AGP Executive Report

Community Celebration: Hundreds gathered at Downtown Cary Park for its first Diwali celebration, with music, dancing and lights bringing neighbors together. Festival Lineup: The Avett Brothers and DJ Diesel will headline the 2027 North Carolina Azalea Festival. Opera: Piedmont Opera is bringing Opera Lite: An American Odyssey to the Willingham Theater stage. On the Big Screen: A new study named Wilmington the nation’s best city for horror movie fans. State Fair: The 2026 N.C. State Fair reported strong attendance and a record livestock sale.

Greensboro Homecoming: GHOEGuide.com has launched as a year-round guide to restaurants, lodging, entertainment and events for Greensboro’s 100th Greatest Homecoming on Earth. Opera in Yadkinville: Piedmont Opera brings Opera Lite: An American Odyssey to the Willingham Theater on Nov. 1, with Triad performers tracing 250 years of American song. Raleigh Dog Sports: More than 450 dogs are expected at the AKC Agility League Championship, Nov. 6–8 at the James B. Hunt Horse Complex; the event is open to the public. Halloween in Haywood County: Seasonal picks include the Cold Mountain Corn Maize and Canton’s Pinhead’s Graveyard, open through Nov. 7. Music Charts: Weezer’s “We Might as Well Be Strangers,” featuring Asheville band Wednesday, tops Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, giving Weezer its ninth No. 1.

Museum News: Gastonia’s Schiele Museum has opened a 4,200-square-foot Hall of Dinosaurs, its largest exhibit project in 65 years. The interactive gallery turns a structural repair into an immersive journey through time. College Sports: NC State has fired football coach Dave Doeren after 14 seasons, opening a search for his successor. Live Music: Steep Canyon Rangers return to Boone for a show at the Appalachian Theatre, while Hillsborough plans to unveil a new “HOME” public-art installation Oct. 29.

Panthers: Carolina hosts Tampa Bay in a key NFC South matchup, looking to build on its road win over Philadelphia. College Football: Syracuse edged UNC 31-30 in overtime, while NC State fired Dave Doeren after 14 seasons following a loss to Stanford. Screen: North Carolina actor Joshua Loudermilk says he recognized Sacha Baron Cohen during the Ali G movie shoot but kept playing along. Jennifer Grey will return for Dirty Dancing 2, a new summer-camp love story that will honor Patrick Swayze without using AI. Music & Arts: Raleigh’s St. Ambrose Episcopal Church marked 60 years in Rochester Heights with music from NCCU’s jazz ensemble, including works by Mary Lou Williams. Franklin County bluegrass band Lost & Found was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and the Steep Canyon Rangers are set to play Boone’s Appalachian Theatre.

College Football: NC State fired Dave Doeren after a 31-28 loss at Stanford, ending the winningest coach’s 14-year tenure; assistant Todd Goebbel takes over while the school searches for a successor. Syracuse stunned UNC 31-30 in overtime in Chapel Hill, scoring on a fourth-down touchdown and two-point conversion. Live Entertainment: AEW Collision aired from Winston-Salem’s LJVM Coliseum Saturday, with FTR facing the Motor City Machine Guns and Jay White slated to address fans. Music: Franklin County’s Lost & Found was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, while Chapel Hill rockers Dr. Funk took the stage at the North Carolina Music Hall ceremony. Arts & Culture: ECU’s “South ‘Meats’ Global South” celebration brought cultures together through food and music.

College Sports: Stanford held off NC State 31-28, while UNC welcomed Syracuse to Kenan Stadium for a prime-time matchup. Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli was set to return after more than a month out. Arts & Events: Greenville’s Oct. 24 lineup included ECU’s “Frankenstein” and Guitar Festival; App State is planning a free Halloween Pumpkin Palooza for families on Oct. 31. Music & Culture: Chapel Hill rockers Dr. Funk took the stage at the NC Music Hall ceremony, and the Starlight Dance Band marked its 40th anniversary. Western North Carolina balladeers are also carrying on the region’s musical heritage. Fair Season: Attendance at the NC State Fair is trailing last year, with families citing rising costs. Wilmington, meanwhile, ranked as the nation’s top city for horror-movie fans in a new study.

Live Music: Goldsboro’s Starlight Dance Band celebrated its 40th anniversary with a benefit concert that raised at least $1,850 for Wayne County school arts programs. The 17-member group plays big band, swing, jazz and polka. Helene Stories: A new graphic novel pairs 11 western North Carolina survivors with comic artists to share their accounts of the storm. Creator Andrew Aydin, also a survivor, says the project puts residents’ voices on the page. Poetry: North Carolina spoken-word artist DS Will has released his debut collection, “Write on the Wall,” drawing on more than 20 years of work and themes including memory and the portrayal of Black men. Cultural Events: ECU’s South “Meats” Global South celebration brought eastern North Carolina barbecue, Latin American food, live music and dance together. Community Legacy: Ernie Pitt, 80, co-founder of the Winston-Salem Chronicle, died Friday; the newspaper he helped build has chronicled Black community life since 1974. On Stage: Temple Theatre is presenting “Little Women,” while Hillsborough’s River Park concert offered music, food and art. At the Zoo: The North Carolina Zoo welcomed four rare Visayan warty piglets and is asking the public to help name them.

Stage & Arts: “Little Women” is shining at Sanford’s Temple Theatre, while MOMIX’s “Botanica” brings dance and visual spectacle to Boone’s Schaefer Center. Live Events: Raleigh’s NC State Fair is back, Hillsborough’s River Park concert blends music, food and art, and the Watauga Community Band kicks off its 40th season with a free Oct. 25 concert. North Carolina Music: Raleigh artist Twilark has released an album featuring castanets; roots duo Carolina Pine plays Boone’s Jones House Oct. 28, and Presley Barker brings traditional country to the Walker Center. Screen & Scene: A new look at eight horror movies filmed in North Carolina celebrates the state’s cinematic history, while Charlotte’s art scene gets a spotlight. Weekend Picks: Asheville and Western North Carolina have events lined up for Oct. 23–25.

State Fair: North Carolina’s 11-day State Fair is heading into its final weekend in Raleigh, with rides, live music, food vendors and new attractions drawing crowds despite chilly, rainy weather. Local Arts: The Watauga Community Band marks its 40th season with a free concert on Oct. 25, while MOMIX brings its nature-inspired show Botanica to the Schaefer Center. Homegrown Spotlight: Raleigh’s Trey Roberts, an organizer of the Dix Park Inter-Tribal Pow Wow, was named to this year’s OUT100 for his community work and advocacy for Native visibility. Creator Watch: North Carolina-born YouTube star MrBeast’s expanding business empire is facing scrutiny after its media operation reportedly lost nearly $80 million. Celebrity on Campus: Marsai Martin and Love Island USA winner Trinity Tatum joined hundreds of N.C. A&T students marching to Greensboro’s early-voting site.

Dance & Performance: MOMIX brings its visually inventive Botanica to Appalachian State’s Schaefer Center on Nov. 12, transforming dancers into flowers, birds and other wonders of nature. Live Music: Steep Canyon Rangers return to Boone for an Appalachian Theatre show, while Carolina Pine plays the Jones House on Oct. 28 and Elysian Moon headlines a Halloween-weekend event at Kreuzberg. Arts Around the State: Asheville’s Oct. 23–25 events offer a weekend guide for local arts and entertainment, and Thomasville artisans are keeping traditional crafts alive at the N.C. State Fair.

Live Music: Steep Canyon Rangers return to Boone for a show at the Appalachian Theatre. Weekend Events: Hart Square Village’s 41st Fall Heritage Festival is set for Oct. 24, with historic buildings, craft demonstrations and old-time music. Campus Entertainment: NC A&T’s 100th Homecoming lineup features Gunna and Kirk Franklin. Theater: ArtsBlock Space is presenting a new production by a local playwright. Creator Economy: MrBeast’s North Carolina-based company has grown beyond YouTube into food, production and other ventures, with investor Steven Bartlett likening it to a Fortune 500 holding company.

Live Music: Grammy-winning North Carolina bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers returns to Boone’s Appalachian Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 24. In Fletcher, the Feed & Seed—once a general store, now a gathering place—hosts free Friday-night bluegrass. Arts Access: Warren County’s Revibe Art Project kicks off fundraising for local arts classes, especially for young people, with a clothing swap in Warrenton on Saturday. Music Honors: Chapel Hill rockers Dr. Funk are among the acts taking the spotlight at the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame ceremony. Halloween Watchlist: A look at eight horror movies filmed in North Carolina offers a seasonal tour of the state’s cinematic history.

On Location: UNC Charlotte and Wake Forest film students spent the weekend documenting Banner Elk’s worm festival, turning the small-town celebration into a hands-on cultural film project. Live Music: Salisbury Symphony launches its free Salisbury Symphony Connects series Oct. 25 with a brass performance of Reformation hymns at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Halloween Plans: Piedmont Triad communities have movie nights, ghost stories, pumpkin carving and haunted trails lined up for spooky season. Coming Up: Organist Daniel Sansone performs works by Bach, Debussy and others at a free Brevard College recital on Oct. 26. On Screen: A new roundup spotlights eight horror films shot in North Carolina, a seasonal watchlist with a local connection.

Charlotte Arts: The Queen City’s art scene is drawing fresh attention, while Raleigh musician Twilark has released an album featuring castanets. Music & Performance: Steep Canyon Rangers are set to return to Boone’s Appalachian Theatre, and the North Carolina Youth Orchestra will perform at the Cain Center. Living Traditions: Thomasville artisans brought traditional crafts to the N.C. State Fair, and a North Carolina dance group is keeping Mexican traditions alive. Fall Events: Halloween celebrations are planned across eastern North Carolina, as Lexington’s Barbecue Festival brings food, music and local tradition to the spotlight.

Charlotte Arts: The Queen City’s creative scene is drawing attention, with museums, contemporary art and live performance clustered around the Levine Center for the Arts. Music: Raleigh artist Twilark has released an album featuring castanets, while the Steep Canyon Rangers are returning to Boone for an Appalachian Theatre show. Homecoming & Jazz: North Carolina A&T’s centennial homecoming brings Gunna and Kirk Franklin to Greensboro; a local musician is also launching a residency spotlighting two city jazz legends. Craft & Community: Thomasville artisans are keeping traditional crafts alive at the State Fair. In Tarboro, Main Street Mayhem’s youth wrestling tournament moved indoors for the rain and drew 239 competitors from more than 40 teams.

Craft Traditions: Thomasville artisans Jeffrey Jobe and Curtis Cecil are showcasing handmade jewelry and glasswork at the N.C. State Fair’s Village of Yesteryear, keeping historic techniques alive. Live Music: North Carolina bluegrass favorites Steep Canyon Rangers bring their Grammy-winning sound to Boone’s Appalachian Theatre on Oct. 24. Appalachian Voices: Author Ron Rash reflects on how the mountains shaped his life and decades of acclaimed novels, poems and stories. HBCU Celebration: North Carolina A&T’s 100th homecoming pairs a century of campus style and tradition with performances by Gunna and Kirk Franklin. Local Arts: Greensboro musician explores the legacies of two local jazz greats in a new residency, while the North Carolina Youth Orchestra is set to perform at the Cain Center.