WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
OCTOBER 9-15, 2019 UCW 15
DR. SHANESSA FENNER, Prin-
cipal, WT Brown Elementary School.
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin-
gweekly.com. 910-484-6200.
Celebrate Community at the North Carolina Fall Festival
by DR. SHANESSA FENNER
EVENT
e Fourth Annual North Carolina Fall Festival
takes place ursday, Oct. 17, through Saturday, Oct.
19, on Main Street in downtown Raeford.
"is is the fourth year of the Fall Festival, but it is
the 35th year of our festival in Hoke County," said Me-
lissa Pittman, executive director of the North Carolina
Fall Festival. "e name was changed five years ago
from the North Carolina Turkey Festival to the North
Carolina Fall Festival."
Pittman added the name was changed because at
the time the festival was organized the largest em-
ployer and commodity of Hoke County was turkeys.
"We changed the name to make it more inclusive of all
of the businesses in Raeford," she said.
e celebration kicked off Saturday, Oct. 5 with the
Second Annual Golf Tournament. Card Tournament
Tuesday will be Oct. 15. Senior Day is Wednesday,
Oct. 16, with bingo, lunch, health screenings and a
guest speaker.
e parade takes place ursday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m.
"We do the parade every year, and that allows students
to show off their band, their cheerleaders, their sports
team. Each of our schools and several businesses in
town will get a float," said Pittman. "It's a huge event that
only happens once a year in Hoke County."
A "Stuffin' and Stompin" dinner takes place from
5-7 p.m. at West Hoke Middle School Friday, Oct. 18.
e cost is $8. e Turkey Bowl follows at 7 p.m. at
Hoke High School in Raz Autry Stadium.
e last day of the festival is Saturday, Oct. 19, from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live music will be provided by e
Dowdy Boys, Dv8er, Donnie Henderson and Winslow
Ratliff. e featured band is Soul DeCree, who will
perform at noon. "Our festival sets out each year to
bring artists, different cultural events and craftsmen
to (the) community," said Pittman. "Many of our chil-
dren have seen storytellers that they would have never
seen if it had not been for the festival."
ere will be a Children's Corner at the festival
that features a climbing wall, double slides, obstacle
courses, a trackless train ride and games. "ey get to
come and participate in our Children's Corner, which
is entirely free this year with our county and city
governments paying for that area so our local children
and any child that comes will not have to pay," said
Pittman. "We will have craftsmen that do their work
on the street, cultural dancers and a dance troupe that
will perform, the Lumbee Tribe who will perform, step
teams and bands." ere will also be a food court and
a wine and beer court.
Also, there will be an art contest between all of the
students in Hoke County. Cash prizes will be award-
ed, and their art will be displayed from Oct. 18 – Nov.
11. e school that wins the overall display receives a
donation from the festival to go toward the school's
art program.
e event is free and open to the public. For more
information, call 910-904-2424 or visit www.NCFall-
Festival.com.
e North Carolina Fall Festival is set for Oct. 17-19 in Raeford.
