If you’re planning on attending the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival in 2026, here’s everything you need to know, from festival dates to parking, and more.
To help you plan your trip, check out our other posts about Fayetteville, NC as well.
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The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival is one of the most popular annual festivals in Fayetteville, NC. The downtown area is taken over by vendor tents, bands, rides, and family-fun activities.
The best part? The festival is free.
And really, when we’re all trying to stretch a dollar, it doesn’t get much better than that.
We went a couple years ago and had a really good time. We learned a lot too. So, to help you plan your trip and enjoy it, we put together this guide with tips about parking, what to wear, the festival schedule, and more.
Quick note: This is about the spring version of the festival, held each April. The smaller, fall Dogwood Festival happens in October every year. When we have information about that, we’ll be sure to share it.
Fayetteville Dogwood Festival 2026 Dates & Details
- Dates: April 24 to 26, 2026
- Location: Festival Park (335 Ray Ave) and the surrounding downtown Fayetteville area
- Cost: Free to attend (although things like food and kids rides cost money)
- Times: Friday: 5 pm to 9:30 pm (Festival Park opens at 4 pm); Saturday: noon to 9:30 pm (Festival Park opens at 11 am); Sunday: noon to 8 pm (Festival Park opens at 11 am)
Festival Hours & What to Expect Each Day
Friday, April 24
All events are happening from 5 pm to 9:30 pm.
- Blood drive
- Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
- Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
- Mechanical bull
- Midway Rides
- Ying Yang Twins concert: The concert opens with live DJ sets from Trev Truth & DJ Yodo followed by the Ying Yang Twins.
Saturday, April 25
All events are happening from noon to 9:30 pm, unless otherwise noted.
- Blood drive
- Car Show: This will be set up at the corner of Ray Ave and Maiden Lane.
- Concert: Saved By The 90s (a 90s cover band) and Echostone (a Carolina-based band) will be playing from 2 pm to 9 pm.
- DJ Problem: The DJ will be playing sets at 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.
- Earth Day Events
- Fascinate-U Fun
- Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
- Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
- Mechanical bull
- Midway Rides
Sunday, April 26
All events are happening from noon to 8 pm, unless otherwise noted.
- Blood drive
- Exercise classes: There will be pure barre at noon, dancing without sin at 2 pm, 9 rounds at 4 pm, and burn boot camp at 6 pm.
- Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
- Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
- Mechanical bull
- Midway Rides
- Poetry Slam: The Creative Corner Poetry Slam hosted by by El’Ja is happening from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
Top Reasons To Check Out The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival
Live music
We are huge fans of live music. If there’s a band playing, we’re going. The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has DJs and the Ying Yang Twins on Friday and DJs, and 90s cover band, and a rock band on Saturday.
Food trucks
Food just tastes better off of a truck, doesn’t it? The field of Festival Park is lined with 26 food trucks selling everything from burgers to sno cones to pizza. You can bring your own food in and have a picnic if you prefer, but it’s just fun to have the availability of food trucks all around you.
The Kid Zone
We love standing in front of the stage and singing along, but that’s not not always so exciting for kids. That’s why the Kid Zone is great.
Wristband prices haven’t been announced yet for this year, but it’s usually unlimited rides on the bounce houses, 2-story slides, access to yard games, and more.
Vendor tents
We used to work at the local farmers’ market every week, so my heart is always with the vendor tents at events. It’s so much work to pack the car, set up, stay there all day, and peddle your wares (while often getting ignored by passers by).
This year, the festival is hosting over 130 vendors, so you’re bound to find something to buy.
Visitor Info / Tips for Attending
Parking
Street parking is free in downtown Fayetteville on the weekends, although expect those spots to fill up quickly. Paid street parking ends at 5 pm on Friday, so your best bet is to get to the festival right after work, pay until 5, and then leave your car there.
You can park in one of the public lots (on Hay St. and Franklin St.). Event parking is usually $5.
Be wary of private lots as they can charge whatever they want (and usually raise the prices on festival weekends).
What To Bring / Not Bring
Clear bags: You’re only allowed clear bags, no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″. We prefer using clear backpacks at events that require clear bags because they’re easier to carry. If you don’t have one, you can also bring a small clutch (5″ x 7″). I have one of those but it barely holds my phone and keys.
Chairs: There is a huge grassy area in front of the stage and you are encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs to sit in front of the stage. We suggest you bring a collapsible picnic table as well, so you can easily eat your food and drinks.
Food and drink: You are able to bring your own food and drinks into the festival, so, although we love eating off a food truck, you definitely should bring your own water bottle and some snacks.
Cash and credit cards: Some vendors will only accept credit or debit cards and some will only accept cash (or may offer a discount for cash), so we suggest you have both with you. Of course, we never suggest carrying large amounts of cash to a festival.
What To Wear
Comfortable sneakers: The majority of the festival is at Festival Park, which is mostly grass and slightly hilly, so we suggest wearing sneakers. Also, closed toed shoes help protect your feet in case you’re dancing near someone and get stepped on.
Layers: It’s spring, which means it’s really warm during the day and then the temperature dips when the sun goes down. Since the festival ends past sundown, we suggest dressing in layers so you are comfortable all day.
Sunscreen: The festival is outside in the spring, so you definitely want sunscreen.
Bug spray: No-see-ums are a big problem in Southeast North Carolina and they’ll ruin your fun. The only thing we’ve found to work is Buggins spray.
Best Time To Go:
The least crowded time will be Friday, as soon as the festival starts, because most people will be at work or late Sunday, since most people will be getting ready for work on Monday.
The festival has boasted over 100,000 attendees over the three days in the past, so honestly, it’s gonna be crowded any time you go.
More Things To Do In Fayetteville, NC
We love Fayetteville. We used to go so often, we called it our home away from home. If you’re looking to go for the weekend and want to do more than just the festival, check out our list of things to do in Fayetteville, NC. It’s filled with restaurants, activities, hotel options, and more to plan your whole trip.
If you spent all your money already, our list of free things to do in Fayetteville will help you enjoy your time without opening your wallet.
And, if you’re hungry and don’t want food truck food, we really like Ramen Tsubaki for Japanese food and Napkins at Dirtbag Ales (which is the craft brewery’s on-site restaurant, so you get good food and good beer).
Have you been to the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival? What’s your favorite part?