Downtown Events Calendar

Event Calendars

Source	Link	Best For
Downtown Guide	ncfayetteville.com	Foot traffic predictions, event impact
Cool Spring Downtown	visitdowntownfayetteville.com/events	Downtown-specific events
Distinctly Fayetteville	distinctlyfayettevillenc.com/events	All Fayetteville events

High Impact - Major recurring event every 4th Friday, March through October, 6-9 PM.

For Businesses: Plan for extended hours, full staffing, and extra inventory on these dates.

These signature events drive the highest foot traffic spikes of the year. Plan staffing and inventory well in advance.

Fayetteville’s signature spring event. 100+ vendors stretch from downtown to Festival Park.

Details
When	Late September (1 day, Saturday)
Where	Festival Park (not downtown Hay St)
Attendance	~70,000-75,000 visitors
Traffic Impact	Festival Park: 5-8x traffic

47th annual celebration. 30+ cultural groups, Parade of Nations.

Details
When	Friday after Thanksgiving (1 day)
Where	Downtown Hay Street
Attendance	~20,000 visitors
Traffic Impact	3-4x normal

Victorian-themed festival with carriage rides, costumed characters, and candlelight procession.

Holiday shopping kickoff - stock up!

Event	When	Spectators	Traffic Impact
Christmas Parade	2nd Saturday of December	~5,000	2-3x
Veterans Day Parade	2nd Saturday of November	~1,000+	1.5-2x
MLK Day Parade	3rd Monday of January weekend	~2,000	1.5-2x
Lickskillet Days	3rd weekend of October (Sat-Sun)	Varies	2-3x

Location: Hay Street and Person Street routes

These on-base events have indirect downtown impact as military families dine and shop downtown before/after.

Event	When	On-Base Attendance	Downtown Impact
4th at the Fort	July 4th	~60,000	Pre/post dining spillover
All American Week	May	Varies	82nd Airborne competitions
National Airborne Day	August 16	Varies	Airborne Museum events

Food trucks, artists, and vendors can apply:

Use this data to optimize staffing, inventory, and promotions.