Come Spend the Weekend with Ava; Ava Gardner Festival Package Only $99!

July 24, 2010 - PRLog -- (Smithfield, NC) – Each year the Ava Gardner Museum celebrates Ava's life and career by hosting the Ava Gardner Festival.  This annual event includes heritage tours, screenings of classic Ava Gardner films, and special exhibits.  

This year’s festival will kickoff during the Ava Gardner Festival Gala on Friday evening, October 8th and will continue Saturday, October 9th from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.   The 2010 Ava Gardner Festival marks the 10th anniversary of the Ava Gardner Museum.  

The Ava Gardner Museum is offering a special Festival Package for Two for $99 that includes:  access to the Festival Gala, festival-long museum admission, heritage tour passes, and movie tickets to all films.  Purchasing the Festival Package is a savings of more than $30.  

The Ava Gardner Festival Gala, scheduled for Friday, October 8th, is an exclusive event with a guest list held to only 150 attendees.  The Museum will unveil its newest exhibit, Ava on the Small Screen, allowing attendees of the Gala to be the very first to see the new exhibit.  Items from Ava’s television projects The Long Hot Summer, Harem, A.D., and multiple appearances in the television series Knot’s Landing will be featured.  This exhibit will run through the end of May 2011.  

On Saturday, October 9th, heritage tours will be scheduled throughout the day.  Visitors will be shown points of interest in Ava's hometown, including Ava's birthplace, the Teacherage where she grew up, the Howell Theater where Ava first went to the movies, and will end with a visit to her gravesite at Sunset Memorial Park.

During the Festival, the classic Ava Gardner films The Barefoot Contessa and The Night of the Iguana will be screened at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield during the afternoon of Saturday, October 9th.  That evening at 7:30 PM, the musical Show Boat will be screened at the Neuse River Amphitheatre, 200 Front Street, Smithfield Town Commons.  

For accommodations, two local hotels are offering special Ava Gardner Festival discounts.  The Best Western Smithfield Inn (919-989-4047) is offering a special rate of $64.00 + tax and the Sleep Inn & Suites of Smithfield (919-209-2360) is offering a 15% discount on rates.  Call the hotel directly and mention the Ava Gardner Festival to take advantage of these special discounts.

For more information about the Ava Gardner Festival or to take advantage of the Ava Gardner Festival Package, please call the Ava Gardner Museum at 919-934-5830.

The Ava Gardner Museum is located in downtown Smithfield, at 325 E. Market Street and more information may be found on the museum website, www.avagardner.org or by calling 919-934-5830.  The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm with admission of $6.00 adults, $5.00 seniors and groups and $4.00 children.