Entertainment

Fascinate-U celebrates Worldwide Day of Play

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Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Written by Staff Report

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum announces its participation in Our World: Worldwide Day of Play on Sept. 26. Presented by Nickelodeon and the Association of Children’s Museums, Worldwide Day of Play is dedicated to experiencing joyful learning through play and getting kids and their families up, out, and playing.
In celebration of the day, Fascinate-U will offer free admission to all visitors thanks to the generous support of Village Family Dental.
From 10 a.m. to noon., Fascinate-U will host Messfest, an outdoor celebration of good, messy fun featuring kiddie pools filled with mud, sand, slime and other hands-on sensory play experiences.
Messfest will take place in the driveway behind the museum and invites children and families to come ready to get messy, explore, and play. Families can participate in Messfest that morning and enjoy free admission to Fascinate-U throughout the entire day.
“Play is a powerful experience that enriches people’s lives in museums, schools, homes, and beyond,” states Arthur G. Affleck, III, executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums. “ACM is pleased to partner with Nickelodeon on amplifying the importance of play on wellbeing and healthy brain development, and to make learning more effective and joyful for everyone. As children’s museums, we believe in the power of play and we strive to nurture more play and playful learning everywhere we go.”
“We’re excited to bring Worldwide Day of Play to our community with a morning of wonderfully messy fun,” said Amanda Jekel, Executive Director of Fascinate-U. “We’re especially grateful to Village Family Dental for making it possible for every family to enjoy Fascinate-U free of charge throughout the day. Their support helps us make play and learning accessible to even more children in our community.”
Our World: Worldwide Day of Play is part of Nickelodeon’s Our World global initiative to inspire kids and provide them with tools to activate their individual and collective agency.
As part of a network of more than 360 ACM member children’s museums who reach millions of families in North America, and the over 1,500 museums participating in Museums for All, a national access initiative that ACM manages, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is a vital collaborator in the Our World: Worldwide Day of Play.
For a list of all participating Our World: Worldwide Day of Play events and more information about the initiative, please visit www.childrensmuseums.org/dayofplay.

Colonial ball brings history to life through dance

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Tuesday, 08 September 2026

Written by Sheila D Barker

Fayetteville residents can step back into the 18th century during the Cross Creek Colonial Ball, an evening of live music, traditional dancing and community fellowship inspired by the social gatherings of early America. Presented by Fayetteville Historic Dance, the ball will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 1601 Raeford Road. The event is part of the local celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and will benefit the church’s food pantry.
“The Cross Creek Colonial Ball grew out of a desire to bring historical social dance to life in a way that is inclusive and fun,” said Michele O’Donnell of Fayetteville Historic Dance. “Our group has been teaching historic dance for years, and we wanted to create an event that celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary year.”
For O’Donnell and the event’s organizers, a ball offers participants the opportunity to experience several aspects of colonial culture at once.
“A ball is one of the most authentic ways to experience colonial culture because it blends music, movement, fashion and fellowship,” she said.
The event also draws inspiration from the history of Cross Creek, one of the settlements that eventually became Fayetteville. During the colonial era, Cross Creek was a bustling community of merchants, tradespeople and families. With fewer forms of entertainment available, dances and other social gatherings played an important role in community life.
“Dancing was a major part of community life—one of the few entertainments available that brought everyone together,” O’Donnell said. “Hosting a ball in Fayetteville today honors that legacy. It reflects the same spirit of hospitality, neighborliness and celebration that early residents would have recognized.”
Guests will be welcomed into an elegant but relaxed setting decorated in red, white and blue with star motifs in recognition of the nation’s semiquincentennial. Candlelight, natural materials and historically inspired colors will help create the atmosphere of an 18th-century gathering. Each attendee will also receive a handmade favor featuring colonial-inspired materials and designs.
Although the setting may evoke another century, participation does not require historical knowledge, dancing experience or a costume.
“We aim for historical flavor rather than strict reenactment,” O’Donnell said. “The music, dances and attire evoke the 18th century, but the event is designed to be welcoming to everyone—no experience or costume required.”
The evening will feature English country dances similar to those enjoyed in colonial America. Participants may encounter graceful longways sets and familiar dances such as “Haste to the Wedding,” “Brandywine,” and “The Virginia Reel.” Each dance will be explained step by step and called throughout the performance. The patterns are designed to be simple, repetitive, and social, allowing beginners to join in comfortably.
“Many guests attend their first colonial ball without any prior experience and have a wonderful time,” O’Donnell said.
Ticket holders who would like additional preparation can attend a Colonial Ball Dance Workshop from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. The afternoon workshop will serve as a warm-up before the ball begins at 6 p.m.
Live music will be provided by Syllabub, whose musicians will perform traditional 18th-century dance tunes throughout the evening. According to O’Donnell, the energetic and joyful music is central to creating the ball’s historical atmosphere.
Fayetteville Historic Dance will also present a cotillion demonstration. Popular at formal gatherings during the late 18th century, cotillions featured elegant and often intricate dance figures. The demonstration will offer guests a closer look at the refined social-dancing traditions of the period.
Dessert and light refreshments will be served between dances. While the refreshments will not be prepared strictly from colonial recipes, their presentation will reflect the hospitality associated with period social gatherings, where sweets, conversation, and dancing went hand in hand.
Organizers hope the event will do more than introduce guests to historical dance. They want attendees to experience the sense of connection that made dances significant gathering places in early communities.
“Balls and dance gatherings helped build community, strengthen social ties and celebrate important occasions,” O’Donnell said. “They were places where news was shared, friendships formed, and traditions passed down.”
That spirit of community continues through the ball’s support of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Food Pantry, which assists local families in need. Proceeds from the event will benefit the pantry, allowing guests to support a local cause while participating in Fayetteville’s commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“The Cross Creek Colonial Ball is more than a dance—it’s a community celebration with a purpose,” O’Donnell said. “By attending, guests enjoy a beautiful evening while directly contributing to a meaningful cause.”
Most of all, organizers hope participants will leave feeling as though they have crossed the distance between Fayetteville’s colonial past and its present-day community.
“We hope guests feel transported, like they’ve stepped into an 18th-century gathering where music and movement connect people across time,” O’Donnell said. “Colonial dance is social by nature; you dance with many partners, laugh, learn and share the evening together.”
The Cross Creek Colonial Ball is open to all ages. Tickets are $55, and colonial attire is encouraged but not required. Additional information and tickets are available on the Eventbrite listing at https://tinyurl.com/bde9mrpd.

Rock’n On the River brings “memory, muscle, music”

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Tuesday, 08 September 2026

Written by Jamie Bishop

Summer rarely leaves Fayetteville quietly. This year, it will bow out beside the Cape Fear River with a familiar guitar riff, a hometown band’s hard-earned history and the music of two women who changed the sound of rock.
Rock’n On the River’s next installment will take place on Friday, Sept. 18, with Krossroadz opening at 6 p.m. and Heart Breaker taking the stage at 8 p.m. at Deep Creek Outfitters, 1122 Person St. Admission is free, parking is $10 and gates open at 5:30 p.m.
The pairing gives the concert two distinct kinds of tribute. Heart Breaker honors the catalog of Heart and its celebrated sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson. Krossroadz carries the memory of Keith Ross, the musician whose name became part of the band’s identity.
Krossroadz vocalist Jami Moore grew up on a farm near Tar Heel in Bladen County. The other members come from Gray’s Creek, Lumberton and the Robeson-Bladen county line. Together, they reflect the communities surrounding Fayetteville as much as the city itself.
The present lineup also brings together pieces of three regional groups. Moore and bassist John Gales performed with Big Daddy Drive for about 18 years, traveling from Fayetteville and Myrtle Beach to the Raleigh area. The guitarists came from the Lumberton band Mirror Image, and the drummer played with Reflections II.
Their name is personal. Moore met Ross after deciding to take guitar lessons in his mid-30s. The teacher soon became his bandmate and friend. After Ross died unexpectedly three years ago, Moore wanted the new group to carry something of him forward. Krossroadz begins with “KR,” a quiet nod to Keith Ross.
“Just keep on keeping on,” Moore said when asked how the group honors the musicians it has lost. He described a regional music community in which players support one another, step into new lineups and keep songs alive after circumstances change.
That spirit shapes a set list built around songs the members can sing well and enjoy playing together, not a strict genre or formula.
“It’s all about fun, really,” Moore said. “If it sounds decent, it’s for the love of the music.”
Moore pointed to two songs that show the group’s range: the Allman Brothers Band’s reflective “Melissa” and ZZ Top’s hard-driving “Sharp Dressed Man.”
Opening the season finale carries weight for a local band. Moore said earning a place on the Rock’n On the River lineup feels like an accomplishment and an affirmation that Krossroadz belongs among the area’s established acts.
“We’re honored to get to do it,” he said.
Then Heart Breaker will raise the volume.
Led by Staci McBeth and Joan Burton, the North Carolina tribute band takes on demanding classics including “Crazy on You,” “Alone,” “These Dreams” and “Barracuda.”
McBeth said the process begins with respect for Ann and Nancy Wilson and careful attention to the qualities that make Heart unmistakable: the power, harmonies, emotion and musical details. Still, Heart Breaker is not interested in becoming a copy.
“We don’t want to simply imitate them,” McBeth said. “We bring our own personalities and chemistry to the stage. The goal is to honor Ann and Nancy and give the audience that Heart experience they came for while still allowing who we are as performers to come through.”
The band studies the guitar tones, arrangements, presentation and energy of a Heart concert, hoping the opening notes return listeners to when they first heard the music.
“Authenticity is more than recreating a recording,” McBeth said. “It’s creating the excitement and emotion of a live Heart concert.”
Heart Breaker also folds Led Zeppelin into its performance, reflecting Zeppelin’s influence on the Wilson sisters. Those songs carry the show from Heart’s beauty and emotion into rawer rock.
The group has played Rock’n On the River before, but McBeth said this year’s performance will arrive stronger, tighter and shaped by more experience. What she remembers most is the Fayetteville audience returning the band’s energy in real time.
“Fayetteville, to me personally, is like family,” she said. “There’s something special about performing when the audience is completely engaged and giving that energy right back to you.”
Few moments test that connection like the opening riff of “Barracuda.” McBeth said the crowd’s energy changes as soon as the guitar hits. Older fans recognize a song tied to their own history, while younger listeners sing beside them.
“It doesn’t belong to just one generation,” she said. “Great songs keep finding new audiences.”
One band keeps a friend’s name alive by playing. Another reintroduces landmark songs while preserving its own identity. Between them stands a riverfront crowd sharing music across generations.
Guests should bring lawn chairs or blankets. Outside coolers and containers are not permitted, but food and beverages will be available for purchase.
When the last note fades over the Cape Fear, summer will have its send-off. What remains will be the reason live music matters: memory passed forward, strangers singing together and old songs finding someone new.
Due to weather, concerts this summer have been rescheduled. For more information on the rescheduled events, visit https://www.facebook.com/p/Rockn-On-The-River-100049990406810/

Service Before Self celebrates local heroes with end-of-summer barbecue cook-off

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Tuesday, 08 September 2026

Written by Mahalia Cooks

Join Home at Last Farms, LLC, at 527 Red Hill Road in Cameron on Saturday, Sept. 19 for more food, music and camaraderie before fall starts.
Home at Last Farms and Carthage Masonic Lodge #181 have come together to throw their third annual Service Before Self BBQ Cook-Off for local charities. This year marks the eighth Service Before Self event and the third year that a cook-off has been hosted to complement it.
This get-together provides the perfect way to wrap up the summer while celebrating the veterans and first responders who’ve kept their communities safe. At this family-friendly event, attendees can see new and familiar faces while enjoying barbecue prepared by connoisseurs in the art of grilled meats.
It all starts with the barbecue cook-off on Friday, Sept. 18. The gate opens at 9 a.m. for teams to set up their grilling stations and prepare to show their skills, whether they’re working out of tents or RVs. Home at Last Farms recently added four RV spots to their land for camping opportunities and events like this one.
At 5 p.m., the grilling will get underway with teams cooking up pork and chicken leg quarters. All meats are provided by Home at Last Farms.
The pre-registration entry fee for barbecue teams is $150. Those who sign up have a chance of winning these prizes:
• 1st Place: A $500 Visa gift card and trophy
• 2nd Place: A $300 Visa gift card and trophy
• 3rd Place: A $200 Visa gift card and trophy
• People’s Choice: People’s Choice Trophy and a monetary prize based on sponsor donations
On Sept. 19, the gate opens to the public at noon for the main Service Before Self celebration. Activities start at 2 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. Entry is free; barbecue plates cost $15, and attendees can also make donations of any amount.
In combination with sponsor contributions, all proceeds from the event will go toward supporting the Moore County Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Sandhills Adult & Teen Challenge, the local Cameron fire department and scholarships for the North Carolina Masonic Foundation. Service Before Self 2026 has around 40 to 50 local sponsors, including Pete's Family Restaurant and Keith Hardware in Carthage. Last year, Home at Last Farms raised $13,000 for their chosen charities, including honoring their annual tradition of giving out three NCMF scholarships to students at Union Pines High School.
According to Chris Reeves, owner of Home at Last Farms, everything is tied to the farm’s 501(c)(3).
“If there are organizations that want to donate a larger amount, I can provide them with a 501(c)(3) letter for tax purposes,” he said.
Get your $15 barbecue plate or purchase a plate for a veteran or first responder by visiting https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/service-before-self-event.
Live music will be provided by Mike from the Bar — a yearly staple — the Chris Nelson Band and Fayetteville favorites Joyner, Young and Marie.
Service Before Self originally started as a Veterans’ Day event but was moved to September to avoid the cold of late fall and to honor Sept. 11. The farm itself was established in 2013 with “just 10 goats and a dream” after Reeves spent considerable time living overseas.
“I’m a retired Special Forces Communications Sergeant, having served at Fort Bragg for 21 and a half years,” said Reeves. “I spent a lot of time in the Middle East. After I retired, I went and did contracting; I worked with the UN. My family and I, we lived in Dubai for eight years. When we came home, we started a farm, and we named it ‘Home at Last’ because we were home at last.”
As a farm that serves double duty as an event venue, Home at Last is open to parties, weddings, graduations and other get-togethers.
“We’re very accommodating if there’s any special requests or needs or anything like that,” said Reeves.
For businesses looking to get involved with Service Before Self, spots are still open for non-food vendors or those who only sell desserts. Get more information on the event or become a vendor or sponsor by contacting Chris Reeves at 910-315-5218.

(Photo: The Service Before Self third annual BBQ Cook-Off helps to celebrate veterans and first responders. Photo courtesy of Masonic Lodge #181)