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/571270
4 SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Best Place to Commune With Nature Cape Fear Botanical Garden 536 N. Eastern Blvd. 910.486.0221 or www.capefearbg.org Fayetteville residents have proven their respect and loyalty to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden by voting it the Best Place to Commune With Nature for as long as we can remember. It was really not a surprise that they won the title again in 2015. While driving through Fayetteville traffic on Eastern Boulevard, it's easy to believe that seren- ity cannot be found anywhere close. But a quick turn into the garden's drive wipes that thought away. Stepping into the gardens is like escaping reality. From the beauty of the visitor's pavilion to the first step onto the patio, you feel yourself calming down. Wandering the natural paths and taking time to not only walk past but discover the plants around you quiets the mind and calms the spirit. Sit quietly on one of the well- placed benches and listen to the sounds around you. Or stroll by the river and observe the old trees that line its banks. All of this brings you to a place of calm. If you want to take a break and get yourself centered, head down to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. There is more there than meets the eye. Best Local Festival Dogwood Festival 145 Person St. 910.323.1934 or www.faydogwoodfestival.com While it rained on the 2015 Dogwood Festival, it did little to dampen the enthusiasm of die-hard Dogwood Festival fans and proved that the festival was far from all wet. Folks still came out in droves to listen to '80s music on the main stage and to wander through the booths, stalls and, when possible ride the rides. It proved without a doubt that we Southerners (and our adopted neighbors from other places) love our festivals. Our state is literally rife with them. But none shines brighter, wins more awards or receives more recognition than the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. The Dogwood Festival not only brings our community together, it brings neighboring com- munities, visitors and guests into our city to share the fun and excitement of this award-winning event. The Dogwood Festival is not just about food, music, carnival rides or the array of special events that surround it. It's about Director Carrie King's leadership and a dedicated, hardworking board of volunteers who are proud to call Fayetteville home. Each year, the Dogwood Festival Committee continues to grow, expand and improve its venues. In addition to the annual spring event, the committee also hosts the summer concert series Fayetteville After 5. The success of the Dogwood Fall Festival, proved that. When you throw in the Fayetteville Food Truck Festival replete with a plethora of live entertain- ment throughout the weekend, and you know that the Dogwood Festival know the recipe for success and they know how to throw a great party. Best Change in Fayetteville The Fresh Market 230 Glensford Dr. 910.867.2588 or www.thefreshmarket.com For the first time since the category was placed in the Best of Fayetteville Reader Survey, something new has popped up on the radar. From the get go, the answer has remained the ongoing restoration of downtown. This year, in what might be looked at as sac- rilege to some hardliners, our readers moved away from downtown, and, in fact, named a franchise as the best thing to happen in our community. Don't get us wrong, we completely agree The Fresh Market is worthy. As soon as the Base Realignment and Closings were announced, Fayetteville resident began looking for the onslaught of new businesses to our area. Words heard over and over were Whole Foods and Fresh Market. Our prayers were answered when Fresh Market started building, and to much anticipa- tion opened this year. Fayetteville welcomes its new resident and thanks them for keeping it fresh. Worst Change/Worst use of Local Tax Dollars Medians and Round Abouts Medians and round abouts have become a blight on our community. They are popping up all over the place and are mak- ing what used to be fairly navigable turns and intersections into traffic snarls and navigation horror. Those concrete medians, complete with yellow reflectors and the abrupt round abouts that often accompany them have started to populate the roadway seem to make sense only to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. We don't understand them and they actually add to traffic, confusion and other problems rather than fixing them. Matter of fact, on Ramsey Street and on Reilly Road and other areas throughout the community, they are responsible for the closing of several long-time businesses and lot of accidents, which they are supposed to decrease, not increase. With building frustration and disgust, our readers have once again voted road medians as the Worst Change in Fayetteville AND The Worst Use of Local Tax Dollars. Best Local Landmark Market House At Up & Coming Weekly, we regard the his- toric Fayetteville Market House as a national treasure. Over the past several months it has come under fire and has been under much discussion by many in the community. At the heart of the conversation has been its place as an iconic landmark in Fayetteville. Needless to say, t has been photographed countless times. Its porch has been the scene of countless family photos, musical presentations and even a drum circle. Residents revere it for its history, while acknowledging that all of its history is not stel- lar. Our readers have made a strong statement in naming it the Best Local Landmark; even as the city removing it from use. CITY LIFE CITY LIFE