Welcome to DestinationFAY, the only insider’s guide to all things Fayetteville you will ever need.
Whether you’re a Fayetteville native, a service member stationed at Fort Liberty, or a tourist, the city has a plethora of activities to keep you entertained, with new dining stops and attractions popping up year after year.
Fayetteville is home to an estimated nearly 210,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with a veteran population of over 25,000 individuals between 2018 and 2022.
The city is also home to one of the largest military installations in the United States: Fort Liberty. Fort Liberty holds over 51,000 active-duty troops, according to Fort Liberty Garrison Public Affairs Officer April Olsen, and key commands such as the 18th Airborne Corps, known as the nation’s Contingency Corps, and the 82nd Airborne Division, best known for the Global Response Force and its ability to deploy quickly when needed.
New dining, shopping, and recreation destinations have opened since last year’s DestinationFAY issue dropped on stands: Haymount Truck Stop opened in November 2023, gifting Fayetteville with a fun and modern food truck court and bar to enjoy, and the indoor Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park opened in February for family fun.
And don’t forget the staple, local favorites that remain woven into the fabric of Fayetteville: Blue Moon Café celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County celebrated its 50th anniversary at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
The arts and entertainment scene in Fayetteville will not disappoint with many local theater and comedy shows, art exhibits, concerts, and more. Annual festivals draw large crowds, like the Fort Liberty Fair, Juneteenth Jubilee, and PRIDEFEST. For sports fans, Fayetteville has its own professional soccer, hockey, and baseball teams as well.
If you’re looking to settle down, Cumberland County has 86 public schools as well as plenty of private and charter schools to pick from, four health systems, eight public libraries, three higher education institutions, and more diverse places of worship than you can count.
For our civically engaged individuals, there is the Cumberland County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners, as well as the Fayetteville City Council, and many other governing boards with monthly meetings open to the public.
If you’re here to stay or just here to play, Fayetteville has something for you.
Read the e-edition of the 2024-2025 issue of DestinationFAY here.
