FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — J. Cole is coming home, and Fayetteville is turning his return into much more than one night at the Crown Coliseum.
The Fayetteville-raised rapper brings The Fall-Off Tour to his hometown Wednesday, Sept. 23, for an 8 p.m. performance at the Crown Coliseum. The highly anticipated homecoming has helped spark three days of Cole and Dreamville-inspired events across the city.
From pop-ups and custom merchandise to coffee, parties, music, art and a downtown crawl, the celebration begins Monday and continues beyond Wednesday night’s concert.
Fans do not need a concert ticket to be part of the homecoming. Here is a guide to J. Cole-related events happening across Fayetteville Sept. 21–23.
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
FAYNC Dreamers Opening Day Pop-Up
3–8 p.m. at The Region Six Project
100 Hay St., Fayetteville
The three-day Dreamers experience begins downtown with DJs, local creatives, vendors and live performances.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
FAYNC Dreamers Community Exchange
Noon–9 p.m. at The Region Six Project
100 Hay St., Fayetteville
Local brands, nonprofits and entrepreneurs come together alongside exclusive FAYNC Dreamers and Fayetteville-inspired merchandise.
The Fall-Off DIY Merch Pop-Up
1–7 p.m. at The Vue Event Venue
516 S. Reilly Road, Fayetteville
Fans can create custom Fall-Off and Dreamville-inspired merchandise using shirts, hoodies, images, buttons, pins and patches.
The Villest Link Up
7–11 p.m. at Haymount Truck Stop
100 Broadfoot Ave., Fayetteville
A hometown link-up the night before the concert featuring sounds by DJ Tommi Lee and DJ Zairis TéJion.
The Fall-Off Indie Kickoff Concert
7:30 p.m. at The Vue Event Venue
516 S. Reilly Road, Fayetteville
Up-and-coming independent artists take the stage as Fayetteville prepares for concert day.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23 — CONCERT DAY
Dreamers Cafe
9 a.m.–noon at Vagabond Cafe
108 Hay St., Fayetteville
Start concert day downtown with Cole-inspired drinks, pastries and music by PME.
The Fall-Off Magazine Conversation Live
10 a.m.–noon at Seabrook Auditorium, Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville
Dreamville creatives Walter C. Barnett and Felton Brown will discuss The Fall-Off Magazine, J. Cole’s Fayetteville roots and careers in the creative industry.
Welcome to Fayetteville Day Party
11 a.m.–5 p.m. at Bay 126
126 Person St., Fayetteville
A downtown welcome party for residents and visitors arriving in the city for Cole’s hometown performance, with J. Cole music throughout the day.
Dope Brunch Day Party: The Fall-Off Pregame
11 a.m.–6 p.m. at 226 The Warehouse
226 Donaldson St., Fayetteville
Hosted by KT with sounds from DJ Sicko and Uncoolkey, the event offers another daytime destination before the concert.
FAYNC Dreamers Pop-Up Finale
Noon–5 p.m. at The Region Six Project
100 Hay St., Fayetteville
The three-day pop-up concludes with local brands, vendors, Fayetteville-inspired merchandise and music by DJ Whoa Swazzey.
FAYNC Dreamers Ville Crawl
Noon–5 p.m. throughout Downtown Fayetteville
Music, art, pop-ups, murals, live performances and other creative activations will be spread among participating downtown businesses and spaces.
The 2-6 Homecoming: Flowers For Legends
2–6 p.m. at Segra Stadium
460 Hay St., Fayetteville
The afternoon celebration includes food trucks, DJ battles, hip-hop yoga, pop-ups, basketball, a live podcast and other activities celebrating Cole’s homecoming.
J. Cole: The Fall-Off Tour
8 p.m. at Crown Coliseum
1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville
The centerpiece of the week arrives Wednesday night when J. Cole brings The Fall-Off Tour home to Fayetteville.
The concert represents a major homecoming for an artist whose hometown has remained deeply connected to his music and identity throughout his career.
2-6 Karaoke Party
7 p.m.–1 a.m. at Uptown’s Chicken & Waffles
1707 Owen Drive, Fayetteville
Karaoke, food and late-night entertainment will run before and after the concert.
Luna J. Cole After Party
9 p.m.–2 a.m. at Luna
229 Hay St., Suite 102, Fayetteville
The celebration continues after the Crown Coliseum show with all three floors of the downtown venue scheduled to open. Admission is advertised as free, with entry limited to guests 21 and older.
A HOMECOMING BEYOND THE CONCERT
For Fayetteville, Cole’s return has become bigger than a single performance.
Local businesses, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and organizations have built events around the homecoming, giving residents and visitors opportunities to participate whether they have a ticket to the Crown Coliseum or not.
From Hay Street and Fayetteville State University to Segra Stadium, local restaurants and the Crown, much of the city will have a role in the celebration.
For three days, the spotlight will not only be on J. Cole coming home, but also on the Fayetteville music, creativity, businesses and culture that helped shape his story.
Kres Thomas, FayToday News
kresthomas@faytoday.com
