Fayetteville/Cumberland County

Janine West (Jlwest)

Website: http://fayettevillewantsyou.com

Posts by Janine West (Jlwest):

Shop ’til you drop!

Friday, June 25th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | General Interest | No Comments

There are lots of fun places I like to go shopping in Fayetteville! My favorite place, that’s usually my first stop, are the cute little boutiques downtown on Hay Street. They always have the most unique things in their stores whether you’re shopping for clothes or cute things to furnish your home. Downtown has it all. I get most of my wedding gifts, birthday presents, and Christmas presents downtown!

My other favorites of course are off Skibo Rd. Cross Creek Mall is very convenient and centrally located. You can also find Target, Old Navy, Kohls, Walmart, Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and so much more off Fayetteville’s most popular road. Gotta love the variety of shops here in town!

GO Swampdogs

Thursday, June 17th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Entertainment | No Comments

I put on my Swampdogs baseball fan gear Saturday night and headed out to J.P. Riddle Stadium to watch the doubleheader game. I had a blast! It was only $6.00 for general admission and $5.00 for military, children, and seniors. If you want to enjoy the game from the beer deck, you only pay an extra $5.00 which includes: dollar beers, hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and soda/non-alocholic beverages all night long!

If you have children which I do, the nice thing is, it’s completely kid friendly, with picnic tables and an open space they can play around. We watched the game and had fun with the kids. Sometimes the children get the chance to go on the field with the Swampdogs mascot. Which for them is a huge highlight.

There are giveaways at every game and you have chances to win all sorts of stuff. There are plenty of food vendors and also places to get Swampdogs apparel at the “Swamp Shop” to cheer on our Fayetteville baseball team. They even have fireworks a couple nights out of the season! I keep a schedule at home on the fridge, so I know when the next game is and recommend everyone should. It’s genuinely good quality fun with friends and family. Swampdogs games on summer nights are truly the best!

Blues and Brews Festival

Monday, June 7th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Entertainment | No Comments

Wow, come experience downtown Fayetteville on a Saturday night! Just recently I attended the Blues and Brews Festival where soldiers, young professionals, couples, and blues music lovers gathered to have a good time. Festival Park was lined with tents of different brewers who continued to pour their freshly brewed beer for tastings throughout the night. I purchased a ticket around 6 p.m. at the gate for $25 general admission, which included beer tasting, and received a souvenir beer glass. I then made my way into the park to join my friends. The atmosphere was wonderful! The festival was hugely attended and everyone was having a blast. There were a number of blues bands that played in the amphitheater for everyone to enjoy, while sipping their beers and mingling with friends and family.

Beer wasn’t the only thing brewing at the park that evening…a huge storm was brewing right at the tail end of the festival around 9:30, so I left before the rain and lightening let loose! Blues and Brews Festival only happens once a year and I will most definitely be going back again next year!

Carolina Ale House

Friday, May 28th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Entertainment | No Comments

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.

Fayetteville After Five

Monday, May 17th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Uncategorized | No Comments

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!

Fay in May!

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Entertainment, General Interest | No Comments

If you could pick any month to be in Fayetteville, it would have to be…May! Around here, May has the spirit, celebrations, festivities, and patriotism of July 4th, except it’s extended over the entire month. (And July is another great month to be here, but that’s another entry..) Why May? Good question. May 31st is Memorial Day. Because we’re Fayetteville, and we love our soldiers so much, we’ve decided one day isn’t enough, so we dedicate the entire month to them, with a series of festivities known as 31 Days of Glory. My favorite event? The Field of Honor in front of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. From May 15-June 18th there are hundreds of flags posted in the lawn, dedicated by locals to honor a soldier they know. You have to see it - it’s quite heart-warming, and it makes you proud to live in our beloved country, and proud to be in a place that watches over those who watch over us.

Dogwood Festival - Food, fun, and hugs

Monday, May 3rd, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Uncategorized | No Comments

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!

Fayetteville’s Sanctuary Community

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Uncategorized | No Comments

Many people are not aware of Fayetteville’s new branding that was introduced in 2008. Fayetteville/Cumberland County was officially declared “America’s First Sanctuary Community for the military.” What does this mean? This means that our community will do anything for the military, to show our support, appreciation and gratitude towards those who serve our country. After all, Time Magazine, named Fayetteville/Cumberland County “America’s most pro-military town;” and we continue to live up to that reputation and take pride in our military supportive community. Keep an eye out for those blue Sanctuary stickers on windows of businesses who offer military discounts all over town!

Luigi’s Restaurant and Bar

Thursday, April 15th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | General Interest | No Comments

One of my favorite restaurants in Fayetteville has to be Luigi’s. It has a neat atmosphere with inside and outdoor patio dining. Their food is to die for! The Chicken Florentine is outstanding. I just found out they also have free wine tasting every Thursday night where people can gather with friends, family and even network. It’s a great place to convene and enjoy some nice Italian cuisine.

Fayetteville, America’s 1st Military Sanctuary Community is having an Orientation Weekend for all D.O.D. relocating families.

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 | Posted By: Janine West | Uncategorized | No Comments

Are you considering relocating to Fayetteville? If your answer is yes, you really should see what the community of Fayetteville is doing for D.O.D. relocating families.

From April 23rd-25th, 2010, Fayetteville/Cumberland County is having its first ever Orientation Weekend inviting all D.O.D. relocating families to Fayetteville. Programs of relocation activities will be taking place all weekend long, coinciding with the Dogwood Festival. The Army’s Army, which is the world’s only volunteer organization of citizens and businesses who’ve pledged their moral, physical and spiritual support to those in the military, have volunteered to serve as buddies for these visiting families, giving them the perspective of an actual resident, answering their questions, and sharing their opinions about what makes Fayettevillle/Cumberland County a great place.

Your input through FayettevilleWantsYou.com is helping organizers put together a weekend of activities for you to learn about housing, healthcare, transportation, employment, education, security, entertainment, and economic development.

If you’re looking to relocate to Fayetteville and want more information about the weekend, please click here.

Fayetteville/Cumberland County

America’s first military sanctuary community