What began with a simple request from the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville has evolved into a new, collaborative marketing initiative with nearly 20 partners, led by the promotional efforts of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. In May, Fayetteville will host “31 Days of Glory,” a month-long celebration of performances, ceremonies, exhibits and activities to honor those who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces.
Leisa Greathouse, curator of education at the museum, serves as chairperson for the event’s first year. “I hope we have set a new tradition for the way Fayetteville promotes its cultural treasure,” says Greathouse. “We are coming together as a community to offer quality-of-life activities during the month in which we honor our armed forces and memorialize the sacrifice of those who served.”
The 31 Days of Glory brings opportunity for both economic stimulus and cultural awareness. Each day in May will bring something patriotic to see and do in Fayetteville.
On May 2, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex will open A Thousand Words: Photographs by Vietnam Veterans, a traveling exhibit created and curated by Martin Tucker. The exhibit will run through Nov. 15.
On May 16, the museum will host Armed Forces Living History Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features a chronology of the United States military from the colonial period to present day. Included in this salute to the armed forces, visitors will delight in Civil War and World War II music, in addition to guest lecturers and children’s activities.
On May 28 at 7 p.m., the museum will host its quarterly Arsenal Roundtable program with a study of munitions. The U.S. Arsenal, a manufactory of ordnance goods, employed women during the Civil War to roll cartridges, comprised of black powder and minié balls, for the Confederacy. Most notably, the arsenal produced approximately 10,000 Fayetteville rifles.
Join the museum and the rest of Fayetteville for 31 Days of Glory during May. For more information about 31 Days of Glory, logon to www.31daysofglory.com.
For more information about the museum, call 910-486-1330 or access www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov. The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, located on the corner of Bradford and Arsenal avenues in Fayetteville, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, www.ncculture.com.