Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1149920
6 UCW JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2019 Best of Fayetteville Coolest Venue Downtown, Best Use Of Local Tax Dollars, Worst Use Of Local Tax Dollars Segra Stadium 460 Hay St. 910-339-1989 or www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com Like last year, Segra Stadium wins some conflicting titles but emerges with a 2-to-1 ratio of positive to negative des- ignations. The city invested $40.2 mil- lion into building Segra Stadium. Last year, it won Best Community Project and tied for both Best and Worst Use of Local Tax Dollars. Regardless of where you stand on the money issue, it can't be denied that Segra Stadium oozes cool. It features natural grass, a 360-degree concourse, a 25-by-70-foot LED scoreboard, six luxury suites, four field boxes, a premium club level, an outdoor party deck, a kids zone and a seating capacity of 4,700. The right field bar, named Healy's, is the most prominent concession area. It features 24 different draft beers on tap, as well as corn hole, foosball and big- screen TVs. There's lounge furniture and a stage for live music, too, prompting Woodpeckers President Mark Zarthar to call it "the coolest party area at the ball- park." It's open on game days as well as some nongame days. Left field is the family- and kid-friendly area, and other concession options line the first and third baselines. Offerings include craft beer, barbecue, steaks, burgers, Mexican fare and more. Best of all, the Segra Stadium is an amenity many more people than just base- ball fans can enjoy. The space is planned as a site for hosting concerts, festivals and even private events like retirement ceremonies. Best Thing To Show Off To Visitors, Best Museum Airborne & Special Operations Museum 100 Bragg Blvd. 910-643-2766 or www.asomf.org The Airborne & Special Operations Museum is the only museum in the country dedicated to all Army airborne and special operations units. Every year, it sees thousands of visitors: veterans who often share their stories with other visitors, Gold Star family members, students from local schools, those who want to understand more about our mil- itary, and people from all over the world. Nearby Fort Bragg houses the 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Special Operations Command, so downtown Fayetteville is the ideal place for this museum. No wonder ASOM is a repeat winner in both of these Best of Fayetteville categories. Established in 2000, ASOM tells the story of U.S. airborne and special operations soldiers from 1940 to the present. Features include permanent and temporary exhib- its, a parade field lined with monuments, a reflection garden, simulator experiences and more. Extra events include the annual Field of Honor, military-related movie showings and book signings, 5Ks, National Airborne Day celebrations, and ceremo- nies honoring different individuals and units. Liz Mileshko was hired as executive director of ASOM in December 2018, and she's determined to grow its worldwide recognition. Her role preceding this one was as director of development for the American Heart Association. ASOM's future includes a revamping of exhibits and the addition of immersive technology, virtual reality and post-9/11 history. Mileshko also anticipates the unveiling of an American flag with 1,000 names of soldiers killed in action post-9/11. ASOM's first annual Canine Veterans event was held this March in honor of military and service industry canine veterans. In May, its first annual Signature Gala, a black-tie affair, included the unveiling of a piece of art recognizing the fight against terrorism. C I TY l i fe Our customers told us, if we built it, they would come! 910•864•5705 320 N. McPherson Church Road SHOP NOW SHOP NOW W W W . A N S T E A D S . C O M