Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Names New Executive Director
The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has its new leader, and he’s someone familiar to many in the entertainment space in the community.
Jim Long Jr. was named the new Executive Director by the Board of Directors on Tuesday. Most notably, Long has served as the track promoter at Fayetteville Motor Speedway.
“The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jim Long Jr. as our new Executive Director,” said R. Andrew Porter, Chairman of the Board, in a news release. “Mr. Long’s proven business acumen will be an incredible asset to the stability and future of the Festival. Moreover, it is our hope that with the hiring of Mr. Long, alongside the unbelievable success of this year’s Dogwood Festival, that we will be able to build and develop a truly memorable Dogwood Festival experience for the community in 2025.”
Long is an Army veteran, and the release said he has extensive knowledge in “project management, stakeholder engagement, and the entertainment industry.”
“The Dogwood Festival is a significant part of our community. Not only does the community look forward to the Festival each year, but the region looks forward to visiting Downtown Fayetteville to experience a premier event,” Long said. “I am honored to be selected to serve my community in such a way. I would also like to thank the past directors, board members, volunteers and marketing partners for their dedication and hard work in keeping the Dogwood Festival strong for over 40 years.”
The festival has been without an executive director since Sarahgrace Mitchell resigned after the 2023 spring event. The board put together a smaller footprint for the 2024 festival back in April, as they looked for new leadership.
They did not put on the summer Fayetteville After Five concert series during the interim, and there is no Fall Dogwood Festival planned for this year.
