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 8^th, 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.