Good music, food and fall themed fun for all ages will swirl into Festival Park with the falling leaves this season. On Oct. 18 and 19, The Dogwood Festival will be returning for the fall. This free festival comes back with new themes, bands, attractions and more, all while retaining the classic Dogwood theme we all know and love. 

“In the spring, we had an unspoken theme of community, and community showed up and it fit and it really worked and hit that theme we’re trying to drive home,” said Executive Director for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Kaylynn Suarez. “So for Fall Festival and the rest of 2026, our theme is collaboration-- we’re hoping people see that collaborative efforts we have, whether it’s with our artists in the creative corner, or local community vendors, or our volunteers or businesses that they see that, hey, collaboration over competition, that’s where it’s at, that’s how we all grow together.”

Staple festival favorites will fill the weekend, like food trucks, local vendors, Ring Wars, the car show, knockerballs, mechanical bull riding and entertainment like magic tricks and sword dancing by the Time Travelers.

The Dogwood Fall Festival brings the talent and artistry of the southeast all weekend long, starting on Saturday with the Phoebes, a blend of rock and blues, followed by alter native rock and post-grunge band the Verve Pipe and finishing strong with alternative rock band Marcy Playground. Switching gears and vibes on Sunday with DJ Fuzzy Wuzzy, R&B and soul artist CJ Monet and trap violinist Clejan to wrap it all up!

Chief Operations Officer of the Dogwood Festival Simone Johnson has teamed with world-renowned poet Andre Sansbury Jr. in bringing on the Creative Corner to the Festival. Sunday, Oct. 19, starting at 11 a.m., attendees can observe the showcase of Fayetteville’s talent in the form of poetry, spoken word and other art forms. 

“My biggest thing about the fall festival and Dogwood as a whole, as a person who chose to come here not as military, it’s the kind of perfect amalgamation of everything that this community represents. There’s so many different talents, different organizations, different nonprofits, there’s just something for everyone,” said Johnson. “This community really has a lot to offer and it’s really showcased how we all come together for community events.”

The Skoolie Xpress, a mobile art studio, is returning to the Dogwood Fall Festival after their debut at the spring Dogwood Festival. 

“One thing we want the business community to know is that if they are ever anxious about where to start, just start, and if you’re not sure how to do it, come to the Dogwood Festival! Set up a 10x10 tent, let’s get your business out there, that way you can test the waters,” said Suarez. “We’ve had a lot of people do their first events and become a continued festival favorite and turn into brick and mortar. We like seeing that growth and I think that’s something that’s extremely important for people to remember, that the Dogwood Festival is not just about one big party, there’s a lot of heavy work that goes behind the scenes and getting that business started at the Dogwood Festival is a great way to do that.” 

Although regarded as the penultimate warm-up to the spring Dogwood Festival, the team at Dogwood Festival Incorporated has made efforts to help the Dogwood Fall Festival come into its own. This year has accomplished that goal, with a stellar lineup of entertainment, a schedule packed full of events and a full Festival Park of activities, food and other showcases for attendees to enjoy. 

“My favorite thing about the Dogwood Fall Festival is seeing the community come together, you get to see people from all different backgrounds, in one area that’s genuinely just enjoying fresh air and something that like music that unites everyone together, so for me, community togetherness is what means the most to me. Honestly, it’s why I took this job, it had nothing to do with anything else just seeing the community step up and step out,” said Suarez. 

Evening out the crowd levels for both festivals is no small feat. The Dogwood Fall Festival, with the help of sponsors like National Guard, Cricket Wireless, Leafguard, Healy Wholesale, Drink-a-Bull, Dogwood Nursery, Miller-Motte College, Campbell University among others, the support and attendance from the community and local business owners, and all the hard work behind the scenes with Suarez and the team at Dogwood Festival Incorporated, is accomplishing that goal. 

“This is put on by the board who volunteered their time, by my COO and myself who have done a lot of planning and making sure that this event can stay free to the public, and we’ve been very blessed to be able to work with Parks and Rec and the City of Fayetteville to figure out how to continue on doing that,” said Suarez. “I think that’s important to remind everybody that with their continued support when they come out and frequent these events it’s helping other nonprofits make it to that next event so we can continue to do [this] for our community that deserves nice events.” 

While free to attend, there are additional ticketed upgrades that festival attendees can choose to purchase. The $80 VIP tickets include VIP Tent access, two drinks from local breweries and specialty food items, as well as prime reserved seating to view the bands from, and the first fifty VIP ticket holders get meet-and-greets with a few of the bands each night. The $45 VIP ticket option includes a guaranteed seat. In line with Festival Park guidelines, there is a clear bag policy and bag checks at marked stations for this event, in addition to no dogs at the Park. However, downtown Fayetteville has numerous other welcoming spots for the four-legged family members! 

The Dogwood Fall Festival is looking to be another hit, with the good weather, great entertainment and better planning behind it. This classic Fayetteville event is a great way for residents and non-locals alike to see all the talent, expertise and fun within the community. 

“I love being engaged with the people we have on the board, in the community, with the folks that come out to all our events,” said Chairman of the Board of Directors Jackie Tuckey. “The fall festival is a great way to slide into winter and look forward to our giant festival next spring, but everything’s going great for the fall, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”