Breathe a sigh of relief, friends, because the emotional Chernobyl that was 2025 is now over. Yes, 2026 is sitting on the shelf like a murderous Annabelle doll, but we are going to pretend that we don’t see her waiting in the wings. This is the year of change.
While 2025 bid farewell to many beloved local businesses in Southern Wake, new ones are set to open. Old buildings are being torn down, repurposed, or made into something that people in Cary would probably approve of.
Circa 2021. NEVER FORGET.
Before you know it, the good people of Fuquay-Varina will no longer have to face the jughandles of despair in Holly Springs on their way to Target. Residents of Holly Springs will soon be riding their own on-demand public transit system (cue the eco-conscious brag-a-thon). It’s time to embrace 2026 with open arms (until it ends up revealing its true nature, much like your in-laws). Here is absolutely not a comprehensive list of good things coming to Southern Wake in 2026:
A Fuquay Target
I feel like we’re not as hyped as we should be about this. Back in 2012, the thought of a Target in Fuquay-Varina was a pipe dream, so we settled for Kohl’s. When Target blessed the town of Holly Springs, the traffic and the stench of trash mountain tempered our excitement. But now, directly across from Culver’s, the pointless red balls are just itching for a local driver to hoist to the sky (if you know, you know). Praise be!
The Holly Springs Hopper
An on-demand transit service servicing Holly Springs, dubbed The Holly Springs Hopper, will launch Monday, Jan. 5. Yes, this is for residents only (I don’t actually know if that’s true, but no one would be surprised if the answer was yes). Described as a “shared shuttle service,” rides are requested using the Ride Freebee app or by phone. They say you can ride up to 7 miles per trip, but after that, you’re tarred, feathered, and kicked off in front of the dump. I would provide fare information, but I don’t work for the Town of Holly Springs, so look it up on your own.
A Community Garden
If you’ve got a green thumb, then 2026 is your year! The brand-new community garden at Sugg Farm (plus a nearby nature play area and sensory trail) will open early this year — a welcome opportunity for residents to live a sustainable lifestyle finally have a backyard big enough for a 4×12-foot raised garden bed.
You can grow things and tell everyone you know that you’re growing things (more fodder for the brag-a-thon)! You can give unsuspecting neighbors a pound of peppers they didn’t ask for and resign yourself to years of gardening-related gifts for every holiday. Live the dream, gardeners!
Alpaca Chicken
I first heard that this popular Peruvian chicken establishment was coming to town via an overly excited text message from my big-backed husband, and apparently he’s right. I have absolutely no details to give you, other than it’s coming to Holly Springs, not Fuquay-Varina. Not surprising, really. No one in Fuquay can act right when it comes to chicken.
Circle K
You read that right. Holly Springs gets a community garden, shuttle service, and an Alpaca Chicken, and Fuquay gets a Circle K. This checks out. It may or may not come with a time traveling phone booth.
“Downtown Mixed-Use Development”
Can someone in town planning tell me what this means (actually don’t, y’all never shut up). From my own experience, “mixed-use development” seems to be a fancy way of saying, “Townhomes plus a random boutique/nail bar that you never asked for.”
If we’re lucky, we might get a bottle shop on the corner. The Fuquay side of Fuquay-Varina is cranking out “downtown mixed-use developments” faster than storage buildings, and for this town, that’s pretty impressive.
Photographed by Jonathan Fredin
Mi Cancun
Mi Cancuns are taking notes from Aviator and pulling a “who’s your daddy” all over Wake County. After the recent closing of Abbey Road Tavern, rumors churned that Mi Cancun was expected to move in with their margaritas and giant pink chair, establishing the restaurant’s 13th location. I’m not complaining, but the hustle is impressive. Viva Mi Cancun!
WakeMed Healthplex
With all the fast food establishments in Fuquay, WakeMed is taking note of our rising blood pressure and “HALP” calls by building a new Healthplex. This will include a 24/7 emergency department, diagnostic imaging, lab services, and a pharmacy. Construction on the 25,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin early this year. The projected completion date is 2027, so don’t die yet. Maybe eat a salad.
Holly Springs 150-Year Anniversary
Apparently, the Town of Holly Springs is celebrating 150 years of … being here. The celebration will begin on July 5, at the town’s annual fireworks festival, because the timing of their Independence Day celebration has never made sense and they know it. Why does this anniversary celebration begin in July, you ask? No, you didn’t ask, because nobody really cares.
(If you DO care, and you’re wondering what other festivities are on the way, visit hollyspringsnc.gov for more information. Don’t say I never gave you anything.)
Alston Ridge Greenway
Watch out, Cary: Fuquay-Varina is getting a new greenway and we’re coming for you one trail (every decade) at a time. The new greenway will be just under half a mile long and 10 feet wide (because we’re fat) and will connect Fuquay’s Alston Ridge Park to Holly Springs’ Bass Lake Park. The greenway will feature both asphalt and boardwalk sections, plus signage, because no one in Southern Wake can be trusted to use common sense. The path should open by the fall. Don’t count on that, but like … we’ll take the win.
Well, there you have it. Between the Target, chicken, greenways, and shuttle buses we may or may not be able to ride, Southern Wake is shaping up to be … not terrible. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s to keep our expectations low enough to trip over.
Happy 2026 to all who read these childish and unprofessional words of mine — and good luck out there!
