Downtown Fayetteville has always been a place of note, but more recently it has been for the lively cultural and artistic scene. Throughout the week downtown is buzzing with events and people enjoying the individual shops and delicious restaurants, but once a month they all band together and stay open late to give the public a venue to enjoy the cities wealth of culture and art. This month on July 27, downtown Fayetteville will be open and bustling, with most shops staying open later for the event.

This month the theme for 4th Friday is Christmas in July. The local kids museum Fascinate-U has fully embraced this theme by offering families a chance to come in and make mitten ornaments for their Christmas Tree. Additionally admission is free and everything in the gift shops is 10 percent off. The museum reminds patrons that the gift shop is full of perfect stocking stuffers for children. The museum will be open for 7 - 9 p.m.

For those interested in history, particularly history pertaining to Fayetteville, the Market House and the Transportation Museum are the places to be. The Market House in the center of downtown will be open from 6 - 10 p.m. hosting an exhibit on the Downtown Revitalization in its upstairs room. The Transportation Museum at 325 Franklin St. will be open to the public with history directly pertaining to Fayetteville and its growth as a city. It will have a model train room and many artifact filled exhibits.

The art scene in Fayetteville will also be alive and on display during the 4th Friday Festivities. The Arts Council will be embracing the green movement and promoting creative recycling by opening its newest exhibit “Recycle! It’s Second Nature.” This event is being sponsored by the City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department and will be on display from 7 to 9 p.m. Mary Kinney, the marketing director of the Arts Council, explains that this exhibit has been on display before and is always sponsored by the Environmental Services Department. Local artists were given a list of materials that were allowed to use, but given no other specifi cations for this exhibit.

“What’s new this year is we will also be holding a recycling fashion show,” Kinney said.

Artists in both shows are given the same list of materials and access to a local recycling center to claim materials. Artists are free to be creative with their art with what they choose to make it.

“They could use plastic, newspapers, aluminum foil, cereal boxes, junk mail, newspapers, magazines,” says Kinney listing some of the possible materials artists could use. The creativity of the area is truly on display and imagination is the only limiting factor when transforming what many would consider garbage into art. The Arts Council will also provide cash prices for those who enter; a $350 prize for the winner of the art show and for the fashion show there is $250 up for grabs. Deadlines for forms and artwork must be turned in July 20-21.

Gallery One13 will also be open later than normal for the festivities. Located on 113 Gillespie Street the gallery will be open until 9p.m. displaying art for all to enjoy.

Headquarters Library located at 300 Maiden Lane will also host activities the entire family can enjoy. From 7p.m. to 8:45p.m.the library will present a Broadway Musical Review with refreshments provided by SYSTEL. Local dancers, singers and students as well as choreographer Rhonda Brocki, accompanist Adita Harless and Dr. Gail Morfesis make up the group Gail Morfesis & Company.