment

CARE Clinic's 24th Annual Toast of the Town fundraiser

10Summer is coming to an end, but the fun in the city is just starting to begin. With the cooler weather comes an abundance of events for residents of every age. For the adults looking for a night out, the Care Clinic is hosting its 24th Annual Toast of the Town Wine Tasting and Silent Auction.
It is a night to get a little jazzed up and sample some of the best North Carolina wine, beer, and spirits while taking in the vibrant floral ambiance of the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens and the sounds of Five Star Entertainment. Festivities will commence on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets are $100 ($125 at the door) and include admission, food, a 50/50 raffle, and a chance to be the winning bid on some of the incredible items in the silent auction. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.toastofthetownfay.com/s/shop. Everything will be locally sourced, from the drinks to the food with South Catering of Garland, NC providing the food, providing 7 food stations to delight the palate.
Aiyana Lynch, Development and Marketing Director explained, “Each drink offered during the night comes directly from a North Carolinian vendor, providing a wide array of selections for you to savor.”
For anyone interested in having a more immersive, personal experience, there is a VIP Wine and Food pairing, hosted and curated by the former owner of The Wine Cafe, Angie, and begins at 5:30 p.m. With only 50 VIP tickets available organizers encourage purchasing tickets early.
This event isn’t just for fun, it's for a cause, with the proceeds of the silent auction going directly back into the Care Clinic to fund their work in the community.
“This is an annual event that is held at the beautiful Cape Fear Botanical Garden. At this event, attendees get to enjoy samples of locally made wine, beer, and spirits, heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert, coffee, and unbeatable silent auction packages. All proceeds from this event will benefit The CARE Clinic. Our mission is to provide free quality healthcare to the uninsured adult residents of Cumberland and bordering counties. Our evening clinics are staffed completely by clinical volunteers who work tirelessly to meet the needs of our patients. Since we do not receive any government funding, we rely on grants, donations, and fundraising events like this one to maintain clinic operations. Please join us in our mission to serve our neighbors in need,” Lynch said.
This year’s event sponsors include:
Cape Fear Valley Health
Waren Investment Group
FWC Financial
The UPS Store
AmFund
Debbie Bender Design
Kriss Ward Photography
Five Star Entertainment
South Catering
US Logoworks
Timothy D. Edwards
Attorney at Law
Lumbee Guaranty Bank
Bass Air NearU
Rick Hendrick Toyota
Up & Coming Weekly
Bragg Mutual Federal
Credit Union
Yarborough, Winters,
& Neville, P.A.
Kalli Ziegler Properties
Edward Jones - Debbie Best
Professional Transitions, LLC
Pryzgoda Family Dental Care
LaFayette Lincoln
Main Event
Sponsorships are still available for those interested. Packages include complimentary tickets, advertisement of business, acknowledgment of sponsorship, and featured in an issue of the Care Clinic newsletter.
Prices of sponsorships range from $300- $1000. Those interested should contact Aiyana Lynch at 910-485-0555 or development@thecareclinic.org.

(Photo: Glasses from the 22nd Annual Toast of the Town sit ready to be filled at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Photo courtesy of Facebook)

Why Fall is the best season ever

17Why do we fall in love with Fall? Let us count the ways! The crisp weather, the relaxed pace, the irresistible allure of pumpkin spice, and the cozy vibes all make this season special. But there's more! Fall is the perfect time for outdoor fun like pumpkin picking and navigating corn mazes. Plus, it's the season for harvest festivals and craft fairs galore. Dive into our ultimate Fall Event Round-Up and discover all the seasonal delights waiting for you!
• Aug. 30-Sept. 8
Cumberland County Fair at the Crown Complex
https://tinyurl.com/bddchhww
Nothing says goodbye summer, hello fall like the fair! Don't miss out on all the great rides, food, entertainment, live music, animals and more! Great fun for the whole family.
• Sept. 4, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Misfit Market at Dirtbag Ales, 5435 Corporate Drive, Hope Mills
https://tinyurl.com/3k9hbp9h
Set at night, a fun opportunity to shop local oddity vendors. Complete with live music, food trucks and craft beer.
• Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sandhills Farmers & Heritage Market, 230 Chapell Hill Rd, Spring Lake
https://tinyurl.com/3exmyveb
Get the best in-season produce and other wonderful fall finds at this farmer's market. Happening every Tuesday until Sept. 21.
• Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FTCC Fall Festival, Tony Rand Lawn on FTCC Campus
https://tinyurl.com/4pf8shuc
Join in for the chance to play games, win prizes, eat some food and paint pottery.
• Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Carve Out a Good Time On Trade Street: Fall Artisan Fair, 5483 Trade Street, Hope Mills
https://tinyurl.com/5esaj6jy
This Fall Artisan Fair features local craft vendors. Discover a variety of great seasonal decor, gifts and more.
• Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
20th Annual Fall Harvest Festival & Grape Stomp, 21904 Riverton Rd, Wagram
https://tinyurl.com/me64cfvc
Enjoy live music, arts and crafts, food vendors and grape stomping with Cypress Bend Vineyards as the backdrop.
• Sept. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Click's Fall Vibes Vendor Fair, Click's Nursery, 4181 Barefoot Rd
https://tinyurl.com/yc47kjkj
Spend a beautiful fall day at the nursery with an array of vendors and activities for the kids. This event will support "Let's Walk It Out", a non-profit dedicated to preventing Veteran and First Responder suicides.
• Sept. 21-Nov. 2
Fall Activities at Hubb's Farm, 10276 N. US 421 Hwy, Clinton
https://tinyurl.com/r4nyhfcb
Hubb's Farm has a corn maze, pumpkin patch, farm animal encounters and more!
• Sept. 28, 10 a.m.
Fall Vendor Market at Edward Mendoza Municipal Park, 1774 Little River Rd, Spring Lake
https://tinyurl.com/yc3xbdnv
Enjoy a day filled with unique crafts, delicious food and great kid activities.
• Sept. 28, 3 p.m.
Annual Harvest Festival at Barbecue Presbyterian Church, 124 Barbecue Church Rd, Sanford
https://tinyurl.com/2uu77tdx
BBQ and Chicken Stew plates are available for $10 each with great craft items for sale, a 6 p.m. auction and a quilt raffle.
• Oct. 5-6
Fall Antique Street Fair at Cameron Historic District
https://tinyurl.com/2uu77tdx
100+ antique dealers to buy from plus some good food. This is a rain-or-shine event.
• Oct. 18, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Annual Fall Festival at Cameron Elementary School, 2636 HWY 24/27, Cameron
https://tinyurl.com/y43k8pd3
Join in for food, games and lots of fun.
• Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NC Fall Festival 2024 at 101 N. Main St, Raeford
https://tinyurl.com/y7rc63fe
Shop with over 100 vendors from around NC selling their artwork and crafts. Enjoy food trucks, a Kidz Corner, live entertainment and more.

Take a hike through Carvers Creek State Park's 13 miles of trails

10Steeped in history and ecological significance, the trails at Carvers Creek State Park weave visitors through Longleaf Pine ecosystems with wiregrass understory, past the longstanding Rockefeller House, and alongside habitats of federally endangered species. Approximately 13 miles of trails blaze through the 4881 acres of meticulously tended land.
Colleen Bowers, Ranger Supervisor at Carvers Creek State Park since 2010, detailed some of the restoration the property underwent in preparation for public access. She says it included reworking wetlands and a stream that was previously used as farm irrigation. The stream is now braided and runs across the front of the property. Restoration also includes regular controlled burns that regenerate and maintain the longleaf pine and wiregrass.
The ecosystem at Carvers Creek State Park is likely the most fire-adapted in the state, according to Bowers. She said there used to be about 90 million acres of longleaf pine in the southeast United States. Through turpentine harvesting and naval store industries in the 1700s, it was diminished to about three or 4 million acres. Longleaf pine sap is more plentiful and rich than other pine trees. They grow particularly tall, straight, and water-resistant. These raw materials were in particularly high demand at one time.
“It's definitely an ecosystem that we're losing but trying to preserve,” Bowers explained.
The preservation process requires controlled burns every few years. Bowers said they burn multiple units within the park on a 3-5 year rotation. The wiregrass meadow, however, is typically burned every year to maintain it as a warm-season grass meadow.
“In Fire-dependent ecosystems, the seeds cannot regenerate unless they’ve been exposed to fire in the summertime. So that way, when the seeds fall in the autumn, they're falling on nutrient rich, bare soil so they can sprout,” Bowers said.
This regenerative cycle and the habitat it provides endangered wildlife is the backdrop that hikers, bikers, and equestrian visitors enjoy on Carvers Creek trails.
Two trail access points, the Sandhills access, and the Long Valley Farm access, offer visitors distinct opportunities. Bowers explained that the Sandhills access trails are considered “multi-use,” meaning they’re open for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and include horse trailer and pedestrian parking lots. The Long Valley Farm access trails are open only for hiking and biking, Bowers advised they can be challenging for bikes or strollers due to areas of soft, sandy terrain.
The Long Valley Farm access includes 2 trailheads: Cypress Point Loop Trail and Rockefeller Loop Trail. The Rockefeller loop trail features views of the Rockefeller house, the former winter escape of James Stillman Rockefeller. The house will eventually be renovated as a Visitor’s Center, but currently can only be viewed from the trail and is not open to the public. Bowers highlighted the first portion of the trail saying, “It’s a nice birding spot because there's a meadow on one side and then Longleaf Pine. So that's the first half mile of the trail is a great edge habitat for all of these birds.” She said sightings often include the Loggerhead shrike, Bobwhite quail, and Red-tailed hawk. The Cypress Point Loop trail runs along the millpond and features a 91-foot observation deck where visitors can access the scenic lake view.
The Sandhills access includes 7 trailheads. Bowers highlighted two. For an easy and approachable adventure, try the Wiregrass Loop Trail. Bowers said visitors don’t have to stray far for this activity, as the 1.4-mile loop starts and ends at the parking lot. For those interested in an up close look at the longleaf pine ecosystem, Bowers recommends the Longleaf Pine Trail. It’s 4 miles one way and does not loop, but visitors can turn around before the trail ends if they don’t wish to traverse all 8 miles. Not only do visitors get to see the towering trees on the Longleaf Pine Trail, but if they watch below, they’ll spy the creek. Hikers and cyclists cross on a footbridge, while horses ride through the water. The Sandhills access will also be the starting point for Fayetteville Running Club’s upcoming Deerfly Trail Race.
Humans and canines are both welcome at the Deerfly Trail Race with separate registrations and start times for both. Courses include an 11k and 6k that the Fayetteville Running Club describes as “fun and challenging race(s) for all ages and abilities.” The race will take place Saturday, Oct.19, at 8 a.m.
Bowers recommends visitors call ahead with questions and come prepared for their hike with important gear such as proper footwear, insect repellant, and plenty of water. Whether visitors are interested in walking, running, biking, or horseback riding, she encourages them to spend time on the trails and observe the unique ecosystems they spotlight.

Cape Fear Regional Theatre presents "Footloose"

12The blue-walled rehearsal space attached to Cape Fear Regional Theatre is a mix of sounds of shoes hitting the floor. A mix of Chuck Taylor's and Cowboy boots move across the room. Looking up from further away, one could only see a sea of mostly cowboy hats on actors, doing steps, swinging in and swinging out, feet kicking up, 1-2-3-4. Again.
And again.
L Boogie is at the front of the rehearsal space with Camo pants, a long sweatshirt and a hat that reads "Do Good. Be Good." She laughs as she mimics a sort of country boogie-scat while the dancers follow out her choreography. She chameleons into her space with dancing being the tie that always binds for her.
"Don't be thrown by people walking by you," Director Suzanna Agins calls to them as the main actors of the show slink through the crowd.
"I'm gonna pray for y'all," L Boogie laughs at the dancers trying to keep the steps and not bump into the actors moving through their couplings. Boogie is a personality unto herself. This go round, she has the opportunity to choreograph CFRT's upcoming production of Footloose. Frequently after each step, she calls to the dancers to give themselves a high five.
Footloose will open in September in just a few short weeks. The actors, some of whom have graced the stage of CFRT before, have the pleasure of coming to the stage in the last production prior to the upcoming large renovation. CFRT will soon move to a space for the upcoming season near the Bordeaux shopping center.
For those who loved Kevin Bacon’s iconic movie growing up, the upcoming musical follows pretty close to the plot line of the 1984 movie.
"Some of those things are difficult to do on stage," Agins says and then chuckles, "two people playing chicken while riding tractors."
The production, however, will include the majority of the original music from the movie. Agins noted that the screenwriter for the movie helped in co-writing the music including the title song, "Footloose" with Kenny Loggins.
For this particular production, Agins viewed 300 tapes from auditions in three days. This did not include the in-person auditions she would do later.
"You start to feel a little fuzzy [watching] but then you watch one and you sit up straight and say, 'this person is amazing.'"
In the front of the rehearsal space, Josiah Thomas Randolph is standing, bouncing back and forth as he waits for his lines in the rehearsal room. His energy can be felt across the room and a smile rarely leaves his face. Randolph knew when he heard about the production of Footloose there was only one role he could do — Ren McCormick.
Although Randolph was born in Greensboro, this is his first production at CFRT. He grew up on Footloose and loving the energy that came from Ren. And this production, his family will get to come and watch.
"His character is so beautifully written. He's a complex teenager," Randolph says.
Randolph moves forward in the rehearsal space, delivers his line about the country bar the teenagers have just found themselves in and then bebops to the wall, but not before grabbing his awkward, lovable best friend Willard, who is played by Charlie Tucker. Tucker, who is no stranger to CRFT, moves awkwardly about the room. In between takes, while other actors are chatting, Tucker is methodically recalling his steps and quietly saying his lines to himself.
Standing beside Randolph and Tucker is Victoria Mesa who plays Ariel. This is also Mesa's first go at CFRT. Funny enough for Mesa, she says she did not grow up watching Footloose but gravitated towards movies like Grease instead.
"I knew some of the songs. I knew 'Footloose.' I knew Kevin Bacon," she laughs.13
For Mesa, this has given her the special pleasure of really curating the character, she says. Script analysis, a big love in her life, has been a large part of playing this role.
"I admire her in a lot of ways," she says. "This loss [of her brother] sort of drives her. She becomes a strong, fiery, passionate teenager."
The foursome, including Zoe Godfrey-Grinage who plays Rusty, maneuver through the crowd of dancers and find themselves in the back of the dancing establishment. The only actual recall to the space they will act in is the tape on the floor to show the actors where walls are located on the stage.
Randolph stands at the back of the room beaming. Tucker brings out a script book while he waits and walks awkwardly about. It’s not very clear if this is in character or just Tucker himself. Mesa and Godfrey-Grinage look about the room and wait for the beginning of the next sequence of events which will include dancing of their own.
The rehearsal will go on for hours as they all refine small details. Some of the actors, like Amber Dawn French, who plays Vie, the pastor's wife, are missing tonight. These scenes don't involve their characters. For French, it is also a welcome back to CFRT. She's a local to the area and often gets to audition the productions at the theatre.
This production, however, rings a little different as French says she really identifies with some of the religious undertones in her own character's story. French did not audition for Vie specifically but just for an adult part in the play. The twist of playing a character with religious beliefs similar to those she grew up in was a fortuitous turn.
"I came from a similar background," she says. "Not allowed to dance. Not allowed to wear pants. It's been interesting telling a story similar to mine."
The challenge, French says, is playing a character with such an incredible loss and that French in real life is an empathetic person.
"If I think too hard about it I cry and I can't sing anymore. The challenge is ... not falling apart as Amber in the midst of telling
Vie's story."
The actors move about the room again. Tucker, as Willard, says it’s a good time to find a seat (and not dance) while Randolph and Mesa take front stage and join in on the dancing. It’s been a couple hours on this scene but that is nothing new for any of these actors.
The show will start on Sept. 5 and run about three weeks in total. The production will be about two hours and 15 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. This show, Ashley Owen notes, is special because the members of CFRT gave the patrons an opportunity to vote on what play they should do in the first, empty slot of the season and Footloose won "by a landslide."
"It'll be one last hurrah before we officially move," she says. "Celebrate the last 63 years before we open a new chapter."
The production will include a military appreciation as well as a teacher appreciation night and two previews with the first night including a Welcome Back Bash that will feature complimentary drinks and food.
Tickets will range from $19 to $37. For more information about tickets visit CFRT.org or call 910-323-4234.

(Graphic courtesy of Cape Fear Regional Theatre.  Photo: The cast of Footloose pose in downtown Fayetteville. Footloose will open Sept. 5 at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and will be the last play held at the downtown location until renovations are complete. Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Regional Theatre)

 

KidsPeace spreads awareness at auction by giving back

9At KidsPeace Foster Care’s Annual “Chair-ity” Auction, you’ll find limitless creativity expressed in the auction items. Past pieces included a rustic wood window upgraded with panes of meticulously laid mosaic glass, and a children’s rocking chair made new with freshly painted dinosaurs. These items, refurbished by local artists, help kids.
According to Mike Edelman, program manager at KidsPeace, the pieces are a reflection of the agency’s purpose.
"The idea is to take something old, thrown away, and discarded, and make it into something wanted, which is really our mission with our foster children. They feel like they're unwanted and they're thrown away. And we want them to feel wanted."
He told the story of one foster child whose summer was changed for the better by the Chair-ity Auction.
“She’s a very good student. She's in an early college program, and she got information at her school for a journalism camp at Johns Hopkins University up near Baltimore. But she crumpled up the paper and put it in the bottom of her backpack because she thought, ‘Nobody has the money.’ Her foster parents found this out a couple of days before the deadline. They called and said, ‘We really want to send her to this camp, we just need help.’ I said, ‘Absolutely, just tell me what you need and I’ll write the check.’ We immediately got that money paid to the school and she attended the journalism camp.”
Funds raised at the auction made her participation possible.
Hundreds of foster parents and children face similar dilemmas. According to Edelman, while Medicaid has increased their rates to an extent that helps KidsPeace keep their doors open, it’s not enough. KidsPeace wants to finance opportunities that keep the kids' lives moving “toward normalcy.” He described opportunities like summer camp, owning musical instruments, and going on vacation.
Despite the ongoing need to maintain a surplus allocated toward supporting these opportunities, 2024’s auction will look a little different. Edelman says they’re focusing on building awareness.
“We're calling it our ‘Give Back Year.’ We cut the cost of all of our sponsorships and our tickets in half this year. I don't want to say we don't need the money, there's always the need for money, but we also really want to continue to build awareness.”
The auction will still feature local artists’ handiwork, upcycling bits of unwanted furniture and turning them into stunning art pieces. But Edelman says they need to highlight more fundamental areas of need.
In Cumberland County alone there are 1,200 children in the foster care system. This is over four times greater than nearby counties similar in size and population. Forsyth County, for example, currently has 250 children in their foster care system. When kids in Cumberland County are placed with a foster family, summer camps and music lessons can become priorities, but delayed placements are not uncommon.
“There are so many kids in our area, some of them sleeping in DSS offices, because there aren't enough Cumberland County foster homes out there available to take them,” Edelman explained.
By cutting sponsorship and ticket costs, KidsPeace brings other needs to the forefront, including the need for more foster parents. But for those who can’t donate or attend the auction, he says there are other ways to help and hopes the community will spread the word.
“There are so many kids out there who need good, loving homes. We have a big need for awareness and just sharing information is often the best thing people can do. Maybe you're not in a financial spot to be able to donate, but if you share about the fundraiser, maybe somebody you know will want to buy one of these upcycled items. Or maybe you know someone who has an event space. We’re always looking for an event space for our Christmas party. As a non-profit, we’re all about doing things for free.”
Though their 11th annual auction won’t focus as heavily on funding, Edelman says the mission at
KidsPeace remains the same.
"These kids have faced enough rejection when they come to us. They've often been in 10 to 12 foster homes already. We want to end that cycle. We want them to know that people care about them."
General admission tickets can be purchased for $35.00 at kidspeacefayettevilleauction.com/annualauction. The “Chair-ity” Auction will be held Thursday, Sept.12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

(Photo: A participant holds up a paddle during the 2023 Chair-ity auction at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Photo courtesy of KidsPeace of Fayetteville' Facebook page)

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