There’s a longstanding opportunity to engage with this community’s arts and culture scene: Fayetteville’s monthly 4th Friday, sponsored by Cool Spring Downtown District. This month’s event, as usual, takes place in idyllic downtown Fayetteville. Set for June 28 from 6-10 p.m., its theme is “Love Local.”

“Love local” is an easy mandate to follow, as downtown is bursting with both longtime and new galleries, bookstores, bistros and shops to explore.

Cape Fear Studios and Gallery, located at 148- 1 Maxwell St., will hold an opening reception for its 2019 Nellie Allen Smith National Pottery Competition. The reception will last from 6-8 p.m., and the show will be up through July 23. CFS has hosted this competition for more than 20 years. The initial goal was to give local clay artists an opportunity to compete with their peers. The show has now grown to provide a nationally competitive stage, with entries coming in from across the U.S. To learn more, visit www. capefearstudios.com/monthly-exhibits or call 910-433-2986.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation & Local History Museum will hold a special 4th Friday celebration highlighting its current exhibit, “Baseball in Fayetteville.” This fun and educational exhibit focuses on the nearly 150 years of baseball history in this community — including the fact that Babe Ruth hit his first professional baseball home run here. It was also here that he picked up the nickname “Babe.”

The Market House, at the roundabout of Person, Hay, Green and Gillespie Streets, will open a new temporary exhibit, “Centennial of Pope Army Airfield,” from 6-9 p.m. The Market House’s permanent exhibit, “A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville,” will also be open.

There’s also live music to enjoy. Alice Osborn, a Piedmont-area performer whose music and lyrics are rooted in folk Americana and the New South, will perform at Bright Light Brewing Company, 444 W Russell St. From 7-10 p.m., Osborn will play tunes that are upbeat and informed by her identity as both an accomplished poet and an American history buff. She is the president of the North Carolina Songwriters Coop and lives in Raleigh with her family. She also plays Celtic fiddle and bluegrass banjo. Visit www.aliceosborn.com to learn more about her, and call Bright Light at 910-339-0464 to learn more about her show in Fayetteville.

These are just a few of the many events and activities happening downtown June 28. For more information about 4th Friday, visit www.theartscouncil.com or call Cool Spring Downtown District at 910-223-1089.

Photo: Alice Osborn