It was almost a perfect evening on the second day of the 43rd Annual Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.
Just five months since taking over as the festival executive director, Kaylynn Suarez could not have asked for more as festivalgoers on April 26 spent most of the day strolling the downtown streets and many later finding their place on the lawn looking in anticipation of more live musical entertainment in Festival Park.
“I will be honest, I can tell you it was packed, and we had a great turnout,” Suarez, 35, said about those gathered in the park. “It was an amazing view.”
It was everything Suarez could ask for, and everything the festival board of directors Felita Gilliam, Tara Long, Alice Dodd, Jesse Baker, Kurin Keys, Jackie Tuckey, Simone Freeney, Darrell Purcell, Cameron Carlotti and Randy Scott could hope for, too. Gilliam is the board president.
“Downtown communities are the heartbeat of so many cities,” Suarez said last week about the festival. “Ours is a place where history, culture and connection come together. Special events and festivals breathe life into these spaces, creating opportunities for local businesses to thrive, for neighbors to meet and for visitors to experience the unique spirit of our community. These events don’t just bring joy. They fuel our local economy, strengthen our sense of pride and remind us that shared experiences are the foundation of strong communities.”
Suarez is proud of the planning for the festival.
“But with great energy and excitement comes great responsibility,” she said. “Safety must always be our top priority. It’s not just about emergency plans or crowd management, it’s about creating an environment where every family feels secure, every volunteer feels valued and every visitor feels welcomed.”
The safety of all involved with the festival, she says, is first and foremost.
“That is why all events meet with representatives from each department involved, from ground management to police with so many in between,” Suarez said. “Not a single, permitted event passes through without having every t crossed and i dotted.”
A festive evening until …
Public safety certainly came into play at 8:35 p.m. on April 26, when gunfire broke out on the 200 block of Maiden Lane behind the Cumberland County Headquarters Library not far from the park. No one was injured, but Suarez says the Fayetteville Police Department advised festival organizers to suspend further activities that evening.
“We followed our EAP [emergency action plan] and we relied on Fay PD to do their job,” she said.
Call it a prudent decision.
About a dozen gunshots were heard just after 10 p.m. near Mason Street, according to CBS 17, and two people later were injured in a shooting at the Liberty Gas Station at 120 Rowan St. not far from the park.
Suarez was telling the Fayetteville City Council on April 28 that the festival was a success, particularly with strong support from festivalgoers who came on the final day.
“While it was a beautiful display of what community can do when you come together,” she told the council, “it does feel like it’s overshadowed because of one negative moment.”
One negative moment can do that, and traumatic it was.
“I would be lying if I said this wasn’t devastating,” Suarez told The Kirby File last week. “Having limited information about what was unfolding just outside the festival grounds was incredibly frightening, not just as the executive director, but as a mother. My children were there, too. And while I wasn’t with them at that moment, I had to remain calm, focused and do exactly what our emergency action plan was built for … protect people and clear the park as quickly and safely as possible.”
Suarez says her children were in the care of their grandparents, which gave her the peace of mind to work and coordinate with police in evacuating festivalgoers safely out of the park.
“In moments like that, instincts take over,” she said, “and mine will always be to lead with purpose, protect our community and put safety first.”
All Dogwood Festival board members were in attendance, including Tara Long, a former board president.
“I honestly did not hear the initial gunshots,” Long said Monday. “All I did see and hear were people screaming and running. I did stay calm and went to find out what was going on with police officers. My goal was to support our ED and make sure people were safe. It was scary not knowing what was happening. But I was proud of how everything was handled.”
Epilogue
There were no injuries as a result of the initial gunfire, where Suarez estimates there were “between 11,000 and 13,000” festivalgoers at the time.
There have been no arrests, according to Interim Police Chief Todd Joyce as of Monday afternoon.
While the evening of April 26 may have overshadowed the festival, it has not dashed the spirit of Kaylynn Suarez and the Dogwood Festival board of directors.
“When we prioritize safety, we build trust,” Suarez said. “And when trust is strong, our downtowns become not just destinations, but homes for memories that last a lifetime.
Thank you for believing in the power of community, the magic of festivals and the importance of keeping every heart that beats in our downtown safe. The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival board members and I are looking forward to the relationship we will build with me as their newest executive director as we move forward with plans for the 2026 festival.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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