"The extra time we spent on it has made it a much better product in the end."
Will Lear said that about Founders Park in Leland. As the town's project manager, he has worked on the park since 2018. Design started in June 2021 and construction began at the end of 2023. The town first expected to finish by the end of 2024. Problems with the amphitheater's alignment cost about a year, and the grand opening didn't happen until July 31, 2026. More than 2,000 people came to the ribbon cutting, according to organizers.
About 30 miles down the coast, Holden Beach had its own long wait. The town held the ribbon cutting for its new band pavilion at Block Q on Sept. 4, and the Brunswick Beacon described the project as "more than four years in the making."
Both venues opened after Labor Day had passed or was close. So October through January is the first full season either one has. The fall schedules show the change. In Leland, the season now runs almost nonstop through a single town-owned park from October 1 to January 3. Holden Beach finally has a permanent home for the concerts that used to happen under a bridge.
Founders Park now carries Leland's calendar
The old Founders Park had "a small playground and a walking trail," in Lear's words. The rebuilt park at 113 Town Hall Drive, next to Leland Town Hall, includes:
- an amphitheater and event lawn
- an inclusive playground
- a splash pad
- walking paths
- fitness stations
- a picnic shelter
- a veterans memorial
Some of the park opened before the July ceremony. WECT reported in November 2025 that the park was reopening while the amphitheater stayed closed. With the amphitheater and lawn finished, the town has put its whole season there.
Live in Leland is the town's new free concert and movie series in the amphitheater. The British Invaders play Thursday, Oct. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. On Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. the series shows Muppets from Space, followed by stargazing in the park. One September entry, a Dirty Dancing night, shows as cancelled on the town calendar. Check the listing before you pack chairs for any outdoor night.
The free Fall Festival is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 6 p.m. The schedule:
- 2:30 p.m.: food trucks open
- 3 p.m.: activities start
- 4:30 p.m.: Monster Mash Dance Party
- 5 p.m.: costume contests begin
Activities also include a community trick-or-treat trail, pumpkin picking and pumpkin painting, face painting, yard games and Latin dance lessons.
The holiday season is where the park changes Leland's calendar the most. Leland in Lights runs from Nov. 21 through Jan. 3, with the lights on nightly at dusk. In a Sept. 24 release, the town called the Nov. 21 Grand Illumination the first holiday celebration in the fully renovated park. The lights come on at 6 p.m. From 6:10 to 8 p.m. there's music from the American Caroling Company, plus Santa's Workshop, the Leland Express train, snow, food trucks and a beer garden.
The Leland Express then runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on these nights:
- Nov. 27 and 28
- Dec. 3 to 5
- Dec. 10 to 12
- Dec. 17 to 19
Some of those nights have extras. Home Alone plays Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., and the town lists another movie on Dec. 12 without naming it. Live entertainment and Santa visits run from 6 to 8 p.m. on several December nights. Blazin' Keys Dueling Pianos plays Dec. 19, also 6 to 8 p.m. The town hasn't named the performers for the Dec. 4, 11 and 18 slots or posted admission costs for the holiday events. Confirm before you go.
Counting the light display's run through Jan. 3, the park has something scheduled from the first day of October into the new year. Before the renovation, the park couldn't host a season like that.
Block Q gives Holden Beach's concerts a permanent home
Holden Beach's band pavilion story starts with the structure it replaced. The town's older pavilion stood beneath the Holden Beach Bridge. It was torn down in 2024 because of safety concerns.
The town had already planned the replacement. In early 2022 it bought the 1.79-acre Block Q property for about $2 million, planning a permanent home for its summer concert series. The bright yellow bandstand sits at 82 South Shore Drive near the bridge. The block is bordered by Jordan Boulevard, South Shore Drive, Quinton Street and Brunswick Avenue. It's across the street from the Intracoastal Waterway boat ramp and a block from beach access. The venue has ADA-compliant public restrooms, a concrete dance floor and its own parking.
The pavilion opened quietly in July and hosted the rest of the Sunday evening summer concerts before the official ceremony. At the ribbon cutting, Mayor Alan Holden said public feedback on the pavilion had been overwhelmingly positive. The town has also hired McGill Associates to write a master plan for the rest of the Block Q property.
With the concert season over, the town is running weekday programs there. Its parks and recreation page lists beginner-friendly yoga at the "new concert venue at Block Q" on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. It costs $6 for residents and $8 for non-residents. The page doesn't give an end date for the program.
The NC Festival by the Sea is Oct. 24 and 25. The Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association lists live music, food and more than 160 arts-and-crafts vendors. The county tourism listing gives the address as 0 Jordan Blvd., with free admission and free parking. Jordan Boulevard is one of the streets bordering Block Q. Still, organizers haven't posted a 2026 schedule or said whether the new pavilion is part of the festival.
The town's Halloween events are at Bridgeview Park on Friday, Oct. 30. Barktoberfest starts at 4:30 p.m. with a short dog parade, a dog costume contest and fall photos. The Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat follows from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Trunks need to be set up by 5 p.m., and the costume contest is at 6. Anyone decorating a trunk or handing out candy is asked to pre-register by Oct. 17.
October, weekend by weekend
The county's long-running fall events haven't moved. They now overlap with the new venues' schedules. Here's how October lines up:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 | Live in Leland: The British Invaders, 6–8 p.m. | Founders Park, Leland | Free |
| Oct. 1–3 | U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament | Dutchman Creek Park, Southport | Spectating details vary |
| Oct. 17 | Muppets from Space and stargazing, 7 p.m. | Founders Park, Leland | Free |
| Oct. 17–18 | 45th NC Oyster Festival | Town Center Park, Ocean Isle Beach | $5 cash adults, free for 12 and under |
| Oct. 24 | Leland Fall Festival, 3–6 p.m. | Founders Park, Leland | Free |
| Oct. 24–25 | NC Festival by the Sea | Jordan Blvd., Holden Beach | Free admission and parking |
| Oct. 30 | Barktoberfest and Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat | Bridgeview Park, Holden Beach | Not listed |
Fishing in the King Mackerel tournament runs Oct. 2 and 3, and the awards ceremony is at Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill on Oct. 3. The Oyster Festival's signature Oyster Shucking Contest is on Saturday, and the event is at 11 E. Second St.
Two dates overlap. Oct. 17 has the Oyster Festival's Saturday in Ocean Isle Beach and the Leland movie night. Oct. 24 has the Leland Fall Festival and the first day of Festival by the Sea. Leland's event ends at 6 p.m. and the Muppets screening starts at 7, so you could spend the afternoon at one event and the evening at the other.
The other things that reopened this year
Oak Island didn't build a new venue, but it reopened a familiar one. Repairs at Oak Island Pier, 705 Ocean Drive, finished May 7. The pier and its beach access reopened that day with a new Mobi-Mat. The town also finished more than 1,700 feet of new sidewalk in the business district and added a lighted crosswalk at NE 51st Street. The town's splash pad at Middleton Park opened through September only for scheduled town events, and the town said that schedule could change.
Southport's December centerpiece is still downtown. Downtown Southport, Inc. lists WinterFest 2026 for Dec. 4 through 12, which overlaps the second and third weekends of Leland in Lights. More details are still to come.
Where to eat on the way
Several 2026 openings sit along the routes to these events.
In Southport, Cape Side Brewing opened April 2 at 511 N. Howe St., run by partners Kevin Wright, Alan McDonald and Kevin Bower. Farther up the same street, Southport Smokehouse at 1102 N. Howe St. reopened June 27, eleven days after a June 16 fire closed it. Nour, at 1131 N. Atlantic Ave., serves Thai, Vietnamese and French dishes. Ray Ray's Chicken Shack opened in March at 5028 Southport Crossing Way.
In Leland, Palouse opened in February at 497 Olde Waterford Way. It's a coffee shop that also sells plants and books.
If you're driving to Holden Beach or Ocean Isle Beach in the morning, Biscuitville's first Brunswick County location opened Feb. 23 at 4425 Main St. in Shallotte. It has a drive-through and serves breakfast from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Southport location was planned for summer 2026, but the company's site now lists it as coming in winter 2027.
Projects like Founders Park and Block Q shape what a coastal town feels like to live in, and we follow them for the same reason you do. If a friend or family member is thinking about Leland, Holden Beach or anywhere else in Brunswick County, Local to Coastal Realty can show them how these towns look outside summer. Request a Free Consultation and we'll start there.
