Looks Like They'll Let Anyone in Here

Does it feel like you're stuck on the "it's a small world" ride and can't get off? Getting through a local grocery store without seeing three people from high school is one thing, but apparently, y'all can't even go to Europe without running into the same people you run into here. Someone convince us that we're not living in a simulation. Until then, we're not going to feel bad about never going anywhere. 

Back in the Saddle Again

Maria Rivera is proud to open her doors for Vaquera ("the cowgirl") Bar & Cocina, her newest venture and the newest Mexican restaurant in Southern Pines. Find it at 100 Pavilion Way, Suite B, off Morganton Road. 

Chow down Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Follow the restaurant on Facebook for updates.

Eat More Hole Foods

Wednesday, April 26, 6 a.m.: Dunkin' re-opens its newly remodeled "next gen" location at 1798 N. Sandhills Boulevard in Aberdeen. The first 100 guests get free coffee for a year, plus the chance to meet mascot Dunkin' Cuppy, a happy little sentient coffee cup. Tag us in your pics. 

MORE NEWS BITES:

• Wednesday, April 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Join The Sly Fox for a bourbon tasting. Try three Pinhook Bourbons paired with small bites. $35/person. Get tix.
• Next month: The Bell Tree Tavern will start serving brunch, with a Bloody Mary bar and live music on the patio. You had us at mimosa towers. 

Okay, We Pull Up

Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Plan for parking in downtown Southern Pines to get even more intense because the main stretch of Broad Street, on both sides of the tracks, will be closed for Springfest. Enjoy arts, crafts, games, rides, food, entertainment and more than 160 vendors. Stroll the streets.

Life is Golden

Sunday, April 30, 2-7 p.m.: Make way to The Jive Hive to help celebrate the life of Ty Kettenhofen, a member of U.S Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights, who recently passed away during a training exercise. This celebration will benefit his girlfriend Jenna Walker and family. It is a kid-friendly event that includes a corn hole tournament, silent auction, bourbon bidding, face painting, food trucks, ice cream and more. More info here.

SPONSORED BY THE MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY

Save the Last Chants for Me

Sunday, April 30, 4 p.m.: The Moore County Choral Society presents “Requiem” by modern French composer Maurice Duruflé: a drama founded in chants from the Gregorian Mass for the Dead. The 60-voice choir is led by conductor Anne Dorsey and accompanied by organist Stephen Gourley as well as an ensemble of strings, trumpets, harp and percussion. Tickets are $20/adults and $10/students. Get them online or take your chants at the door.

MORE TO PENCIL IN: 

• Wednesday, April 26, 8 p.m.: Have an out-of-pocket night at Neville's with a pool tournament. Entry is $10. Sweet rack.
• Thursday, April 27, 5:30-10 p.m.: The Country Club of Whispering Pines hosts Festival of Tables, a benefit by the Whispers' group for the Moore Free and Charitable Clinic. Enjoy dinner, wine, silent auction and dancing along with the chance to bet on your favorite table. Tickets are $50, and you can get them at 910-949-2496. Have a seat.
• Thursday, April 27, 6 p.m.: Paint your pet at Southern Pines Growler Co. Cost is $45 for materials and instruction. Get creative.
• Friday, April 28, 6-8 p.m.: Get dinner from Filly & Colts, at Whispering Woods Golf Club, and tip Paws of the Pines Rescue with supplies and donations for the dogs in their care. It's a yes from me, dawg.

Awwww, Sheetz

The convenience chain has applied for an architectural compliance permit from the town of Southern Pines for a 6,132-square-foot location at the corner of U.S. 1 and North Poplar Street. 

The permit is a first step in earning the town's approval. If the council approves, the building on that corner, owned by Derby Investment Company and currently home to Spice Cafe and American Guns & Ammo, would be demolished to make way for construction.

If plans for the Sheetz move forward, both businesses plan to relocate.

• According to Derby Investment Company spokesperson Gerhard Renner, American Guns & Ammo would scoot into a nearby property also owned by Derby — the large shopping center on Poplar that houses Trident Marketing.
• Spice Cafe owner Kanyana Wofford says she plans to open a new location at 225 W. Morganton Road, the former home of Scruton Brothers Ice Cream. 

No firm dates have been set. Currently, the permit application is not on the Southern Pines Town Council's docket until June. 

It's the second Sheetz poised to move into Moore County — late last year, Carthage approved site plans for a location on Glendon Carthage Road. 

SPONSORED BY POP UP IN THE PINES

Shop In The Naaaame of Love

Before you break our hearts. Don't miss 6th Semi-Annual Pop Up in the Pines Market, a community shopping event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 7 at Southern Pines Brewing Co. on Air Tool Drive. Shop goods from boutiques, artisans and bakers, enjoy food trucks and more. Bring a spouse, friend or even a dog and make a day of it (yes, you can sip and shop). Think it Oo-over.
 

SPONSORED BY HOT ASANA

Yoga Class? We Thought You Said Pour a Glass

Make extended swig angle a thing every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Join Hot Asana for Pints & Poses at Southern Pines Brewing Co. on Air Tool Drive, and support two businesses at once. All yogi levels are welcome for this 60-minute lesson. Class is $10 and includes a pint so you can perfect your downward drinking dog pose. Reserve your spot online.

See You In Court

Wheel Serve NC is a nonprofit wheelchair tennis organization that recently moved into the Sandhills. "Your life changes a lot when you become disabled in such a way,” says Carrie Cleary. She's causing a racket to try and grow the program, organized through Pinehurst Parks and Rec. “We just need more athletes. I know they’re out there, especially with our proximity to Fort Bragg.”

The organization is looking for adults who can't play able-bodied tennis due to a permanent physical disability, whether you need a wheelchair full time or part-time. It's open to all ages; the youngest two players are 19.

“I think maybe some people shy away from it and think they can’t do it, but it’s open to anyone and is a free service to the community thanks to fundraising,” says Nicole Benbow, Pinehurst's recreation program coordinator.

How’s it work? Wheel Serve meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month at Rassie Wicker Park in Pinehurst. You don’t need any prior tennis experience, and you'll even be provided with a sport wheelchair and racket. There are also volunteers present to assist with things like switching chairs or just being an extra person to hit with.

• Get more info here, or contact Nicole Benbow at nbenbow@vopnc.org.

Grass Rules Everything Around Me

On Tuesday, the Southern Pines Town Council will review the master plan for the 157-acre Whitehall Tract, which has been in the works since the town acquired the land in 2020.

• Informal poll: What's the correct way to start your trek through Reservoir Park? Do you first go right, across the bridge, or left, past the bathrooms? 

It's a Trash Can, Not a Trash Can't

Get help doing your part by checking out a litter cleanup kit from the Southern Pines Public Library with five safety vests and four litter grabbers plus traffic cones, gloves, alcohol wipes and compostable trash bags. Kits can be checked out for a week — just don't try to check trash back in. You know where that goes. 
 

See You In The Next Sim

Your homework: Count how many people you know in one outing around town. Then add these words to your vocab.