Ava Festival will showcase heritage tours, film screenings

SMITHFIELD — The 2024 Ava Gardner Festival, with fan-favorite events and some new experiences, will take place the first weekend in October.

Since 2007, the Ava Gardner Museum has staged the festival on the anniversary weekend of the museum’s opening in downtown Smithfield. Each year, new exhibits, heritage tours and guest speakers honor the legendary actress, fashion icon and humanitarian.

A North Carolina native, Gardner grew up just seven miles east of Smithfield in the farming community known as Grabtown.

This year’s festival is Oct. 4-6.

“The opening night film screening of ‘Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,’ down by the Neuse River at the amphitheater, will include food trucks, plus popcorn and ice cream vendors,” said Angelica Henry, manager of the Ava Gardner Museum. “We are excited to offer this special event free for all who want to come to downtown Smithfield.”

New exhibits in the museum’s main gallery will feature additional movie costumes. And a new exhibit in the library, titled “Archiving Ava,” will display some of the personal belongings and keepsakes Gardner kept from her 44-year career in Hollywood.

The festival schedule is below. Several events have limited seating, and advance tickets are encouraged. They’re available online via the museum’s Shopify account. Tickets for the film “Mogambo” at the Howell Theatre are available only via the theater’s website.

Friday, Oct. 4

9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. — museum open regular hours. General admission.

6:30-10 p.m. — food trucks and “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman” at the Neuse River Amphitheater. Free.

Saturday, Oct. 5

9 a.m.-5 p.m. — museum open regular hours. General admission.

9:30 a.m. — pre-screening talk with film historian Rob Davis, Howell Theatre, 141 S. Third St.

10 a.m.-noon — movie “Mogambo” at the Howell Theatre. Seating limited to 150.

1-3 p.m. — heritage tours. Seating limited to 38 people per tour. Tickets are $20 per person.

5 p.m. — evening discussion with film historian Rob Davis, who will speak on “100 Years of Film — Celebrating MGM’s Centennial,” Ava Gardner Museum theater, 325 E. Market St. General admission.

Sunday, Oct. 6

10 a.m.-noon — “Breakfast @ Ava’s,” continental breakfast and film screening of “One Touch of Venus.” Seating limited to 50. Tickets are $15 per person.

Noon-5 p.m. — museum open regular hours. General admission.

1-2 p.m. — museum presentation and premiere of the Ava Gardner Centennial documentary short.

For more information about the festival, call 919-934-5830 or email avainfo@avagardner.org . To purchase advance tickets, go to avagardnerfestival.com .

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