In 1825, Fayetteville’s namesake forged his path across a fledgling nation, spreading the spirit of liberty and unity. Now, Fayetteville prepares to honor this prominent figure of the American Revolutionary War with a celebration 200 years in the making.

The Lafayette Society, in partnership with the American Friends of Lafayette are excited to announce the Lafayette Farewell Tour Bicentennial Celebration, taking place on March 4 - 5. This celebration encompasses multiple locations around Fayetteville with different educational opportunities at each spot. 

“The American Friends of Lafayette four years ago decided this would be a way to educate more people about Lafayette and their goal was threefold, to commemorate, celebrate and educate,” said President Emeritus of the Lafayette Society Dr. Hank Parfitt. 

Marquis de Lafayette, the town of Fayetteville’s namesake, served an integral role in the Revolutionary War, and The Lafayette Society aims to educate others on his contributions.

“That was the motivation for this celebration and it’s our goal as the Lafayette Society because a lot of people have forgotten Lafayette was manifold. Not only was he a military leader, he became a very good military strategist who was willing to learn. He was a brash young man but instead of thinking he knew everything he said ‘I am here to learn from you’ when he spoke to George Washington,” said Parfitt. 

The Bicentennial Celebration will officially start with a live historical interpretation of Lafayette’s arrival to Fayetteville which will take place at noon on March 4 at Cross Creek Park in downtown Fayetteville. Lafayette will enter town in a horsedrawn carriage, accompanied by his son George Washington Lafayette and Hutchins Burton, the governor of North Carolina in 1825. The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry will march beside him in uniform as his bodyguard, just as they did in 1825. 

Crowds are encouraged to watch the reenactment and to help bring history to life, The Lafayette Society will be sending commemorative, historically accurate ribbons to interested participants to wear throughout the celebration. 

“A lot of people have seen the little ribbons that people wore for presidential elections in the 1800s, so we created one that’s based on a real ribbon, and it’s just an update to reflect that it is the federal tour of 2025,” said Parfitt. 

The evening of March 5, a formal ball will take place at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens complete with Dance Master, Charles Steplively, to teach historically accurate dances of that time period. 

Live music by historical music group, Syllabub, will be providing the background atmosphere and dancing music, with all historically accurate pieces from the time period. A theater element of historical scenes written by Jeremy Fiebig, founder of Sweet Tea Shakespeare will also be included. 

Throughout both days of the event, opportunities to view authentic artifacts and historic replicas will be available, including Methodist University’s Lafayette Collection and the armory museum located downtown which houses the carriage that Lafayette himself journeyed in. 

The Lafayette Society has spared no effort in remaining historically accurate in these interpretations. With multiple historical experts involved in composing these scenes and referencing historical documents, the Bicentennial Celebration has a sheer authenticity that is not cheaply replicated. 

“We had a good guideline which was a report on the newspaper of the day, which was the Carolina Observer, of course that became the Fayetteville Observer, so we had a contemporaneous report of someone who was there when Lafayette visited Fayetteville in 1825. So this has been very helpful and we have a description of everything from the time he crossed the Clarendon Bridge to cross the Cape Fear River to when he came up Person Street to have his welcome reception,” said Parfitt. 

Founded in 1981, The Lafayette Society has been a constructive power in the Fayetteville community. Their beneficial impact extends from scholarly fundings, education and important community resources. In addition, they strive to uphold the legacy of Lafayette, offering knowledge about his valuable participation in the American Revolutionary War as a military leader and political figure. 

“Realizing the value of Lafayette’s vision concerning slavery, human rights, leadership with integrity and women’s rights is aligned with my personal values and [I] am happy to amplify these ideals in our community and use the platform of our event to elevate these values even more,” said Dr. Gwenesta Melton, president of the Lafayette Society. “These current times are chaotic and challenging, [so] looking to commemorate a previous leader with extraordinary leadership is so vital today.” 

The Lafayette Society has worked hard to create an immersive, educational experience that has drawn audiences from up and down the East Coast to an elegant and multilayered event, unique to Fayetteville. 

“Lafayette, to me, is a symbol of hope and inspiration to our nation. I believe it was a testament to his greatness when President Monroe invited him to visit when our nation needed unity and inspiration during troubling times, much like today,” said Janelle Preman, Co-Chair of the Lafayette Society. 

As Fayetteville prepares to honor its unique place in history, the legacy of Lafayette reminds us that liberty, justice and unity are ideals worth celebrating--today, tomorrow and always.

To learn more about the events, make reservations and purchase tickets, go online to www.lafayettesociety.org/ the-grand-tour-bicentennial.