HollyFest fills the Village of Pinehurst on Saturday, the Moore County Agricultural Fair closes with two final nights in Carthage, and Friday brings family fun and live music. Plus a Sunday horse farm tour in the Sandhills.
Fall is at its most colorful across the Sandhills, and this weekend, October 16 through 18, is one of the busiest of the season in Moore County. The Village of Pinehurst hosts its signature autumn arts festival, the Moore County Agricultural Fair wraps up with two final nights in Carthage, Friday brings family entertainment and live music, and Sunday is all about horse country. Here is what's happening around The Pines:
HollyFest and Piney Fest fill the Village of Pinehurst on Saturday
Saturday's headline event is the 48th annual Holly Arts & Crafts Festival, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at James W. Tufts Memorial Park in the Village of Pinehurst, located at 395 Magnolia Road. More than 200 artisans and crafters set up throughout the park, with live entertainment, food vendors, and the village's shops and restaurants joining in. Admission is free, it's family friendly, and it's one of those perfect October mornings in the Sandhills: sunshine, pines, live music, and handmade goods.
Right inside the festival, don't miss Piney Fest, a marketplace created by young entrepreneurs ages 5 to 17. Kids run their own booths selling everything from crafts to baked goods, and it's a wonderful way to show the next generation what it feels like to run a business. It's worth a lap through just to see what these young vendors come up with.
The Moore County Agricultural Fair closes out this weekend
The 79th annual Moore County Agricultural Fair runs through Saturday, October 17, at the Moore County Fairgrounds at 3699 U.S. 15-501 in Carthage. Gates open at 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights, with the midway going until 11 p.m. Carnival rides, livestock and agricultural exhibits, games, fair food, and live entertainment fill the grounds, and these are your last two chances to catch the fair this year.
If you haven't been yet, this is the weekend: the midway lights up after dark, the fall air carries the smell of fair food, and the livestock barns are full of kids showing off their hard work.
Friday night: bubbles in Pinehurst, bluegrass at the Sunrise
Friday night offers two very different ways to start the weekend. At the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center's Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road in Pinehurst, The Amazing Bubble Factory takes the stage at 7 p.m. It's a high-energy, family-friendly performance where bubbles become art, science, and comedy, and it's a treat for kids and grownups alike. Tickets are available through Ticket Me Sandhills.
Back in downtown Southern Pines, the Sunrise Theater at 250 NW Broad Street welcomes The Brothers Comatose at 7:30 p.m. The high-energy indie-roots band is known for tight harmonies and a bluegrass-tinged sound that fills that intimate room beautifully. Tickets are available through the Sunrise's box office and online.
A book event on Broad Street Friday evening
If you'd rather ease into the weekend with a book in hand, The Country Bookshop at 140 NW Broad Street in Southern Pines hosts author Kate Hash at 6 p.m. Friday for a conversation about her new novel The Mother-In-Law Book Club, which just hit shelves this week. It's a cozy way to spend an hour downtown, and if you keep the evening rolling, the Sunrise Theater is just a short stroll up the street.
A final stop in pottery country
Just a short drive from the Sandhills, the Potters' Pumpkin Patch Trail in the Seagrove pottery region marks its final Saturday on October 17. The self-guided tour of participating studios along the NC Pottery Highway runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special studio events all season. It's a lovely fall road trip: autumn color, working potters at the wheel, and plenty of handcrafted pieces to bring home.
Sunday: the Fall Horse Farm Tour in the Sandhills
Round out the weekend with the Fall Horse Farm Tour benefiting the Prancing Horse Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 18. It's a self-guided tour through working horse farms in Moore County's horse country, with the check-in tent at 6045 U.S. 1 North. Tickets run about $25 in advance and $30 the day of, and children 12 and under get in free. Every ticket supports the center's therapeutic riding programs, and you'll see some of the most beautiful horse country in North Carolina along the way.
Get the full rundown
For the most complete list of what's happening across The Pines, I always point people to The Pines Times, which keeps an updated Moore County events calendar with details like tickets and times. You can find this weekend's listings there.
However you spend the weekend, I hope you get out and enjoy all Moore County has to offer. And if buying or selling a home in the Sandhills is on your mind, I'd love to help you find your place here.
Experience isn't expensive, it's priceless!
Terry Nanney, Realtor®
Towering Pines Real Estate, brokered by eXp Realty
Serving Moore County and the surrounding Sandhills of North Carolina
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Written by
Terry Nanney
Local real estate agent in Southern Pines, NC, serving the wider Moore County Sandhills.
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