The Seven Lakes Holiday Season Runs Out of One Clubhouse, One Chapel and One Shop on N.C. 73

There's no tree lighting on a Main Street in Seven Lakes or West End, because neither has a Main Street. The holiday season here comes from a few volunteer groups and a handful of buildings. The North Side Club House hosts the biggest gatherings. The Chapel in the Pines on Seven Lakes Drive hosts the monthly programs. Seven Lakes Golf Club holds a charity round and a Santa-themed scramble, and The Bee's Knees on N.C. 73 takes the place of a holiday market district.

The calendar runs from the first week of November to the week before Christmas. Almost every date on it collects something for someone else: toys, books, blood, raffle tickets, tournament fees. Here's the season in order, with the details that matter when you go.

The North Side Club House is the closest thing to a town square this season

Three of the season's community events are listed at the Seven Lakes North clubhouse.

The first comes on Saturday, November 7, when the SLLA Recreation Committee holds its annual Chili Cookoff, Craft Fair & Bake Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It brings together local crafters, baked goods and chili entries. The listing's description puts the event at the Seven Lakes North Clubhouse, but the venue field on the same page says Seven Lakes Golf Club at 126 E Devonshire Ave. Before you load the car, send a quick note to the committee at [email protected] to confirm the venue. If you're thinking of selling at the craft fair, tables are 30 by 60 inches. The $10 rate covered tables booked and paid by October 24, so tables booked from here on cost $15.

On Wednesday, November 11, the same building turns into a donor center. An American Red Cross blood drive runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Seven Lakes North Side Club House. Women of Seven Lakes organizes it as a community service project, and appointments are booked through the Red Cross.

Then on Saturday, December 5, the club house hosts the season's best-known family morning. The Women of Seven Lakes Annual Holiday Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser runs from 8 to 11 a.m., and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there to meet the children. Breakfast tickets and raffle tickets are both sold online ahead of time, and volunteers set up the room the day before.

November 7 is the one morning that needs a plan

Two separate craft fairs fall on the same Saturday this year, organized by two different groups at two different addresses.

Besides the SLLA cookoff and craft fair, the Moore County Senior Enrichment Center holds its Senior Arts & Crafts Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8040 Hwy 15-501 in West End. The fair is open to the public.

Because the hours overlap but aren't the same, you can cover both in one morning if you go in the right order:

1. Arrive at the Senior Enrichment Center on Hwy 15-501 when it opens at 9 a.m., an hour before the Seven Lakes fair starts.
2. Head to the SLLA event for the 10 a.m. start, while the chili entries and baked goods are fresh.
3. If you see something at either fair that you want to go back for, you have time. The SLLA fair closes at 2 p.m. and the Senior Center fair at 3 p.m.

A shop on N.C. 73 fills in for a holiday shopping district

West End doesn't have a block of storefronts that decorates together for December. What it has is The Bee's Knees Curated Vintage & Antiques at 125 NC Highway 73, which is hosting a Community Pickers & Makers Market on Saturday, November 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shop's announcement presents the market as a way to support local sellers and get a start on holiday shopping.

Vendor booths are 15 by 15 feet and cost $30, first come, first served. The shop says booths fill quickly at this time of year. To reserve one, call 910-420-8970 or stop by during store hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The shop has been part of West End for six years. The Sandhills Sentinel reported in October 2020 that Tiffany Evans and her mother, Kim Frye, were opening a refurbished resale space at that address, combining fine antiques with thrift, with an opening date of October 15 that year. If you like vintage shopping, the November market makes a good warm-up for the larger antique circuit one town over. Our Cameron Antique District field guide covers how that calendar runs.

Nearly every date comes with something to bring

The donation drives are what set this calendar apart. With no town government putting on the season, the events are run by groups that raise money or collect goods for others, so most dates ask something of the people who come.

The Women of Seven Lakes programs at The Chapel in the Pines, 581 Seven Lakes Drive, start at 2 p.m. unless the calendar says otherwise. On Thursday, November 5, Ciara Sheerin of 7 Sparrows will talk about hunger and other needs in the local community. The meeting is also collecting new, unwrapped toys for children. Gifts for teens are especially needed, and gift cards are welcome.

The Thursday, December 3 meeting has a $5 fee. It opens with Bella Voce, an award-winning women's ensemble directed by Dr. Michal Martin, Director of Choirs at Pinecrest High School. Sarah Reagan, owner of Salty Boards, will then demonstrate charcuterie boards, and members and guests can sample them. The donation that day is new preschool books for local daycares.

The golf club opens its season with a charity round as well. Seven Lakes Golf Club lists an Alvarez House charity tournament on Friday, November 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Its December event, Santa's Scramble, is a lighter holiday tournament on Monday, December 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Women of Seven Lakes is also running a holiday flower fundraiser through Flower Power. Ordering opened October 16 and runs through December 31.

The full run, date by date

Here's the whole season in one place, with the ask that goes with each event. Hours and locations come from each organizer's listing. Details on community calendars can change, so check with the host the week before.

The December 12 trolley outing is the only event on the list that leaves the area. Women of Seven Lakes meets at the Harris Teeter in Taylortown for a Sandhills Trolley tour, and its calendar warns that the tour sells out quickly.

Between stops

There's a new option for lunch between events this year. Teriyaki Express, a Japanese restaurant at 135 Mac Dougall Drive in West End, opened July 13 and held its ribbon-cutting on August 11, according to the Sandhills Sentinel. It works well on November 7, when two fairs and a chili cookoff take up most of the morning. If you'll be driving N.C. 211 between stops, our update on what changed on Seven Lakes Drive this fall explains the turn restrictions now in place.

If you're thinking about a home in Seven Lakes and West End closer to the North Side Club House, or about passing yours on to the next owner, B. Paschal Co. can help with either one. Get Exclusive Access to My Private Listings, and Brittany will keep you posted as new homes near the lakes come up.