Celebrate the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville, NC, with a series of immersive events honoring his legacy.
All these events are FREE and open to the public, although space is limited for some!
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Tuesday, March 4, 2025: Lafayette Procession and Welcome
Time: Noon
Greet Lafayette at Cross Creek Park (in downtown Fayetteville) as he makes his grand entrance into Fayetteville in a horse-drawn carriage, just as he did in 1825. Accompanied by his son George Washington Lafayette and Governor Hutchins Burton, this historic reenactment features the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry as his bodyguard. Join us afterwards in the fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church to meet Lafayette and enjoy coffee and croissants. Free and open to the public.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025: Farewell Tour Ball – SOLD OUT!
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery at Cape Fear Botanical Garden
[See below for more Tuesday events.]
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Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Methodist University Lafayette Collection Open House
Time: 1:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: 5400 Ramsey St., Fayetteville (Davis Memorial Library, Methodist University).
Drive about 15 minutes north of downtown to see original letters written by Lafayette and one of America’s largest collections of 200 year-old Lafayette souvenirs from his Farewell Tour. Free, no registration required.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Farewell Tour Dinner – SOLD OUT!
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery at Cape Fear Botanical Garden
Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Explore Lafayette’s Legacy in Fayetteville
All of these activities are FREE. While Downtown, enjoy some unique shops and have lunch at one of our popular Mom and Pop restaurants!
Location: Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory, 210 Burgess Street, Fayetteville, NC
- Tuesday, March 4: 10 am | 10:30 am | 11 am | 11:30 am | 3:00 pm | 3:30 pm | 4:00 pm | 4:30 pm
- Wednesday, March 5: 10 am | 10:30 am | 11 am | 11:30 am | 3:00 pm | 3:30 pm | 4:00 pm | 4:30 pm
See the carriage that carried Lafayette through Fayetteville and learn about the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry (his 1825 military escort) and Lafayette’s role in Fayetteville history. Admission: Admission is FREE but you must register with your name, email address, and physical mailing address, and your preferred visit time so we can send you a commemorative Lafayette ribbon, which you will wear as your admission ticket. (We will do our best to accommodate your requested time, based on availability.) Email this information to us at lafayetteanniversary2025@gmail.com.
* See the Liberty Point Resolves and Lafayette-related items at the Fayetteville History Museum downtown on Franklin Street. Hours: 10 am to 4 pm.
* Walk (or drive!) in Lafayette’s footsteps on the Lafayette Trail. More information is available on the Distinctly Fayetteville Lafayette Trail website or the free TravelStoreys app on your phone.
* The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, located at 301 Hay Street in historic downtown, will exhibit unique artwork by local students depicting their idea of what Lafayette would see if he visited Fayetteville again 200 years from now. Come experience these artistic expressions of Lafayette’s namesake community by these talented artists. Hours 12 noon – 6pm Saturday March 1, 2 pm – 6 pm on Sunday March 2, and 9 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday March 3-7.
* Visit the Museum of the Cape Fear, 801 Arsenal Avenue in Haymount, where you can see the handsome four-poster bed Lafayette slept in as a guest of Duncan MacRae, whose descendants handed it down through every generation, along with other fascinating artifacts from his visit. Hours 10 am – 5 pm Tuesday-Saturday, and 1 pm – 5 pm Sunday.
* The Local and State History Room at the Headquarters Branch of the Cumberland County Public Library, 300 Maiden Lane, will have exhibits featuring Adrienne de Lafayette, children’s books about Lafayette, Lafayette’s “fan club,” and Lafayette’s connections to Fayetteville. Hours 9 am – 7 pm Tuesday and 9 am – 6 pm Wednesday.
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If you have tickets for the Farewell Tour Ball on March 4, plan to attend one or more workshops. Come early and come often!
Jeremy Gershman, who will assume the identity of Charles Steplively at the ball, is coming all the way from central Virginia to provide expert instruction in English Country Dancing, a type of “social dancing” that was prevalent throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. There are 3 dates to choose from:
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Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 6-8:30 pm(canceled due to weather)- Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 3-5:30 pm
- Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 6-8:30 pm
- Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 3-5:30 pm
The workshops will be held in the gym in the Family Life Center at the Hay Street United Methodist Church. A suggested donation of $10 for each workshop attended will be accepted at the door. (Cash or check, please.) To reserve your space, register in advance with your name, email address, how many people, and the date or dates that you will attend. Email this information to lafayetteanniversary2025@gmail.com.