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Tuesday, 25 February 2025
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Written by Anna White
It has been two years since a planning committee formed to prepare Fayetteville for the Bicentennial Celebration of Lafayette’s Farewell tour. Now, the big days are right around the corner.
Hank Parfitt, who serves as chair for the committee, said that it has brought nearly 20 nonprofits together in collaboration. He explained that the committee represents a wide cross-section of the city and includes individuals from various non-profits, the school system, city and county government, art museums, and historical committees. Additionally, several subcommittees manage specific events.
Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5 will be spent in remembrance and celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War Hero and champion of human rights and liberty who left an indelible mark on American history, and whom Fayetteville was named for.
Tuesday, March 4th Events
Festivities will commence with the Lafayette Procession and Welcome on Tuesday. Lafayette, represented by Dr. Sam Powell, and other reenactors representing Lafayette’s son, George Washington Lafayette, and Governor Hutchins Burton will make an entrance at Cross Creek Park in a horse-drawn carriage with the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry reenacting as bodyguards.
Parfitt explained that the procession is based on contemporaneous reports published in the Carolina Observer describing Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville 200 years ago. The procession will conclude with a reception at the fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church where visitors can enjoy coffee and croissants while mingling with each other and Lafayette.
David Mann, former president and current member of the Marquis de Lafayette chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, who has been collaborating with Parfitt and others in preparation for the Procession and Welcome, said he wants residents to understand who the Marquis de Lafayette was.
“I thought it was important that we rally around this one event,” he shared, “it’s a combination ceremony and reenactment of Lafayette’s arrival in Fayetteville from Raleigh.”
Mann said he hopes attendees walk away with “a sense of unity and patriotism” inspired by the figure who he described as a champion of justice and equality.
“It was an ugly period in American history, but Lafayette was opposed to slavery and spoke out against the injustices of it, and I think it's important that we recognize that.”
Following the Procession and Welcome, Tuesday’s second event, the Farewell Tour Ball, will be held at The Ralph and Lida Huff Orangery at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. The Lafayette Society described the event as, “A magical night dancing at a period costume ball in Lafayette’s honor.” The ball will feature dance master Jeremy Gershman who goes by the stage name “Charles Steplively,” engaging and directing attendees in English country dances accompanied by the historical music group Syllabub.
Gershman has been conducting dance workshops in the Fayetteville area to help prepare attendees for the ball but says that those unfamiliar with English country dancing are welcome, though they may not find the experience quite as fluid.
“People who've had a dance background in a different form would probably pick up what we're doing fairly easily, because I am purposely selecting dances that are more beginner level,” he shared.
He said that the 2-2.5 hours of dancing attendees will enjoy, is called “social dancing” for a reason. “You can't just dance with one person and the person you came with and just stay with them all night and kind of not talk with other people,” he explained. “You have to touch hands and laugh and smile and look at people as you go through all these figures.”
Janelle Preman, State Chair of the 200th Anniversary Lafayette Farewell tour and chair of the Farewell Tour Ball said that she thinks the Farewell tour celebrations are a “proud moment” for the city of Fayetteville.
“I think it is a fabulous opportunity to teach children and adults some American Revolution history and the importance of Lafayette's role for our nation,” she said.
Wednesday, March 5th Events
Wednesday will see celebrations equally as extravagant, beginning with Methodist University’s Lafayette Collection Open House, and ending with the Farewell Tour Dinner.
The Open House features the opportunity to view letters written by Lafayette and one of America’s largest collections of souvenirs from his Farewell Tour.
The Farewell Tour Dinner will be a feast for all the senses. Described by the Lafayette Society as an “exquisite dinner accompanied by live music and dramatic portrayals,” the dinner will be backdropped by an original play written and directed by Jeremy Fiebig, Fayetteville State University theatre professor and Sweet Tea Shakespeare founder. Accompanied by live music, guests will enjoy an elegant evening immersed in dramatic portrayals of Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville as they eat.
Tuesday and Wednesday Events
Several opportunities will be open or run at regular intervals on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mini tours of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory and Lafayette Carriage will be running both days. According to the Lafayette Society, the community can “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.”
Several opportunities available Tuesday, Wednesday and beyond include: Explore Lafayette’s Legacy in Fayetteville, a self-guided tour available through Distinctly Fayetteville’s Lafayette Trail website or the free TravelStoreys app; Fayetteville History Museum’s display of Liberty Point Resolves and Lafayette-related items; The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s art display featuring work by local artists that highlights Fayetteville as it relates to Lafayette; and the Museum of the Cape Fear’s display of Lafayette-related items, including the four-poster bed Lafayette slept in as a guest of Duncan Macrae.
Lafayette Society Annual Luncheon Meeting
For those who wish to preserve Lafayette’s legacy beyond the Bicentennial Celebrations, the Lafayette Society welcomes visitors to their Annual Luncheon Meeting, Sunday, March 2.
The luncheon is a pre-event featuring lecturer Robert Kelly who is speaking on the significance of Lafayette’s 1824-25 farewell tour and its correlation with current political challenges. The Society will also be announcing the winners of their Creative Contest, which invited submissions of poems and videos highlighting Lafayette’s values.
Dr. Gwenesta Melton, President of the Lafayette Society, said that membership with the society is not based on genealogy and only includes a small fee. She invited residents to come experience the camaraderie.
“if you are a lover of good American history and a wonderful French hero of the Americas, then you'll find something very, very important that will resonate with you if you join our society.”
Though the Marquis de Lafayette visited Fayetteville 200 years ago, Melton says the impact is ongoing.
“The Marquis de Lafayette had some ideals and principles that we could still use to this very day.”
For more information on the March 4 and 5 Bicentennial Celebrations and the Lafayette Society’s Annual Luncheon Meeting at the Skyview on Hay, visit lafayettesociety.org.
(Photo-Above: Attendees visit Lafayette Park in Fayetteville during a Lafayette event in 2024. Below: Lafayette lands in New York to kick off the Bicentennial Celebration. Photos courtesy of the Lafayette Society)
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Tuesday, 25 February 2025
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Written by Dr. Shanessa Fenner
Reading is fundamental. Roughly, 781 million adults worldwide are illiterate and this crucial, essential skill can be detrimental to an individual’s life and impact the way they live, work and function in society.
The Cumberland County School System will celebrate Read Across America Sunday, March 2 – Saturday, March 8.
“Read Across America started in 1998 and the National Education Association (NEA) began the celebration with a focus on Dr. Seuss and the joy of reading that his books brought us,” said Donna White, K-5 ELA Curriculum Specialist for Cumberland County Schools. “His literature served as the impetus for setting the stage for the Read Across America celebration.”
Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. “In more recent years, Read Across America has expanded to include not only a celebration of Dr. Seuss, but also to celebrate a plethora of author’s books,” said White. “The reason that we celebrate Read Across America is because we want to instill the love of reading, inspire kids and adults to read, spark kids’ imagination and teach them empathy as they step into the shoes of other characters,” said White. “We want to strengthen their reading skills through things like improving their vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking which sets the children up for success in school and beyond.”
Literacy is an important skill and it is never too early to expose children or a baby in utero to the reading of a book.
“We know that reading opens doors and early exposure to reading has been shown to improve the cognitive development of kids, to boost their academic performance and to spark their creativity,” said White.
This year, the National Education Association’s celebration resources entail opportunities to incorporate music into the reading as well. A plethora of events are planned for Read Across America for Cumberland County students. “Each school and teacher classrooms have found fabulous ways to celebrate Read Across America,” said White. “Kids will get to dress up as their favorite character or their favorite book and parade around the school or around the classroom.”
She added, “Other schools and other classrooms may decide to have a spirit week where they might have a hat day, a favorite book Friday, family reading nights, invite guest readers such as county and city leaders to read a book to the students or a reading challenge where they are challenging students to read a certain number of books or pages during the week.”
Motivating students to read can be an arduous task.
“What helps to motivate students to read is when they see adults and other students around them getting excited about reading and that rubs off on them,” said White. “It is important that we always ensure that our kids see reading as a fun activity that they want to do rather than something that they have to do in order to do something fun.”
White added, “Even with the most reluctant readers that I have encountered during my years of working with young students, finding out what interests them the most can motivate them to read.”
The goal at home and school is to have a literacy rich environment for students.
“We want to make sure that our students have access to lots and lots of books,” said White. “Fortunately, our schools have wonderful libraries and Cumberland County is particularly blessed to have many public libraries that have programs for the students after school, on the weekends and during the summer that can help provide students with that literacy rich environment.”
White’s goal for Read Across America week is for every Cumberland County student to be inspired in some way by literature whether it is hearing a special guest read to them or experience a book tasting.
“It is important that our children see their families reading and for parents to have that conversation with their child about what their favorite books were as a child,” said White. “It is even more important now to show our children how to put those digital devices away and interact with a good old-fashioned book.”
For more information visit www.ccs.k12.nc.us.
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