Good morning, Fayetteville.

Local families will join various trick-or-treat and trunk-or-treat events from Oct.

17 through Oct. 31, with activities including hayrides, games, and food in different neighborhoods. Check local listings for details to plan your fun Halloween weekend.

Residents can celebrate the Eastover Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct.

17 at Eastover Park (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with live music, games, a silent auction and food trucks serving local treats. Hosted by the Eastover Civic Club, the event offers a small-town celebration of heritage and community spirit.

Shadows in the Pines is a new haunted trail event at Carvers Creek State Park that offers Halloween fun with local history.

The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. along the Sandhills access (995 McCloskey Road) with a $5 donation supporting park programming.

Beardtoberfest: Beard-A-Con will be held at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct.

17. Facial hair enthusiasts, cosplay fans and local charity supporters gather for a horror-themed competition that raises funds for the Karen Chandler Trust to help Fayetteville families facing cancer.

The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and Cameo Art House Theatre will present Nosferatu with a live musical score on Oct.

24 at 225 Hay Street + doors open at 7 p.m. with the film starting at 7:30 p.m. and tickets costing $10.

The Dogwood Festival Foundation will host Battle for the MainStage on Saturday, Oct.

24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Festival Park (335 Ray Avenue) where local bands and artists compete for cash prizes and a chance to perform at the Dogwood Festival, with Johnny Awesome hosting.

Psychologist-turned-comedian Kiki Wynns brings her Halloween-themed series, Ladies Laugh Lounge: Spooky Edition, to Fayetteville on Friday, Oct.

16 at Cameo Art House Theatre — tickets cost $20 before fees and local comics will join to promote women in comedy.

Fayetteville will host Stars and Guitars on Monday, Nov.

9 at Crown Coliseum (1960 Coliseum Drive), where Rodney Atkins, The Band Perry, Josh Ross, Drew Baldridge and Cole Goodwin will share the stage; doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

The Cumberland County Board of Education voted 5-3 on Oct.

12 against renaming its operations center after former administrator Timothy Kinlaw; several board members said that addressing urgent school priorities should come before renaming the facility ahead of upcoming elections.

Gov. Josh Stein warned health care providers on Tuesday that proposed federal Medicaid cuts may leave over 250,000 residents without coverage in rural areas like Cumberland County, and he met with officials at Simon Temple AME Zion Church to urge Congress to reconsider the changes.

UNC basketball, led by coach Michael Malone plus 11 newcomers, is predicted to finish fifth in the ACC as preseason polls and analytics released Oct.

13 set modest expectations; the Tar Heels will seek to rebound after last season's low national ranking.

Fayetteville Marksmen will host the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs on Oct.

17 at 6 p.m. at Crown Coliseum as they launch their season; team president Alex Wall said the club aims to unite fans & pursue a stronger postseason run.

A poll by The Fayetteville Observer shows ACC players view overlooked talents such as Miami's Shelton Henderson, Virginia's Chance Mallory, Duke's Caleb Foster, and Clemson's Cole Certa as key to boosting teams in the upcoming season + intensifying the conference's competitive spirit.