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 plenty of 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 fall 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! Check out our Trick or Treat and Costume Contest (10/31) event listing!
– Apply here: https://bit.ly/3S5TJXy
– Applications are due by the 10th of each month. For more information, contact Adam Carroll – adam@coolspringfay.org