RAEFORD — Melissa Crull, who attended the first NC Fall Festival as a 4-year-old in 1985, has been named executive director of the annual event and is planning several changes for 2025.
The most significant change moves the Main Street parade from Thursday to Saturday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. to allow more families and children to attend without disrupting weekday traffic, Crull said.
“I want to bring it back to how it made me feel as a child,” said Crull, whose office is at 101 N. Main St. “Everyone should get to feel that way.”
The festival, originally called the Turkey Festival, featured homemade goods, turkey races and a Main Street parade that Crull remembers from her childhood growing up near downtown Raeford.
This year’s street festival will be Oct. 18 on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks, vendors selling handmade items, and a car cruise-in starting at 10 a.m. All vehicle makes and models are welcome to park between Donaldson and Prospect avenues.
Other scheduled events include:
• The Marvin Johnson Golf Tournament on Oct. 10 at Bayonet at Puppy Creek golf course ($400 per team, Captain’s Choice format)
• The Turkey Bowl football game Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m., with Raeford hosting Pine Forest High School
• Senior Bingo on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Senior Center (registration required at 910-875-8588)
A gun raffle will offer three prizes with only 250 tickets sold. First place wins a Browning Maxus 2 Wicked Wing 12-gauge, second place receives a Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker .270 Win, and third place takes home a Ruger 10/22. Tickets are available at the festival office, Raeford Hardware and from board members.
Festival board president Tasha Oldham said planning for the event requires months of coordination from volunteers across Hoke County.
For more information, contact the NC Fall Festival office at 910-904-2424 or ncfallfestivalraeford@gmail.com.
