One of Cumberland County's greatest assets is its thriving arts and cultural community. Theatre, symphony orchestras, museums for adults and children are available. One such museum that pays homage to our military is the National Airborne and Special Operations Museum located in downtown Fayetteville. Fayetteville has many festivals and special events held throughout the year for your enjoyment.

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF FAYETTEVILLE / CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County - recognized nationally as a leader in the local arts agency movement - provides grants and services that support a diverse range of cultural arts disciplines. The Arts Council operates with a budget of close to one million dollars to support cultural and educational activities in the arts throughout the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area. In addition to grants programs, the Arts Council administers a variety of community arts services and arts education programs which include Arts in Education and Urban Arts Residency Programs.

ARTS CENTER
The Arts Council is based in the Arts Center, which was originally built as a federal post office in 1910 is an elegant National Register historic building in the midst of Olde Fayetteville. Teams of artists contracted throughout the year manage Arts Center programs that include performances, readings and visual art exhibitions. The facility is home is home to a variety of local cultural agencies and the public spaces are utilized by a number of community organizations for meetings, classes, workshops and special events. Visit www.theartscouncil.com to find out more about these exciting programs.

THEATRE

Cape Fear Regional Theater
Located in downtown Fayetteville, this award winning theater presents premiere off-Broadway productions, elaborate musicals, classic dramas, comedies and children's favorites. CFRT's productions feature local, regional and national talent, often bringing in veteran Broadway performers. In its 42nd season, CFRT is now considered an emerging professional theatre with a national reputation and contracts actors, writers and designers from throughout the country. Visit the CFRT at www.cfrt.org to learn more.

ART GALLERIES

The Arts Center houses The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and rotating art exhibits. Cape Fear Studios is home to a collective group of local artists and crafters displaying and selling their work. Gallery 122 features regional contemporary paintings, photography, pottery and monthly art shows. The Mallett-Rogers House features exhibits, paintings, sculpture and mixed-media works by Methodist College art faculty and students.

PERFORMANCE CENTERS

Cumberland County Coliseum Complex
Concerts, sporting events, family shows and theater productions are offered year round. The facilities include: Theatre - 2,500 seat capacity; Arena - 5,000 seat capacity; Coliseum - 14,000 seat capacity; Rose Exposition Center - 60,000 square feet. See more detailed information later in this section.

Reeves Auditorium
Reeves Auditorium at Methodist College is home of multiple annual symphony concerts by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.

Fayetteville State University Auditorium
The home of the FSU Drama Guild, which produces two plays a year featuring the works of African-American and other playwrights, also provides the setting for concerts, performances, pageants and community forums during the year.

Alltell Pavilion at Walnut Creek
This partially covered outdoor amphitheater hosts many of the top current and past stars and bands and is located less than an hours drive from Fayetteville on Interstate 95 and 40 near Raleigh.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS

Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra
The oldest community symphony in the state, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra serves as a musical resource for all citizens of the region. Not only is the Symphony an artistic outlet for local musicians, but it also provides a season of concerts and quality educational opportunities. Of special note for young audiences is the Instrument Zoo - an event where kids get up close and personal with a variety of symphonic instruments. The FSO performs several concerts a year at Reeves Auditorium on Methodist College. Along with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, the NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY performs three to four concerts locally each year, featuring guest artists.

MUSEUMS

Fayetteville Museum Of Art
A thriving regional resource, the Fayetteville Museum of Art is housed in the first building in the State of North Carolina designed and built as an Art Museum. The Museum's collection is extensive and changing gallery exhibits have featured artists regularly. The Fayetteville Museum of Art is a modern facility that includes two galleries, classrooms, studio space, an Art Reference & Slide Lending Library and a Museum Store. The museum's 5.8 acre grounds and pond give the Fayetteville community a place to gather for relaxation. The park-like setting is an oasis in the midst of a heavily trafficked area. It is also utilized for large-scale sculpture displays, art festivals and public concerts.

Fascinate-U Children's Museum
One of Fayetteville's newest additions to the cultural scene is Fascinate-U. It's a place where children can explore their world the way they learn best-- through creative role-playing, manipulation and interaction with each other and objects around them. Located in the heart of Fayetteville, Fascinate-U features hands-on exhibits where kids can touch, pretend, climb, perform, count, sort, jump, look, explore, watch, feel, try and wonder! There is a dental office and a broadcast news desk; a city bank and a newspaper office! A judge's podium, a grocery, a fire station and post office are only a few of the interactive exhibits that are designed to nurture kids' imaginations.

Museum of the Cape Fear
Part of the North Carolina Museum of History Division, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is located just west of downtown Fayetteville. The complex is comprised of the Museum, the 1897 Poe House and the 1838 Arsenal, and recounts the social, economic and political history of southern North Carolina. Visitors can explore the lifestyles of upper middle-class families in southern North Carolina at the turn of the century, the lives of Native Americans in North Carolina, the reasons why Scottish immigrants settled in the area, and learn about the changes brought about by plank roads, steamboating and railroads. Museum goers will also discover how the Civil War affected North Carolinians on the homefront, why textiles and pottery are so important to the state and what it was like to shop in a 1920's general store.

MILITARY MUSEUMS

National Airborne & Special Operations Museum
A state-of-the-art national educational facility opened in 2000 in downtown Fayetteville housing exhibits and programming which highlights the core values, sacrifices, courage, devotion to duty and exploits of all units of this unique sector of our armed forces, from its inception in 1940 to the present.

82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
Houses over 3,000 artifacts from World War I through Operation Desert Storm. Weapons, helmets, uniforms, glider, photographs, aircraft, parachutes and other items are on display.

JFK Special Warfare Museum
Provides a behind-the-scenes look at unconventional warfare, the museum houses weapons, military art and international culture items. The emphasis is on Special Operations units from WWII to present day.

Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory and Museum
The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Company is the oldest southern militia unit in continuous existence in the U.S., serving North Carolina since 1793. The museum houses two centuries of preserved documents, uniforms and artifacts.

SPECIAL EVENTS / FESTIVALS

Cities and towns in the Cape Fear region hold a variety of festivals throughout the year, with a strong concentration during the spring and fall. Fourth Friday Gallery Walks is a year-round. This event features entertainment to delight the crowds as they mingle through the galleries and enjoy the perspective of so many diverse artists. In April the Dogwood Festival is an annual celebration of spring featuring major entertainment and social, cultural, sporting and historical events, as well as the 18-mile Dogwood Trail. Dickens Holiday is celebrated on the Friday after Thanksgiving. International Folk Festival is an annual celebration of the cultural diversity in Fayetteville. The Festival is held Downtown Fayetteville and offers a variety of music, international cuisine, arts and crafts, and a Parade of Nations with floats, performers and animals. Downtown is also the site of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Fayetteville State University homecoming and Christmas parades. For more information on festivals around the state, Fayetteville and Cumberland County, visit www.visitfayettevillenc.com.