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.
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Celebrate Christmas at One of Community's Many Events by AMANDA JENKINS If you are searching for ways to get in the holiday spirit this year, look no further. With all of the festivities that Fayetteville has to offer, you and your family are sure to have a Christmas to remember. Whether you're attending Christmas in the Park, Christmas at Lu Mil Vineyard, Christmas on the Farm, Holiday Lights in the Garden, Kinwood-by-the- Lights or viewing Methodist University's lights, there will be many decorations to see, and many performances to enjoy. The Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation celebrates this year's Christmas in the Park at Arnette Park, off of Old Wilmington Road. Come see the dazzling 30-foot Christmas tree and view the beautiful scenery and Christmas decorations while strolling down the half-mile walking trail. Enjoy music, dancing, food vendors, arts and crafts, a fi re pit, live entertainment, and photos with Santa. Christmas in the Park takes place Wednesday, Dec. 8 through Dec. 22 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Admission is $2 per person and $5 for a picture with Santa. Another family-friendly Christmas event takes place at the Lu Mil Vineyard, just south of Cumberland County, in Dublin, N.C. Experience Christmas with a Drive Thru Festival of Lights, take the Kids to Kiddie Land, get some last minute shopping done at the Lu Mil Outlet Shops and grab a bite to eat at the Country Buffet. There is also an antique shop, free wine tasting, nativity scenes, visits from Santa and live entertainment. The event began Nov. 25, and will remain open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Dec. 23 from 6-10 p.m. Admission for the Drive Thru Festival of Lights is $10 per car, $20 per van, $40 per bus (12 or more passengers) and the Country Buffet is $10 per person. In addition to the park and the vineyard, visit Gillis Hill Farm for "Christmas on the Farm." Come hear the story of the fi rst Christmas and Jesus' birth with Bethlehem Remembered, narrated by the old shepherd (and puppet) named Uncle Lu Mil Vineyards Sparkles during the annual Christmas Lights Drive Thru. This and many other special events are ongoing this holiday seasons Aaron. After the show, take a wagon ride through historic Gillis Farm and a stop for hot chocolate, coffee, cookies and more at the Ole Grist Mill. There is a bon-fi re at the end of the wagon ride. "Christmas on the Farm" can be enjoyed on December 18 and 19 at 6:30 p.m., by reservations only. It costs $6 per person. Call 867-2350 to book your reservation now! If you have a green thumb and love Christmas time, Cape Fear Botanical Gardens is the place for you. Visit the garden this December (Thursday through Sunday nights; 5-8 p.m.) for the unveiling of Holiday Lights in the Garden at the Wyatt Visitors Pavilion Complex. Explore the winter wonderland fi lled with beautiful lights and decorations, view the gardens' current exhibit, David Rogers' Big Bugs, listen to live music on select nights and get your child's photo made with Santa on Sundays. The Garden Gift Shop is open for souvenirs and Christmas gifts, while Café Cart serves seasonal refreshments each evening. Admission to Holiday Lights in the Garden is $8 for non-member adults or $4 for member adults, $2.50 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. Other lighted communities that Fayetteville has to offer are the "24th Annual Kinwood-by-the-Lights" and Methodist University's holiday lights. Celebrate Christmas with a tour through Kinwood Estates, Kinwood-By-The-River and Kinwood Oaks Developments, or take in the beautiful sight of Methodist University's festive campus from 6 to 9 p.m. on December 17. If it starts to rain, no worries, the date will be moved to December 18th. For more information on these events call 630-7043. Red Cross Hosts Third Annual Holiday for Heroes by KAREN POPPELE Ah, the holidays! For most, it's a joyous season of festivities and treasured time shared with family and loved ones. Yet others in our area will fi nd themselves separated from home or family and friends this Christmas, among them soldiers of the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) who are recovering from injuries sustained during military action overseas. To help ensure that these servicemembers experience the spirit and fellowship of the Christmas season and do not spend the holiday alone, volunteers with the American Red Cross (ARC) Fort Bragg/Pope Army Air Field, partnering with the Olive Garden restaurant of Fayetteville and Operation Helping Hands for Heroes, will set up and serve a special Christmas Eve dinner from 6 to 7 p.m., in Moon Hall on Ft. Bragg as part of the annual Red Cross Holiday for Heroes. Moon Hall, part of Fort Bragg's Army Lodging complex, offers a temporary residence for soldiers in the WTB. While many soldiers recover from injuries received during their military service and return to duty when they can, others may spend a year or more receiving prolonged multidisciplinary care before either returning to duty or transitioning to civilian life. Moon Hall becomes "home" during this time of recovery and transition. This year marks the third Holiday for Heroes dinner for the ARC. After discovering that many parties and events were planned for soldiers in the WTB before Christmas, but none on Christmas Day, Max Powell, a volunteer with the ARC and Warrior Transition Battalion Outreach Support chair, organized the fi rst Christmas dinner in 2009. "Christmas is a high-risk time," said Powell, noting that many of the WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM soldiers suffer from serious issues in addition to being away from home and/or family. "For the past two years, we did this on Christmas Day, and we found fewer turned out than we would like, so what we're doing this year, is we're going to do the dinner on Christmas Eve in the hope that we might get a better turnout. On Christmas morning, we're going to have a continental breakfast at 10 a.m., hosted by Operation Helping Hands for Heroes. It's convenient for them to walk downstairs and come eat. We'll have something to give them — an interruption in their day both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day." Powell added that plans are still coming together. But the event is not without its challenges this year. "This has been a hard year for the Red Cross," Red Cross volunteers preparing to serve a holiday meal. said Penny Johnson, who serves as an adviser on the Advisory Council of the ARC at Fort Bragg. "Money has been tight, and we had no leads. It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time," she said, referring to securing the food donation by the Olive Garden. Johnson expects the group will serve 50 to 100 soldiers and family members. "God works in mysterious ways. We are so very, very thankful." For more information about the ARC Fort Bragg/Pope Army Air Field Holiday for Heroes, or to make a donation to the ARC, please contact Tiffany Shedd, station chair, Fort Bragg/Pope Army Air Field American Red Cross, at 396- 1231, ext. 7. KAREN POPPELE, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Stephanie@ upandcomingweekly.com DECEMBER 14-21, 2011 UCW 11 AMANDA JENKINS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Stephanie@ upandcomingweekly.com