Save the date for new and expanded October events in Downtown Fayetteville, NC
NEW THIS YEAR! We don’t know if you’ve heard, but scientists may have found a cure for the annual Zombie Invasion we’ve been living under for quite a while now, at least temporarily. This October, the beloved ZombieWalk is taking a hiatus – stay tuned for updates for 2027. Though there won’t be an official downtown ZombieWalk this year, there will still be seasonal fun to be had in the District. Cool Spring Downtown District (CSDD) invites you break out your plaid shirts and fall boots, and join us at the October 4th Friday, District Fall Festival, on Friday, Oct 23, from 6PM – 10PM. The festival will include a literary book crawl, The District Gets Lit, celebrating local and regional authors in partnership with downtown bookstores City Center Gallery & Books, Bound & Vine, and Chapter House Books, along with the Cumberland County Public Library, Woven Lore Publishing, The United Way, and The Capitol Encore Academy (TCEA).
TCEA’s vivacious School of Rock Band, led by Guy Unger, will take the District Vibe stage, opening for the winner of the 2025 North Carolina Folk Festival’s “Not Your Average Folk Contest,” and Greensboro Sound’s 2025 “Emerging Artist” to watch, Evan Blackerby & The Bandwagon, a soulful, high-energy Americana group whose sound blends weathered roots tradition with a cool, contemporary edge (evanblackerby.com). Perfect for all vibes with friends and family!
Additional features will include an Oktoberfest Beer Garden highlighting our local breweries including Gaston Brewing Company, North/South Brewing, Heckler Brewing Co., and Dirtbag Brewery and more! CSDD is especially thrilled to announce the exciting Fayetteville debut parade performance from award-winning theatre company, Paperhand Puppet Project. The company is known for its incredible giant puppets, epic masks, shadow plays and ethereal spectacle performances for all ages (paperhandpuppet.org). Hay rides, seasonal photo spots, arts and crafts vendors and activities, food trucks, games, and more can be found at the District Fall Festival.
Planning ahead for Halloween? Have no fear – we are still going to get spooky in the District! Any lingering zombies, witches, ghosts, ghouls, costumed heros, and other masked Fayettevillains will still be able to take over the streets of Downtown Fayetteville this Halloween. Save the date for Saturday, October 31 from 4-8PM for Trick or Treat and Costume Contest! On Halloween, our downtown neighborhood businesses come together to celebrate spooky season with you and your littles, for Trick or Treat from 4–6PM. Don’t just get your candy and go – stick around for the YOUTH COSTUME CONTEST (10-UNDER, 11-17YRS) at 6PM – meet at 222 Hay Street for signup and contest!
At 7PM, it’s time for the big kids to play! For the ADULT COSTUME CONTEST (18+) we want to see your most creative, most realistic, most recognizable spooktacular costumes! Meet at 222 Hay Street for sign up and contest. After which, take your bad Halloween self on a stroll through the social district to one of our District bars, restaurants and shops for a scarily good cocktail and other Halloween fun! For more information on the costume contest, email marketing@coolspringfay.org. Be sure to follow @DowntownFayetteville on Facebook and Instagram for further announcements and updates.
SAVE THE DATE! Beyond Trick or Treat, your costume can do double duty. On Sat, Oct 31st from 10AM-5PM, the District will also play host to FanQuest Day, presented by Fayetteville Fan Fest. “FanQuest Day is more than a small comic convention”, shares LeJuane Bowens, CSDD Vice Chair and FanQuest Day organizer. “It’s a celebration of the things we love, the people who make fandom special, and the creativity that brings us all together. This is YOUR fandom. YOUR community. YOUR moment. Come be part of something unforgettable.” For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4y7r0Be.