Halloween lands on Saturday this year, and Moore County is celebrating all weekend: shag dancing and a Pink Floyd tribute show on Friday, the farmers market, the Monster Mash Dash and a haunted forest on Saturday, and Cars & Coffee plus one last Scarecrow Stroll on Sunday.
It is finally Halloween weekend in the Sandhills, and this year the holiday lands on Saturday, October 31, so Moore County gets three full days of it. The Fair Barn hosts its annual shag-dance fundraiser on Friday night, FLOYD Live! plays the Sunrise Theater both Friday and Saturday, Saturday brings the farmers market, the Monster Mash Dash and a haunted forest out in Jackson Springs, and Sunday is all about coffee, cars and one last scarecrow stroll. Here is what is happening around The Pines from Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1:
Friday night: shag dancing at The Fair Barn
Friday's signature event is Shag Dancing in the Pines, a fundraiser for the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care, from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Fair Barn at 200 Beulah Hill Road in Pinehurst. It is an evening of Carolina beach music and shag dancing in one of the most atmospheric buildings in Moore County, and tickets support neighbors who count on the Coalition for help with food, warmth and other basics, so it is a night out that gives back.
FLOYD Live! at the Sunrise Theater
Over on Broad Street, FLOYD Live! (America's Pink Floyd Experience) plays the Sunrise Theater at 250 NW Broad Street in Southern Pines on Friday, October 30, at 8 p.m., with a second show on Saturday night at the same time. It is a full Pink Floyd tribute experience in the Sunrise's intimate, beautifully restored room, and a great grown-up night out once the kids are sorted. Tickets are available through the Sunrise's box office and at sunrisetheater.com, and doors open at 7 p.m.
A dinner mystery on rails in Aberdeen
If you want an unforgettable Friday date night, the Magenta Train presents LocoMOTIVE: Diamonds, Deception & Dinner, an immersive dinner-theater murder mystery aboard restored railcars, with a Friday evening ride departing the historic depot at 140 South Sycamore Street in Aberdeen. It is for ages 18 and up, boarding begins 30 minutes before departure, and dinner is served as the story unfolds around you. Tickets run around $150 a person, so think of it as a special-occasion night out, and it is worth confirming the exact Friday departure time on the operator's page before you plan the evening.
Saturday: the farmers market, then a monster dash
Saturday starts the way every good fall day in Southern Pines should: at the Moore County Farmers Market in Downtown Park at SE Broad Street and New York Avenue, from 8 a.m. to noon. Local produce, baked goods, crafts and live music in the park, and shopping in costume is very much allowed.
Just down the road in Pinehurst, the Village hosts the Monster Mash Dash 5K and Fun Run at Cannon Park on Saturday morning, with the Village's calendar window running from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is a family-friendly Halloween race through the village with spooky sights along the way, and the shorter fun run makes it work for kids who are not ready for a full 5K.
Pig roast in a pumpkin patch
At lunchtime, the Sandhills Woman's Exchange hosts a Pig Roast in a Pumpkin Patch at 15 Azalea Road in Pinehurst, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is exactly what it sounds like: a proper pig roast on the Exchange's leafy grounds, pumpkins everywhere you look, and a meal worth planning the day around. All tickets must be pre-paid, so call the Exchange ahead of time to reserve your spot.
Costumes, wrestling and a haunted forest in the afternoon
Saturday afternoon offers some wonderfully Moore County options. FSPW presents Fight of the Living Dead, a live pro-wrestling show with Halloween on the brain, at the West Southern Pines Gym at 4 p.m. And out in Jackson Springs, the Haunted Forest at Sycamore Lodge, 1059 Sycamore Lane, opens at 4 p.m. and runs until 11:30 p.m., with kids' activities and food trucks alongside the haunted trail, so there is something for every age. It is a fun excuse to drive out into the pines after dark.
After dark: glow golf and lights across the county
Once the sun goes down, the glow comes out. Glow & Ghouls: Halloween Glow Golf tees off at The Cradle, Pinehurst Resort's short course, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, with the course lit up in Halloween colors for a round unlike anything you will play the rest of the year. Back in Pinehurst, the Spooktacular Lights drive-through display at 135 Fox Run Road runs through Halloween night so the kids can take in glowing scenes from the comfort of the car. And if live music is your speed, O'Donnell's Pub at 133 E New Hampshire Avenue in Southern Pines hosts live bands on Friday and Saturday nights.
Sunday: coffee, cars and one last scarecrow stroll
Sunday morning, the Sandhills Motoring Club hosts its monthly Cars & Coffee at The Roast Office at 95 Cherokee Road in Pinehurst, from 9 to 11 a.m. All makes and models are welcome, the coffee is excellent, and it is an easy hour with neighbors who care about cars. Also at 9 a.m., the Healthy Kids Running Series returns to St. John Paul II Catholic School at 2922 Camp Easter Road in Southern Pines, with age-appropriate races for kids from Pre-K through eighth grade running until about 1:30 p.m.
Before you call the weekend done, remember Sunday is the last day of this year's Sandhills Scarecrow Stroll at the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3245 Airport Road in Pinehurst, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and free to visit. Creative scarecrows are tucked through the gardens all season, and once November 1 passes they come down until next year.
A quick note on voting
One more thing for the calendar: early voting for the 2026 general election ends Saturday, October 31, at Moore County's early voting sites in Carthage, Aberdeen and Vass, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. If you have not voted yet, Saturday is your last early chance.
Get the full rundown
For the most complete list of what is happening across The Pines this weekend, I always point people to The Pines Times, which keeps an updated Moore County events calendar with details like tickets and times. Events do shift, so it is worth a quick check before you head out, especially for anything ticketed.
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 would 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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