Archive for May, 2010
Carolina Ale House
We recently got a new addition to our Fayetteville restaurants and bars: Carolina Ale House, which is conveniently located right across from Cross Creek Mall. I went there last night for the first time and the patio was packed full of people enjoying their dinners and brews. There’s a bar both inside and outside the restaurant, as well as pool tables for extra entertainment. The chicken quesidilla I had was wonderful and the beers were reasonably priced. Overall, great first time and I’m very excited for Fayetteville’s new addition! The perfect getaway for a nice evening out.
Fun Stuff in Hope Mills
As I mentioned in my last blog, at the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau we represent all municipalities in Cumberland County, and I will spend some time writing about each one.
As I start my blog on Hope Mills, I must offer a disclaimer .. I live in Hope Mills, and I love it there.Hope Mills is located south and west of Fayetteville. I live in the heart of Hope Mills, near the Town Hall and 12 miles from downtown Fayetteville.
There are lots of other family-fun activities in Hope Mills. Just like its sister property at Omni Plaza, Fun, Fun, Fun on Cumberland Road offers a video arcade with tickets and prizes. Additionally, Cumberland Road Fun Fun Fun offers laser tag (great for all ages), miniature golf and batting cages. An array of specials and packages are available for individuals and groups.
The Millstone Theaters brought first-run movies to Hope Mills last fall. With the cushy rocking seats, good prices on concessions and valued customer cards, I rarely venture out of Hope Mills when I want to see a first run movie. According to the Fayetteville Observer, sometime this year Putt-Putt Golf will open a new course adjacent to Millstone Theaters , with batting cages and go-karts fall of 2010. When I drove by just yesterday, I saw the Putt-Putt sign was in place on the property.One of my favorite FREE summertime activities in Hope Mills.
Big T’s at Hope Mills Lake offers a family friendly “movie on the lawn” every Saturday night, and they provide free popcorn. (The popcorn is a big selling point in my family.) I understand the movies start this Saturday, May 29th.
Big T’s is known for its snow cones (especially among kid-dom) - I’m not sure how many flavors they have - but it’s a lot. Ever hear of cake batter or cheesecake snow cones? You can get both there; the smallest size is only a $1. As you can guess, they stay pretty busy through the summer months.
Hope Mills Park offers a great place to spend the afternoon with your family, watch a softball game, or get some exercise. Three playgrounds dot the large park, as do at least three baseball/softball diamonds. Additionally, a walking/jogging trail circles the park, the library and town hall. Nearly a mile long ,the paved trail is a great place to stretch your legs.
If you visit Hope Mills, don’t forget to take a jaunt down Trade Street. Three businesses I’ve spent a lot of time in are Trade Street Café (read the reviews!) which has a great, economical breakfast; Sandhills Music Center from which we’ve purchased, rented and repaired our budding musicians’ musical instruments; and Trade Street Brews, a great coffee house that offers live music a few times a month.I’ve touched on a few things to see and do in Hope Mills. I know there are many more. If you are interested in learning more about Hope Mills I’ve provided some links below.
History of Hope Mills
History of Hope Mills Lake
Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce
Want to learn more about Fayetteville and the surrounding municipalities? www.VisitFayettevilleNC.com
Thinking of Hosting an Event Downtown?
Birthdays, wedding receptions, anniversaries…there are so many great milestones and what better place to celebrate, but Downtown Fayetteville. Lucky for everyone there are fantastic places to choose from including locations for small, intimate gatherings to large, formal receptions. Some examples include:
The Metropolitan Room
The Metropolitan Room boasts a 5,000 square foot plus ballroom, a unique mini vault lounge (which can be used for serving drinks), lobby, marbled entrance foyer with a marble fountain and a private four story parking garage. Floor to ceiling windows complete the look and the view of Downtown Fayetteville and the Market House is extraordinary. This beautiful addition to Downtown Fayetteville can service parties from 50 to 500 people. Visit www.themetroroom.com for more details.
The Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room is a prime example of a renovated downtown building centered on Hay Street, which features brick sidewalks and blossoming trees. With a modern interior and room for 100-150, this venue has housed wedding receptions, corporate meetings and the like. They provide chairs and tables for your guests and also allow the flexibility to bring your own caterer, music and decorations. For small, intimate gatherings, this is your venue. Visit www.rainbowroom.biz for more information.
AIT’s Festival Hall
AIT’s Festival Hall has a seating capacity of 250 in their 3,300 square foot main hall and plenty of downtown parking. The room is almost a blank canvas as far as the different seating arrangements that can be imagined featuring round and rectangular tables. Table linens, setup and breakdown of the room are included in their event package. Visit www.ait.com/aitauditoriumlayout.php for photos and contact information.
City of Fayetteville Parks and Buildings
Cross Creek Park, The Transportation Museum and other downtown public properties are also available for your special event. Call Erica Brady for special events at 433-1505 or Bruce Daws for events in historic properties at 433-1457.
Really, what better place and what better backdrop can you ask for on your special day, no matter the occasion, than Downtown Fayetteville? Along with our historic churches, parks and buildings, your guests will thank you for their gorgeous photos and their long-lived memories. Find your perfect venue downtown – you will be glad you did!
Fantastic Events Coming Up Monthly, Downtown!
Field of Honor
The 2010 Glory Days Field of Honor, sponsored by the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, is a memorial to all of our servicemen and women. You can get involved by sponsoring an American flag to join the hundred that will fly at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum from May 14 to June 29. Individual flags are $25.00 and corporate sponsorships are available. Visit www.glorydaysnc.com for more information. If you have not seen it before, it will take your breath away.
31 Days of Glory
31 Days of Glory is a month-long celebration of performances, ceremonies, exhibits and activities sponsored by a host of organizations including the Fayetteville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, Fort Bragg MWR, Museum of the Cape Fear and many other participating partners. The entire month of May is dedicated to honor soldiers, vets and their families and will include great events such as the Glory Days Downtown Memorial Day Celebration, a Military Film Festival at the Cameo Theatre and the fundraiser Walk a Mile in Their Boots. For a full list of events and activities, visit www.31daysofglory.com.
Fourth Friday
Fourth Friday is a celebration of the arts in beautiful downtown Fayetteville. In May, Fourth Friday will be expanding to include Arts Alive at Fourth Friday, sponsored by the Arts Council, hosting live entertainment stages, art booths with professional artists displaying their art for sale and artists demonstrating their craft on Franklin and Maxwell streets. And, as always, merchants and restaurant owners around the district will open their doors wide and will feature specials, artists, music and much more! For more information, visit www.theartscouncil.com.
Fayetteville after Five
Fayetteville after Five, sponsored by the Fayetteville Museum of Art, is a terrific, and free, concert series hosted at Festival Park. Starting after work, bring your lawn chairs and beach blankets, grab dinner and beverages and enjoy a great selection of music among friends. The 2010 line-up includes:
- May 20 – The Tams
- June 17 – Coconut Groove Band
- July 15 – Suicide Blonde
- Aug. 19 – Craig Woolard Band
- Sept. 16 – Chairmen of the Board
Mark your calendars! For more information, visit www.fayettevillemuseumart.org.
Fayetteville After Five
Fayetteville After Five is coming up this Thursday and is something I always look forward to on every third Thursday of the month. I take my family downtown to Festival Park and enjoy a free live concert performed by local or regional bands. It’s really great for all ages! I like to take some fold out chairs, grab a couple hot dogs for the kids and relax with some good quality family fun for the evening! It’s just a wonderful place to convene with the community, so if you haven’t been to a Fayetteville After Five yet, your next chance is this Thursday May 20th!
Spring Lake, Fayetteville’s neighbor to the north
At Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau we represent all the 10 communities that encompass Cumberland County. Lots and lots is written about Fayetteville - so I’d like to dedicate my next few blogs to writing a little bit about the other nine municipalities.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour Spring Lake with the volunteer staff at the Fayetteville Area CVB. We toured several beautiful churches, went to the site of the Sandhills Farmers Market, saw the Anderson Creek development and golf course - and even saw Spring Lake itself. (Which I shamefully admit, I didn’t know existed!)
One of the churches we visited, Bethel AME Zion Church, was first started in 1873 as a mission called Little Ark. Jack Murchison built a Bush Shelter to preach to the neighboring plantations. A few years later, a Presbyterian minister preached at Little Ark and established it as a Presbyterian church. Subsequently, a Methodist minister from Fayetteville arrived and converted them to Methodism, which later became a part of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church movement.
We visited several other churches including Spring Lake Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, and Williams Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, which was founded in 1903. All the sanctuaries were beautiful; and I was impressed by the passion of the folks who gave us the tour of their churches.
Near the Bethel AME Zion Church is the site of the Sandhills Farmers Market. As Sandhills Family Heritage Association President Ammie Jenkins says “There’s more to the Sandhills Farmers Market than just vegetables.” Special events and workshops are held throughout the summer. The market is open every Saturday from June to September.
If golf is your thing, Anderson Creek Golf Course is said to be one of the best in the state. The course, the first in NC designed by Davis Love II was named the top new course in North Carolina in 2001.
The Clay Target Center is one of the largest skeet and trap shooting facilities in the country. Managed by Fort Bragg MWR, and located in Spring Lake, the Clay Target Center is open to both the military and civilian population. The Clay Target Center hosts a number of regional and national events each year.
On my tour, I also learned that Spring Lake and Fort Bragg have one of the largest populations of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the country. This is the only bird that creates its own nest inside the middle of a living tree - and the longleaf pines are a perfect home for these endangered birds.
Spring Lake also has six hotels; lots of places to shop, tons of restaurants and a number of special events throughout the year.
Since I’m sure I haven’t covered everything about Spring Lake, I gathered some links where you can learn more:
Plank Roads & other historical tidbits
Sandhills Family Heritage Association
Fay in May!
Dogwood Festival - Food, fun, and hugs
I’ve had a big, cheesy grin on my face since the weekend of April 23 -25 - can’t help it - the Dogwood Festival did it to me. What a blast! Concerts by Joe Nichols, Soul Asylum, and Gin Blossoms.
And the food - wow. There was a long strip to choose from (I called it “Calorie-ville). They had everything from funnel cakes topped with chocolate and strawberries to good ol’ southern bar-b-que! (Best food coma I’ve enjoyed, that’s for sure).
But the most amazing things you couldn’t see, feel, or touch. It was the Fayetteville love and hospitality. How wonderful it felt to be a part of such a close knit community. Honestly, it seemed as though the entire town came out from their houses and went straight downtown to Festival Park to celebrate the Dogwood!