Entertainment

Kinwood Luminaries create festive neighborhood

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Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Written by Kathleen Ramsey

It takes work to keep up traditions within neighborhoods, even more so when those neighborhoods happen to be right next to one of the largest Army bases in the world.
Thankfully, Tina Young, and many of her neighbors, aren’t opposed to putting in a little elbow grease.
Young has lived in the Kinwood neighborhood since the 1970s. Sometime in the 1980s, Kinwood started helping and participating in the neighborhood Woodhaven Garden Club. A staple of the clubs is the now-known Kinwood Luminaries.
Even though the garden club was disbanded in the early 2000s, Young still helps with the Kinwood Luminaries. This decades-long tradition consists of placing candles in paper bags and lining most of the homes and neighborhood for a night in December.
Typically, the homeowners usually do the second Saturday in December. This year, the event will occur on Dec. 14th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
While most viewers come to see a sea of lights that goes on and on, they get surprises from homeowners as well who want to add more to the festivities.
“One of the homes has their big speakers out and plays Christmas music,” Young says. “It’s just beautiful. You don’t even want to drive by, you want to walk by. Some do candy canes or puppet shows. There’s Santa Claus.”
Young says all the extra beyond the twinkling lights in the night are up to the individual homeowners.
Each homeowner that participates will purchase bags and lights from the committee with all the proceeds going to the upkeep of the neighborhood sign throughout the year.
Then the homeowners will place the bags out that night. This can be kind of tricky for the older homeowners, but their neighbors are always willing to help, Young says. They will come out to help those who can’t place the bags and take them back up again after the event.
The coordinator, Mary Elliott, will find teenagers to come help those homeowners.
“We all look out for each other. I think that’s one of the reasons the luminary event has always lasted,” she says. “People live such busy lives. This gives us time to catch up.”
And while riders will get to see the lights, the homeowners can usually be seen outside saying hello or watching the magic of what they’ve created on the faces of those who come from all over town to see flickering lights piercing holes in the dark of a December night.
“You just never know what you are going to see. My son, when he was young, said, ‘I’m going to dress in all red and stand on the front porch and play my trumpet.’”
Young laughs retelling the story. For a few years, Young’s son continued to stand on their porch during the event and play the trumpet.
As years have passed, some neighbors have moved on, but Young is so proud when new neighbors move in and they recount how they would always attend the event and now, they get to participate in it too.
The event is open to anyone to drive in and see the lights, and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. It will take ten to twenty minutes to get through the drive, according to Young.
As far as how many will attend, Young laughs.
“Well,” she says, “between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., we can have bumper-to-bumper traffic. I couldn’t tell you how many people go through. We do have a pretty good participation.”
The neighborhood consists of about 300 homes and Methodist University also typically participates in the event since the neighborhood backs right up to the school.
“It’s festive. We get a lot of participation”
Kinwood neighborhood is located off Ramsey St., just passed Methodist University, on Kinlaw Rd.

25th Annual Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade

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Tuesday, 03 December 2024

Written by Crissy Neville

Aside from a White Christmas or a visit from the Jolly Old Elf himself, what’s better than a parade for stirring the Christmas spirit? This year, Fayetteville’s annual procession has a double measure of celebration, commemorating the holiday season and 25 years of sponsorship by the Fayetteville Rotary Club and Rotary International. The Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade processes through Downtown Fayetteville on Sat. Dec. 14, starting at 10 a.m.
The parade route runs west from the Cumberland County Courthouse on Person Street up Hay Street, around the Market House and ends at the CSX railway station. According to Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade Chairman Brandon K. Price, now in his fourth year, pedestrian spectators are welcome to watch the approximately two-hour parade along this route. He anticipates crowds of 10 to 20,000 viewers—the more, the merrier!
In terms of a twofold celebration, the anniversary takes a second fiddle. After all, Santa says nothing tops Christmas.
Price described what’s to celebrate this year.
“It’s the promise of having an amazing parade with many great entries and things families and especially the kids will enjoy. It's just a special moment. These are exciting times,” he said.
Price repeated what fellow Rotarians said when the club took on the parade in 1999: “We can’t have Christmas without a Christmas parade.”
A holiday tradition, the parade has been a well-loved community service project of the Fayetteville Rotary Club for a quarter of a century. In 1999, the forward-thinking civic club took on the formerly city-sponsored event. Two additional clubs at the time, West Fayetteville Rotary and LaFayette Rotary, stepped up to work with Fayetteville Rotary members. The original parade chair, Fayetteville Rotarian Greg Gunn, did the yeoman’s job that first year. When Gunn moved the next year, members Johnson Chestnutt and Matthew Smith agreed to co-chair the parade, working together until Chestnutt’s passing in 2017. The Rotary Christmas Parade Committee was formed, and Smith continued to lead the endeavor, serving 21 years. The Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade has grown in its 25-year tenure from 50 entries in its inaugural year to 110-120 participants today from the greater Fayetteville area, from across North Carolina and even other states.
“The parade is the largest event we do,” Price said. “It impacts everyone, every social, every economic background. It really hits the heart of Fayetteville. We are the Can-Do City, the All-America city, and you see that in our Christmas parade. It is one of the staple events in our community that brings everyone out. There’s something for everybody in this parade. The Fayetteville Rotary Club partners with many city departments, including the Fayetteville Police Department, the Department of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Sanitation, and more, to put the parade on.”
Ville City Jeeps, the Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade’s safety partner, provides additional support for the third straight year.
Grand Marshals of this year's parade are Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden, Ph. D., and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Samuel A Fleishman, MD. The co-dignitaries will share a float, greeting the crowds with waves, smiles and candy.
Elected officials and political figures from the Cumberland County government will also be present on floats and in the grandstand to show their support and greet the community. Look for additional public staff from Cumberland County EMS, the City of Fayetteville Stormwater and others to join the merrymaking.
An air of pageantry arrives as regional queens, including the 2024 Miss Fayetteville Teen and 2024 Miss Fayetteville, along with several Little Miss Cape Fear Queens, the Jr. Miss Fort Liberty, Jr. Miss All-American NC, Miss Chapel Hill, International United Miss, Miss Southview High School and Miss Cape Fear High School, help usher in Christmas.
Next in step with an oom-pah, crack, clang and boom, marching bands bring the sounds of Christmas and electric excitement. Crowds easily recognize and merrily sing along with the seasonal favorites brought to Historic Downtown Fayetteville by the Majestic Marching Eagles of Bal Perazim Christian Academy, the EE Smith Magnificent Marching Machine, Cape Fear High School Marching Colts, Westover High School Mid-South PowerHouse and among others, the marching bands of Douglas Byrd Senior High School, South View High School and Jack Britt High School.
With music comes dance; in this pairing, the Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade does not disappoint. Enjoy the rhythmic steps of Kerry's Dance Beat, Fatal Attraction Majorette Dance Team, Triton High School Rhythm Steppers Step Team, Royal Diamonds Dance Company, Inspiration Dance Academy, Yvette's Dance Academy and THE FIREHOUSE, Eastover's Studio of Performing Arts. Parade watchers can shake a leg, too!
With business as the lifeblood of the Cape Fear region’s economy, business owners of all kinds fill the parade lineup to thank patrons and extend holiday greetings. Look for entries from A Christmas Wonderland NC, El Burrito Mexican Restaurant, Fayetteville PWC, Mitchells Towing, RE/MAX, LU MIL VINEYARD INC., AAA COMMUNICATIONS, INC., Carolina Comfort Air, Cross Creek Subaru, Mitchell’s Towing and Dorothy's Catering 2, for starters.
While business is the lifeblood, goodwill is the heartbeat. Charitable organizations, service organizations, veteran and civic groups, youth entities, churches, and schools surge the parade ranks. American Heritage Girls and Trail Life Troops, Boy Scouts, Sandhills Community Chaplain Corps, the Fayetteville Child Advocacy Center and Nu Gamma Psi Fraternity are among this long list of parade participants, too many to name but each one vital to the health of the Cape Fear community.
Off the field, mat and track and onto the parade lineup, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, New Life Christian Academy Cheerleaders, The Little Gym of Fayetteville and Beaman Motorsports are among the sports outfits showing their Yuletide spirit in the 2024 parade.
Sudan Cruisers, more than 30 “slingshots,” i.e., three-wheel automobiles, several cars from car clubs around the state, costumed characters of all sorts and media outlets, including Beasley Media Group, Cumulus Broadcasting, HIS Radio 90.1, ABC 11, which is streaming the parade live, and more round out the who’s who in the Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade. Finally, all the rain-or-shine parade needs is you and yours to make it a success!
Though parade entry applications close on Dec. 7, citizens should stay tuned to www.rotarychristmasparade.com for parade information and updates and to volunteer.

(The Fayetteville Christmas Parade has been put on by the Rotary for 25 years. Photos courtesy of the Fayetteville Rotary)

Celebrate the Holidays with Friends & Coworkers

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Thursday, 05 December 2024

Written by Sheila D. Barker

Create lasting memories and discover new, fun and interactive ways to celebrate the holidays
with friends and coworkers.
A Favorite Things Party
Oprah puts out her Favorite Things list each holiday and now it’s your turn to share some of your favorite things and discover some of your friends or coworkers. At a Favorite Things party,
each guest brings a few identical, unwrapped gifts of their favorite things. These could be anything from candles and skincare products to kitchen gadgets and gourmet snacks.

1. Decide on the Set Up and Theme
The first step in hosting a Favorite Things Christmas Party is deciding on the setup and theme. You have a few options: ask everyone to bring one of their favorite things, three of their favorite
things, or even ten if you like. The number they bring will be the number they leave with. Setting a price limit is highly recommended to ensure everyone can participate without breaking the
bank. Additionally, you can even set a specific theme to add more excitement to the event.

2. Invite Your Guests and Explain the Rules
Next, it's time to invite your guests. This might seem obvious, but for this type of party, you need to clearly explain the rules in your invitation. Whether you choose to send an online invitation or
mail one, make sure to spell out how everything will work. Keep the instructions simple to ensure everyone understands the concept and comes prepared.

3. Simple Yet Festive Decorations
When it comes to decorations, simplicity is key. You'll need an area where everyone can comfortably sit, even if it's on the floor, so they can hear and see each person explaining their favorite things. The focus of this party is on the favorite items, so keep your decor minimal but festive to create a cozy atmosphere without overshadowing the main event.

4. Food That Makes a Statement
A charcuterie board is a fantastic way to keep the food simple yet impressive. This type of appetizer spread is both beautiful and delicious, perfect for a casual yet elegant party. Since the main focus is on the favorite things being shared, you don’t need to go overboard with other food preparations. Let the charcuterie board be the centerpiece of your refreshments.

5. Kick Off the Fun and Share Favorites
As your guests arrive, have them write their names on a piece of paper and place it into a container. This will be used to determine the order of sharing. When you're ready to start, draw a name to see who goes first. That person will stand up, show their favorite thing, and explain why they love it so much. Continue drawing names until everyone has had a turn. By the end of the night, everyone will walk away with new favorites and lots of great ideas!

A fun tip is to have someone take notes of all the favorite things shared. After the party, you can email the list to everyone who attended, making it easy for them to remember all the new favorites they discovered.

Murder Mystery Party
Christmas is all about holiday tunes and sweet gatherings, but what about murder? Why not host a Christmas Murder Mystery party? Add some suspense to your holiday season with a Christmas murder mystery party—an unforgettable way to celebrate with friends and coworkers.

1. Choosing the Perfect Murder Mystery Kit
Selecting the right murder mystery kit is the first step in hosting an unforgettable party. Pre-made kits are a convenient option, offering detailed character descriptions, engaging storylines, clues, and sometimes even scripts. Popular options include "Masters of Mystery"; known for its high-quality materials and captivating stories, "Murder Mystery Party" which offers a variety of themes including holiday-specific ones, and "Dinner and a Murder Mystery" ; which provides comprehensive kits with character costumes and props. If you're feeling particularly creative, a DIY murder mystery allows you to tailor the story to your guests, interests and the specific setting of your party. This can make the experience even more personal and engaging for your attendees.

2. Setting a Festive Yet Mysterious Scene
Transforming your space into a festive crime scene is key to setting the mood. Use Christmas decorations, dim lighting, and eerie music to create a spooky yet festive atmosphere. Think about incorporating elements like fake snow, holiday lights, and themed props to enhance the ambiance. Encourage your guests to dress up as their assigned characters. This not only adds to the immersion but also increases the fun. Consider suggesting festive attire with a mysterious twist, such as a detective's trench coat or a glamorous evening gown that fits the storyline.

3. Crafting a Themed Menu and Signature Drinks
Your food and drink selections can also contribute to the overall theme and atmosphere of your murder mystery party. Serve holiday-themed finger foods such as mini quiches, cheese and crackers, and festive desserts. These can be easy to eat while mingling and investigating. Offer a variety of festive drinks like mulled wine, hot cocoa, and eggnog. You can even create a signature cocktail for the occasion, adding a unique touch to your event. Consider naming it something mysterious and intriguing to align with the theme.

4. Assigning Roles and Distributing Clues
Assigning roles based on your guest's personalities and interests can enhance their engagement and enjoyment. Each guest should receive a character packet containing information about their character's backstory, motives, and any clues they may have. Establish a timeline for the evening, including when clues will be revealed and when the murder will take place. This helps keep the event organized and ensures that the investigation unfolds smoothly.

5. Guiding the Investigation and Unveiling the Culprit
A successful murder mystery party requires a Master of Ceremonies to guide the investigation and keep the game moving. This person will be responsible for revealing clues at specific intervals, either through written notes, spoken dialogue, or hidden objects. Encourage guests to accuse each other and present alibis. This interaction not only adds to the fun but also helps piece together the mystery. At the end of the night, reveal the killer and their motive. Consider awarding prizes for the best costume, the best detective, or the most creative accusation to add an extra layer of excitement.

Winter Picnic
Embrace the magic of winter by planning a cozy and memorable picnic with friends and coworkers. Discover the perfect spot, essential gear, delicious food and drink ideas, fun activities, and expert tips to ensure your winter picnic is a success.

1. Choose the Perfect Spot
Winter winds can be brutal, so choosing a spot protected from the elements is important. Look for a picnic area with trees or a nearby building to block the wind. Whether you’re heading to a local park, a forest, or your own backyard, it's essential to find a sheltered spot. A grove of trees or a large tree can provide natural protection. For those who prefer staying closer to home, your backyard can be transformed into a winter
wonderland with a few decorative touches. Consider setting up near a pond or a clearing with fallen leaves to add a picturesque backdrop to your picnic.

2. Essential Gear to Keep Warm and Cozy
Staying warm is crucial for a successful winter picnic. Ensure everyone in your picnic party is equipped with the necessary clothing. Layers are key! A warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, and thick socks are essential. A waterproof blanket will keep you dry and comfortable, even on damp ground. Don't forget to bring a thermos to keep your hot drinks and food warm. A picnic basket or backpack will help you carry your goodies, while a portable heater can add extra warmth. For a cozy ambiance, especially during twilight, bring along lanterns or string lights. 

3. Delicious Food and Drink Ideas for a Winter Picnic
Warm food and drinks are a must for a winter picnic. Consider packing hearty soups like butternut squash or tomato basil in a thermos. Classic winter drinks such as hot chocolate, mulled wine, hot cider, or tea are perfect for keeping warm. For snacks, think warm pastries like croissants or muffins, and for meals, pack sandwiches, wraps, or a hearty stew. Don't forget to include sweet treats like cookies, brownies, or a cake to
round off your meal.

4. Tips for a Successful Winter Picnic
Checking the weather forecast is crucial to ensure you dress appropriately for the conditions. Pack extra layers so you can add or remove them as needed. Hand warmers can be a lifesaver,
keeping your hands warm and cozy. Protect your phone from the cold by using a waterproof case or keeping it in a warm pocket. Besides your usual picnic essentials, remember to pack tissues for cold, runny noses,
sunscreen to protect against winter rays, and a torch or lantern if daylight hours are short. If planning a fire or BBQ, bring matches or a lighter along with dry kindling. A waterproof seating option is also a must, as even picnic benches can stay damp on a dry winter’s day.

4th Phreedom Seminar to be held at Prima Elements

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Tuesday, 03 December 2024

Written by Lena Simmons

Prima Elements Holistic Center is hosting the fourth Phreedom to Break Through: Serenity Summit. The event will be held at 124 Anderson Street, on Dec. 15, from 2 p.m. to -5 p.m. General admission is $50, and VIP admission is $75.
The event features inspirational speakers, testimonies, and a collective sound bath. Phreedom to Break Through: Serenity Summit is a transformational seminar for holistic living, personal growth and resilience. The participants will explore the interactive experience of mindfulness practices and a sound bath: Soothing vibrations from singing bowls, and Native American flute. The Sound Bath is a process for stress and anxiety. Specific sound frequencies and vibrations are produced by instrument-like singing, bowls and gongs that can influence the brainwave patterns, essentially ‘entraining’ the brain into a relaxed state by shifting from the active Beta waves to calmer Alpha and Theta waves. This reduces stress and anxiety by actuating the body’s relaxation response through the parasympathetic nervous system. The National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Studies states that "tension, anxiety, and negative moods decreased significantly after sound bath therapy. It has been proven to reduce tension in the body … Benefits are stronger in an in-person session."
Phreedom to Break Through: Serenity Summit also features vendors, hors d’ oeuvres, and raffles for prizes.
Kalei Phree, Holistic Healer and creator of the event, shared her passion for the Phreedom to Break Through: Serenity Summit.
“My journey began in 2019 when I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression. At the time, I was a cook for the military and unhappy with the job. I was facing the possibility of termination due to undiagnosed PTSD. I would jump and shake upon my name being called or touched by another person. I was informed of being a danger to myself and other people. My mental state required professional help. The doctor prescribed expensive medication. Medication was pricey for my budget. The medication was not effective in addressing my PTSD symptoms. The doctor dismissed my concerns. Feeling helpless, I decided to pursue the holistic aspects of treatment,” she said.
“I studied neuroplasticity and cognitive behaviors to understand how to rewire the brain. I created a connection with the Facebook community. It was a mutual sharing of experiences with PTSD. Social media was the connection vehicle to share our stories and struggles with PTSD. The shared stories inspired me to purchase my first Tibetan singing bowls. This was a turning point- everything changed.”
By 2020, I shared my sound healing journey on social media and, to my surprise, received invitations to vending events. My first event was unforgettable. I was promoting the event with long lines of people and over an hour wait for the sound healing experience. This moment affirmed my purpose. I researched the science of sound healing. I recognized the potential to transform my life, and other people's lives,” Phree said.
“I have come a long way in my healing journey and transforming lives. Hosting this seminar is especially meaningful because it marks my fourth annual event. There have been so many lives touched by the sound healing experience. There is more to learn and more growth. I am proud of this journey and excited for the future.”
Embrace emotional healing, relaxation, and empowerment at the fourth annual Phreedom to Break Through: Serenity Summit. The event features Kalei Phree, Life Coach and Holistic Healer, speakers, vendors, hors d’oeurves, raffle prizes, and a sound bath. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/4eOvlio.