Fayetteville After 5 is nearing the end of its 2011 season and “we’re going out with a bang,” says Carrie King, executive director of the Dogwood Festival.

 This 2011 concert series has been running since May and is hosting its grand finale at Festival Park on Sept. 15.

“We’re going out in big style with the Band of Oz,” says King, “that’s the one that everybody has been anticipating…they’re just a great beach band and people love them.”

The gates will open at 5 p.m., and the opening show will be 45 RPM, a regional girl band, that will take the stage around 6 p.m. After the opening band (about an hour and a half), the Band of Oz will make its way on stage and play for the remainder of the night until the event ends around 9:30 p.m.

While the Band of Oz is finishing up the concert series for 2011, Fayetteville After 5 has been an annual event for 13 years and has many years to come. The concert series is sponsored by RA Jeffery’s, the beer distributor, and is now hosted by the Dogwood Festival.

“It’s definitely an established event,” says King, “and it’s a tradition here in Fayetteville. It’s funny because when we’re setting up, we’re still dragging out trash cans and there are people waiting to get in, so we have a lot of die-hard people.”

No matter what your age, the Fayetteville after 5 concert series welcomes everyone.

“It’s a huge fellowship,” says King, “and there’s definitely a selection of ages so it’s interesting.”

Aside from the live entertainment, there will be many other activities for you and your children to enjoy, such as corn hole, prize wheels and a bean bag toss.

“We’ve also had photo booths there that were free for folks to take candid pictures, and in July, because it was so hot, we had water slides for the kids,” says King. While the event and the activities are free of cost, there will be food vendors on site with food and beverages for purchase.

Make your way to Festival Park on September 15th to relax with a cold beverage, rock out to 45 RPM and The Band of Oz, and send Fayetteville After 5 out with a bang.

Photo: The Band of Oz will end the 2011 Fayetteville After 5 season at Festival Park on Sept. 15.