The city doesn't make the pumpkins on the Historic Fayette County Courthouse lawn this week. Schools, churches, local businesses and other organizations carve and decorate them, carry them to the square, and set each one out with a sign naming the group that made it. The Great Pumpkin Walk is listed for October 19 through 28, but the dates inside that run matter more. Main Street Fayetteville wanted every pumpkin in place by the end of Tuesday, October 20, and it lets participants take their pumpkins home starting Sunday, October 25.
That makes today, Thursday, October 22, through Saturday, October 24, the stretch when the full display should be on the lawn. Saturday is also the free Great Pumpkin Fest, so the busiest day on the square and the last full day of the display fall on the same date.
A Display Made by the Groups You Already Know
Main Street Fayetteville sent out an open call this fall to "creators, carvers, and community leaders" to cover the courthouse lawn with pumpkins. It asked each entrant to write a name on the bottom of the pumpkin and add a sign for the school, church or organization behind it. The signs are why this display is worth a slow walk instead of a drive-by. Each sign names a group from around town, so a lap of the lawn shows which classrooms, congregations and storefronts took part this year.
Organizations had to register by Monday, October 12, so the lineup is set. The city expects hundreds of visitors to walk the square during the run. The square itself is at the historic courthouse, 204 Glynn Street South.
How the Ten Days Actually Unfold
The city calendar lists the Walk as all day, every day, for the full run. Because the groups bring their pumpkins in and take them away, the lawn looks different from one end of the run to the other:
- Monday, October 19, from 8 a.m.: Drop-off starts, and the first pumpkins arrive.
- Tuesday, October 20: Last drop-off day. Every entry has to be in place by the end of the day.
- Wednesday, October 21, through Saturday, October 24: The full display is up. Saturday adds the Pumpkin Fest from 4 to 8 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25: Participants may start taking their pumpkins home.
- Through Wednesday, October 28: The listed display period ends.
- Thursday morning, October 29: Any pumpkins and signs left on the lawn are thrown out.
The overlap from Sunday through Wednesday is when the lawn starts to thin, depending on how many groups come back early. If you want to see the whole collection, or find one particular school's or church's pumpkin, plan to go by Saturday.
Saturday on the Square
The Great Pumpkin Fest runs Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 8 p.m. on the Courthouse Square, and admission is free. Main Street Fayetteville's lineup includes:
- An Inflatable Corn Maze and a Pumpkin Bounce & Slide
- Costume contests for kids and for dogs, so a costumed pet can come along and compete
- A hayride from the Courthouse Square to the Fire Department on Lee Street
- Bobbing for Donuts, which the city bills as a festival favorite
- A petting zoo
- Pumpkin decorating, hosted by Art of Landscaping
- A live DJ for the whole evening
- A vendor market with trick-or-treating, with kids collecting treats from the vendors
The Fest gives the Walk a different feel on Saturday. During the week the pumpkins are something to look at on a quiet lap of the lawn. On Saturday the same lawn becomes the backdrop for costumes, hayrides and a dog contest. If you want to read the signs and find your group's pumpkin in peace, go Thursday or Friday. If you want the crowd and the costumes, go Saturday afternoon. Families planning to do both on Saturday can come before 4 p.m. to see the display, then stay for the Fest when it opens.
Where to Eat Before, During and After
The Fest ends at 8 p.m., and a few downtown spots stay open well past that. These are within easy reach of the square.
Olde Courthouse Tavern, 105 Glynn Street South. The tavern is on the same street as the courthouse and serves burgers and pub fare. Its website lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and it's closed Sunday. Its October live-music schedule fits around Fest weekend. The Vicki Wyatt WAG Band plays Friday, October 23, and the Sweet & Salty Band plays Saturday, October 24, the night of the Fest. Of the places here, it's the closest fit for an evening that goes from the square to live music without moving the car.
Rose's Tacos, 119 Stonewall Avenue East. The restaurant's location page lists Saturday hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday hours of noon to 10 p.m. That makes it an easy choice for an early dinner before the Fest or a late one after it closes.
Santa Maria Latin Tapas, Seafood and Oyster Bar, 715 Glynn Street South. This is the newest of the three, farther south on Glynn Street. The Citizen reported in July that it was in a soft opening, with a grand opening planned for August 3. The paper described a menu of Latin American and Spanish tapas, tacos, ceviche, oysters, seafood and paella. The planned hours it reported were lunch and dinner starting at 11 a.m., closing at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. Those hours were reported over the summer, so call ahead before you plan a late dinner around them. If this is your first fall with Santa Maria downtown, Fest night is a good excuse to try it.
Hours at any restaurant can change around a festival weekend. A quick call before you go saves a wasted trip.
After the Pumpkins Go Home
The lawn should be clear by the morning of October 29, but Main Street Fayetteville's calendar keeps going. One event lands during Pumpkin Walk week, and the rest follow through December, all a few blocks over to City Center Park, 210 Stonewall Avenue West. Most of them are free community gatherings, like the Pumpkin Walk:
- Breast Cancer Awareness Walk: Friday, October 23, 9 to 10:30 a.m., the morning before the Fest.
- Veterans Day Celebration: Sunday, November 8, 1 to 3:30 p.m. The city says more details are coming.
- Movies in the Park, "Elf": Friday, November 20. The listing says 5:30 p.m., and the movie starts after sunset.
- Christmas Parade & Light Up City Center Park: Friday, November 27, 5 to 8 p.m. The parade starts at 5:30, and the park is lit from 6 to 8.
- Miracle on Main Street Market: Saturday, December 12, 4 to 8 p.m. The city says more details are coming.
Two of these dates fall on the Friday after Thanksgiving and a December Saturday, so put them on the calendar now. If you're bringing out-of-town guests to the parade, plan the evening around the 5:30 start and the 6 p.m. lighting.
For the pumpkins, the dates to remember are Thursday, October 22, through Saturday, October 24, when the full display is on the courthouse lawn, with the Fest from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
If an evening on the Courthouse Square has you thinking about how close to downtown Fayetteville you'd like to live, The KC Real Estate Group would be glad to help. We can walk you through the streets around Glynn Street and City Center Park and talk through what fits your goals, with no pressure. Contact us whenever you're ready to start that conversation.
