Celebrate the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville, NC, with a series of immersive events honoring his legacy.

Joining us from out of town?  Scroll to the bottom of the page for lodging info!

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
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery at Cape Fear Botanical Garden
Experience a magical night dancing at a period costume ball in Lafayette’s honor. Dressing in Regency attire to truly get into the spirit of the era is strongly encouraged but not required. Popular dance master Charles Steplively of Virginia, known for his expertise and engaging manner, will call the dances to the live music of Syllabub, a historical music group based in the Triangle area.  (Cash bar; light refreshments including French-themed desserts) | $75/person or reserve a VIP table for $750 (get a group of friends together and form your own table of eight!)

Registration options for the ball:

WE ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Email  lafayetteanniversary2025@gmail.com to find out whether tickets are still available.

 

Want to learn the Regency era dance moves?
Scroll down the page to sign up for a workshop!

[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
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery at Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Savor an exquisite dinner accompanied by live music and dramatic portrayals of scenes from Lafayette’s visit.  Enjoy an original play, written and directed by Fayetteville State University theatre professor and Sweet Tea Shakespeare founder Jeremy Fiebig.  This promises to be an evening of elegance and entertainment. | $95/person or reserve a VIP table for $1000 (get a group of friends together and form your own table of eight!)

Registration options for the dinner:

WE ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Email  lafayetteanniversary2025@gmail.com to find out whether tickets are still available.

 

Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5, 2025 

Mini Tours of F.I.L.I. Armory and Lafayette Carriage
Location: 
Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory, 210 Burgess Street, Fayetteville, NC
Tours starting at:
  • March 4:  10 am | 10:30 am | 11 am | 11:30 am | 3:00 pm | 3:30 pm | 4:00 pm | 4:30 pm
  • 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.

Explore Lafayette’s Legacy in Fayetteville
All of these activities are FREE, with no reservations required.  While Downtown, enjoy some unique shops and have lunch at one of our popular Mom and Pop restaurants!

* 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.

* See the Liberty Point Resolves and Lafayette-related items at the Fayetteville History Museum downtown on Franklin Street.  Hours: 10 am to 4 pm.

* The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, located at 301 Hay Street in historic downtown, will exhibit unique artwork by local artists that highlight Fayetteville at the time of Lafayette’s visit. Others will speak to the present and the changes he would see today, or to a “future world” that Lafayette might see were he to return then. 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. The collection also includes a set of coins from the Nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, reproduced faithfully from the original “Heroes of the Revolution” coins, minted in France shortly after the American Revolution.  Hours 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Saturday, and 1 pm-5 pm Sunday.

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Lodging options – Special rates for the Lafayette Bicentennial!

Fairfield Inn & Suites Fayetteville North
4249 Ramsey St. (5.1 mi from historic downtown Fayetteville)
910-223-7867 (Ask for the “Lafayette Farewell” rate:  $129 – $139 per night)
Or book online

Hampton Inn Fayetteville Ft. Liberty
1700 Skibo Road (6.6 miles from historic downtown Fayetteville)
910-487-4006 (Use code CHHFBI:  $139 per night)
Or book online

Please note: Although we obtained discounted rates for our guests, you may find a better rate if you are a loyalty customer or if you book through online travel services.

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Regency-Era Dance Workshops
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:
Dates:
  • Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 6-8:30 pm
  • Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 3-5:30 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.