The 16th Annual Lafayette Birthday Celebration is an observance of the birthday of American Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was a famous French man who traveled to America to help American patriot forces defeat the British and gain independence. The celebrations take place from September 7th to the 9th.

Lafayette was born on September 6, 1757 in France.

In 1783, Fayetteville was named in honor of the French war hero of the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette played a significant role in helping the American patriot forces during the war. Fayetteville has the distinct honor of being the first American city named in his honor. Lafayette visited what was formerly Cross Creek (which had merged with Campbellton) on March 4th and 5th, 1825, during his tour of the United States.

The first event to celebrate Lafayette's birthday is on Thursday, September 7, at 7 p.m. inside the Haymount United Methodist Church sanctuary at 1700 Fort Bragg Road in Fayetteville. The event will feature a French music concert by Gail Morfesis and Friends and selections from Bizet's opera Carmen and its Broadway and movie adaptation Carmen Jones. Tickets can be purchased at the door and online at http://www.lafayettesociety.org/events. Tickets can also be purchased in person or by phone from City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. Their phone number is 910-678-8899. Prices are $15 for general admission and $10 for students.

There are two events on Friday, September 8.

The first event, a lecture, is at 1 p.m. at FTCC on Hull Road in the Multipurpose Room of the Tony Rand Student Center. FTCC and Dr. Daniel Stewart are hosting the lecture by Dr. Lloyd Kramer, History Professor and Director of Carolina Public Humanities at UNC Chapel Hill. The lecture is titled, “Why is our City called Fayetteville? Lafayette's Life, Ideas, and American Tour of 1824-25.” Admission is free.

The second event of the day will be held at Methodist University beginning at 6:30 p.m. Arleen Fields, Archives Librarian at Methodist University, will host the Lafayette Legacy Program at the Davis Memorial Library. At the reception, guests can view the extensive collection of arrowheads spanning 10,000 years of local Indigenous culture. These arrowheads had been collected on campus in the late 1960s by student Howard Arden.

At 7 p.m. Dr. Jamie Mize, Associate Professor of History and American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke will hold a talk titled, “From Oneida to Creek: Lafayette's Relationships with Native Americans.” Admission is free. For more information, call 910-630-7412.

There are three events on Saturday, September 9.

The first event, held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., is the guided Lafayette Trail Tour. The event begins at 8 a.m. with coffee and croissants at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Museum on Burgess St. in downtown Fayetteville. On the tour, guests will see the actual carriage that Lafayette rode into town and the places he visited in 1825. The tour includes riding the Coldwell-Banker Trolley and some moderate walking. Reservations are required, space is limited to only 33 participants. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at https://www.lafayettesociety.org/lafayette-society-online-payment/, or in person or by phone from the City Center Gallery & Books.

From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Cross Creek Park on Green St. will hold a Lafayette birthday celebration and family-oriented activities. At 1 p.m., General Lafayette will join everyone as they sing Happy Birthday. Free cupcakes will be available while they last. Admission is free.

The final event will be held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at SkyView on 121 Hay St. with the Lafayette Grand Birthday Ball & Soirée. According to the Lafayette Society website, "You are cordially invited to party like it's 1825! Dance the night away with waltzes and reels called by a Regency dance master, try your hand at the card tables, participate in some Regency games (dominoes, skittles, and more), get your portrait taken, your silhouette painted, your fortune read, and test your ballroom etiquette.”

Tickets begin at $95. For more information, visit www.TheLafayetteBall.com.

For more information about Lafayette, the Lafayette Society, and the upcoming events, visit https://www.lafayettesociety.org/.