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Tuesday, 27 October 2026
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Written by Mahalia Cooks
Prepare to shop until you drop at the Holly Day Fair from Thursday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Crown Expo Center. The Junior League of Fayetteville, a women’s organization dedicated to supporting women in leadership roles and advancing the local community through scholarships, volunteering and other resources, hosts this yearly holiday shopping event.
The fair began as a way to raise funds for community initiatives while offering thoughtfully made holiday crafts. Over the decades, it has grown into the largest holiday gift and craft show in eastern North Carolina, pulling in thousands of shoppers each year. The proceeds raised from the Holly Day Fair go toward Community Assistance Program grants and other community impact programs run by the Junior League of Fayetteville. Entities they have supported through CAP include the Cape Fear Valley children’s hospital wing, the Two-Six Project and multiple schools, alongside providing scholarships for high school seniors and funding the Cape Fear Regional Theatre through their Community Research Project Development grant.
“We award multiple grants through CAP, it’s our community assistance program, and if you’re a school program or a nonprofit or any type of area entity and need support within your program, you are free to apply for a CAP grant,” explained Juelle McDonald, co-chair of the Holly Day Fair and Fund Development VP. “A portion of that money goes toward the training of women volunteers to support our community, because that’s the mission of the Junior League.”
Hundreds of Holly Day Fair vendors sell everything from jewelry and furniture to pet products and Christmas ornaments, offering a range of price points so that all customers can shop within their budget. The fair’s Food Court offers food vendors such as B&B Outdoors, Dorothy’s Catering and Freddie’s Kitchen for down-home Southern meals and festive desserts. But this isn’t just a hometown affair; you can even buy from out-of-state vendors who’ve come down to the Tar Heel State to sell their wares.
“During my first few years of being involved with the Holly Day Fair, getting to meet some of the vendors and learning where they’re coming from; I think there’s one vendor that comes from California, and I was completely amazed,” said Chelsea Perkins, co-chair of the Holly Day Fair. “That just, to me, shows how impactful this show is.”
Attendees can easily keep track of all vendors, see the event floorplan and create a personal shopping plan through the Holly Day Fair app at https://www.jlfay.org/hdf-mobile-app/.
The Holly Day Fair kicks off at 9 a.m. on Nov. 5 at 1960 Coliseum Dr. Thursday offers early-access Super Shopper hours until noon, with tickets going for $15. Attendees can get in before the large crowds and start filling up their complimentary shopping bags. Each year brings a different theme for these collectable totes, and this year’s theme is “Oh What Fun!”
Sip & Shop — a fan-favorite that typically sells out — will occur at the same time as the Super Shopper event that Thursday morning. With their $30 ticket, shoppers can enjoy unlimited mimosas, food and a swag bag with curated gifts alongside the many other finds they’ll discover at the vendor booths. General admission hours begin at noon and last until 8 p.m.
General admission hours for Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 start at 9 a.m., then switch to 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Friday will bring plenty of VIP fun for female shoppers with the second year of Ladies’ Night Out, held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50. Bring your besties for an adults-only night of leisurely, no-rush shopping, including unlimited food and drinks in a separate VIP lounge, a red-carpet welcome with champagne and several other special surprises. Enjoy tunes spun by the DJ, and take pictures in the on-site photo booth so you can cherish your memories of the occasion for many more holiday seasons.
Regarding Ladies’ Night Out, Perkins said, “We want you to have the best experience ever. This is going to be an elevated experience, curated just for these ladies.”
“It’s a new event, so we really do need the community’s support,” said McDonald. “It is a special curated experience, and so we promise you won’t be disappointed.”
While Sip & Shop and Ladies’ Night Out offer something memorable for the adults, the little ones can also have their fun on Sunday by taking a photo with Santa Claus, starting at 2 p.m. The Photos with Santa event costs $15 and welcomes children aged 5 to 11; it includes cookies, a story time session and a meet-and-greet with both Santa and Mrs. Claus.
General admission for each of the four days of festivities is $10. See the prices for all Holly Day Fair events and buy tickets online at https://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/holly-day-fair-2. If you want to skip the Ticketmaster fees, tickets are also available at the Crown Complex Box Office. Ladies’ Night Out tickets will close out before the event, so get them while you can.
This ambitious event is made possible each year by its numerous donors and sponsors. Just a few of the sponsors for 2026 include Warren Insurance Group, Cape Fear Valley Health, Professional Early Intervention Services, LLC, and the Farmer’s Cat Cafe.
“It’s just a thank-you to our community,” said McDonald. “We couldn’t do it without this community. We thank you, Fayetteville and surrounding communities, and the Junior League of Fayetteville is not thinking that it’s ‘us’ at all; we would be remiss to think it’s us. We know that it’s the community ... We try to make as much profit as possible to give back to the community, and so we’re thankful for those in our community that believe in our mission.”
The Holly Day Fair provides the best two-for-one deal of all: Do all of your holiday shopping over one weekend while having an amazing time with your friends. Plus, the proceeds contribute to improving lives in Fayetteville and communities across Cumberland County.
For any questions about the 2026 Holly Day Fair, reach out to the Junior League of Fayetteville at chair@hollydayfair.com or on the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hollydayfair.
(Photo: The Junior League of Fayetteville is bringing Ladies' Night Out for a second year in 2026. This adult only event includes food and drink and a red carpet welcome)
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Tuesday, 20 October 2026
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Written by Tara Kamiya
The parents and grandparents on Group Therapy’s team became inspired to create the Kids Halloween Rave as a place where kids could experience Halloween outside of just Trick or Treating.
Their idea pairs Halloween costumes with a dance party, giving children a place to move, celebrate and burn through some of the energy that can make bedtime a negotiation.
The event is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at Group Therapy Pub & Playground, 1906 Skibo Road. The venue’s calendar lists DJ Rellez and a $5 admission charge.
Organizers plan to fill the party with music, glow sticks, lights and dancing. A costume contest will give participants another reason to arrive dressed for the season.
Team members wanted to create something their own children and grandchildren would enjoy, with the added hope that a busy evening on the dance floor might lead to an easier night at home. That combination of family fun and practical parenting helped shape the event. Rather than building the celebration around candy alone, organizers are putting movement and music at its center. It’s also a way for parents to offer their children a Halloween activity that does not involve going door to door or winging it on what might be a chilly evening.
For the team, the rave also reflects a desire to give local children a space to enjoy themselves. Organizers described Halloween today as different from the holiday they remember growing up. Planning the party offered an opportunity to create the kind of celebration they would have wanted to attend as children.
The result is an event rooted in their experiences as both family members and hospitality workers. Their perspective starts with a familiar question: What would make the children in their own lives excited to go out?
At Group Therapy, Halloween preparations have extended beyond the employees organizing the children’s party. Staff members serving guests, working in the kitchen, managing operations and planning events all contributed to decorating the venue.
The shared effort has given employees a chance to bring their own enthusiasm to the season. It also sets up another competition, this time involving the costumes that will appear at the venue’s Halloween night celebration.
The Witching Hour Halloween Party begins at 9 p.m. Oct. 31 and continues until 2 a.m., according to the venue’s calendar. Its advertised offerings include a DJ, drinks, $10 mini golf and a $1,000 costume contest.
Organizers expect witches to be a popular costume choice for that party, a prediction tied directly to its theme. They are especially interested in seeing how guests interpret the idea and how many different versions arrive.
The children’s rave and the later Halloween party give the team separate opportunities to celebrate the same holiday. One puts children and their dancing energy in the spotlight. The other carries the season into the venue’s nightlife.
Even the staff’s candy preference comes with plenty of possibilities. Gummies are a favorite, with the team pointing to the range of shapes, types and flavors as part of their appeal.
Choosing just one piece, they suggested, can be difficult.
Asked to imagine Group Therapy as a horror movie, organizers selected “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” The connection was a playful one, based on the possibility of the venue’s Wacky Golf mascots coming to life.
They did not identify with the film’s storyline. Instead, the comparison offered a way to imagine familiar characters taking on unexpected personalities once the lights change and October nightlife gets underway.
That sense of make-believe runs through the Halloween plans, from costumes and decorations to the prospect of a dance floor filled with children ready to show off their moves.
For the people who helped conceive the rave, the event’s appeal comes back to the families they know best. Creating a party for their own loved ones became a way to welcome other local families into the celebration.
Parents seeking an evening activity before Halloween can find the Kids Halloween Rave on Group Therapy’s online calendar at https://www.grouptherapy.fun/fayetteville/. The two hour party gives children their own turn in the seasonal spotlight, with music, costumes and room to dance at the center of the experience.
If the organizers’ original hope holds, the night’s final act will happen after families leave: children heading home with happy memories and a little less energy left for bedtime later that evening.
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