Two Nights. Two Country Stars. One Unforgettable Weekend. If you’ve been looking for a reason to plan a weekend in the Sandhills this fall, we think this is a pretty good one.
America turns 250 in 2026, and the Sandhills is celebrating with two nights of country music, two completely different venues, and a full weekend of events in Moore County.
Friday night starts with Phil Vassar inside the historic Sunrise Theater in downtown Southern Pines. Then on Saturday, things get considerably bigger when Dustin Lynch brings his DJ CLUB SET to Gilliam-McConnell Airfield in Carthage, followed by a 300-drone patriotic light show set to music.
You could absolutely pick one concert and make a night of it. But with this much happening in one weekend, we’d stay for both and use the time in between to explore Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, and Carthage.
Here’s how we’d do it.
Friday, September 25: Phil Vassar at the Sunrise Theater
Sunrise Theater | Southern Pines | 7:00pm
Tickets: $53.50 Reserved | $79 Premium
We’d start the weekend in downtown Southern Pines, where Phil Vassar is taking over the historic Sunrise Theater on Friday night. If you grew up listening to country music in the late ’90s and 2000s, there is a very good chance you know more Phil Vassar songs than you realize.
A two-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year and ACM Top Male Vocalist, Vassar has 10 No. 1 hits and 27 Top 40 tracks to his name. He has also written songs recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, and Collin Raye, so his fingerprints are all over an entire era of country music.
He’s bringing his 25 Years of Paradise Tour to Southern Pines in celebration of the 25th anniversary of “Just Another Day in Paradise.” Expect plenty of familiar songs throughout the night, including “Carlene,” “Six-Pack Summer,” “American Child,” and other favorites from more than two decades of music.
We especially like the setting for this one. Instead of seeing Vassar from halfway across an arena, you’re seeing him inside the historic Sunrise Theater, an intimate downtown venue that makes this feel like a completely different kind of concert.
Our recommendation is to arrive in Southern Pines a few hours early and make a night of it. Walk around downtown, browse some of the locally owned shops, grab dinner and a drink, then walk over to the Sunrise for the show.
Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen is proud to be the presenting sponsor for this concert.
Saturday, September 26: Dustin Lynch DJ CLUB SET
Gilliam-McConnell Airfield | Carthage | 6:00pm
Tickets: $65 Adults | $35 Ages 5–12
Saturday is when the weekend turns into a party.
Dustin Lynch is bringing his high-energy DJ CLUB SET to Gilliam-McConnell Airfield in Carthage, presented by Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Cooper Ford. With more than five billion global streams, 10 No. 1 country radio singles, and 10 RIAA-certified multi-platinum singles, Lynch brings some serious star power to Saturday night.
This isn’t a traditional country concert either. Lynch’s DJ CLUB SET combines live performances of his country hits with dance remixes, unexpected mashups, and festival-style DJ production, so expect the energy to be completely different from Friday night at the Sunrise.
That contrast is actually one of our favorite things about the weekend. Friday gives you an intimate show inside a historic theater, while Saturday puts you outside at an airfield for a much bigger celebration.
Food and beverage trucks will be on-site, and you can bring blankets and chairs, so we’d arrive early enough to find a spot, grab something to eat, and settle in before the show.
And definitely don’t head for the car when the music stops.
After Dustin Lynch finishes, 300 illuminated drones will take over the sky for a patriotic light show set to music, presented by Sky Elements. It should be a pretty spectacular way to end a weekend celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, and something you definitely don’t get at your average country concert.
A portion of the proceeds from Saturday’s event will support Adult & Teen Challenge of the Sandhills.
Make It a Weekend in the Sandhills
If you’re already coming for the concerts, we wouldn’t just drive in for the show and leave.
Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, and Carthage are all close enough together that you can experience quite a bit of the Sandhills in a weekend. Stay Friday and Saturday night, give yourself most of Saturday to explore, and save a little time Sunday morning before heading home.
Here are a few things we’d put on the list.
Spend a Morning in Downtown Southern Pines
We’d start Saturday morning back in downtown Southern Pines, especially if you didn’t have much time to explore before Friday’s concert. Grab coffee and breakfast, walk the blocks around Broad Street, and spend some time browsing the locally owned boutiques, galleries, specialty stores, and other businesses that make downtown worth exploring on foot.
There’s enough here to fill a morning without needing a strict itinerary. Take your time, stop when something catches your attention, and then make the short drive over to Pinehurst.
Eat Your Way Around Moore County
Definitely come hungry because there are far too many good restaurants around the Sandhills to spend the weekend eating only at the events. Southern Pines and Pinehurst in particular make it easy to build an afternoon around lunch, cocktails, dinner, or simply finding a patio and staying awhile.
We’d do dinner in downtown Southern Pines before Phil Vassar on Friday, then use Saturday to try somewhere completely different before heading to Carthage. And if you stay through Sunday morning, you’ve got an excellent excuse for one more breakfast or brunch before heading home.
Play a Round in the Home of American Golf
If you’re a golfer, this one is pretty obvious. You’re spending the weekend in the Home of American Golf, so squeezing in a round on Saturday morning or Sunday is a very good way to turn two concerts into a legitimate Sandhills getaway.
Moore County is home to an incredible concentration of courses, from names known around the world to lesser-known local layouts that are absolutely worth playing. Pick a course that fits your schedule and make the golf part of the weekend rather than trying to cram it in around everything else.
Visit the World Golf Hall of Fame and USGA Experience
If you love golf but don’t have time for 18 holes, we’d make a stop at the World Golf Hall of Fame and USGA Experience in Pinehurst. You can explore the people, championships, equipment, and moments that shaped the game while visiting a place that continues to play a major role in golf today.
It’s also an easy activity to pair with time in the Village of Pinehurst. Explore the Hall of Fame, walk around the village afterward, grab lunch, and you’ve got a pretty great Saturday afternoon before heading to Carthage.
Get Outside for a Few Hours
The Sandhills is about a lot more than golf, and some of the best parts of the area are found under the longleaf pines. Moore County has miles of trails and outdoor spaces that give you an easy way to get outside without committing an entire day to it.
We’d work in a morning walk or hike before the Saturday festivities, especially if the September weather cooperates. A couple of quiet hours on the trails is a pretty nice counterbalance to two nights of live music.
Grab a Local Beer, Cider, or Cocktail
If your idea of exploring a destination usually includes finding out what’s being poured locally, you’ll have plenty to work with here. The Sandhills has its own collection of breweries, along with a cidery and distillery, that make it easy to turn a free afternoon into your own little tasting tour.
We’d pick one or two rather than trying to hit everything. Grab a local beer or cocktail, hang out for a while, and then make your way toward Carthage for Saturday night.
Stay for the Weekend
Our vote is to make the full weekend out of it.
Come into town Friday afternoon, explore Southern Pines and see Phil Vassar Friday night. Spend Saturday discovering Pinehurst and the surrounding Sandhills, then head to Carthage for Dustin Lynch and the drone show before giving yourself one final slow morning on Sunday.
There are historic resorts, boutique hotels, vacation rentals, and plenty of other places to stay throughout Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, and the surrounding area. Pick somewhere central, leave the suitcase unpacked for two nights, and actually enjoy being here.
Two country stars brought you to the Sandhills. Everything else might convince you to come back.
