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Dates & Times
October 2
-
October 4,
2026
Varies by day
Location
325 E Market St.
Smithfield, NC 27577
Cost
Visit the website
Contact
Ava Gardner Museum
avainfo@avagardner.org
(919) 934-5830
View Event Website
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The 2026 Ava Gardner Festival celebrates the screen legend’s life in Spain, a chapter defined by independence, reinvention and an enduring connection between Ava and Spanish culture.
Join the Ava Gardner Museum for a weekend honoring her international legacy through live flamenco performances, selections from her acclaimed filmography and never-before-seen artifacts.
The festival begins Friday, October 2, with “A Night in Madrid,” a black-tie gala at the Ava Gardner Museum. Walk the red carpet, explore museum exhibits and experience the spirit of Spain with live flamenco dancing, Spanish music, a curated charcuterie spread and screenings of Ava Gardner films in the museum theater. Tickets are $30 a person.
On Saturday, October 3, the celebration continues with a screening of “The Sun Also Rises,” the 1957 film starring Gardner alongside Tyrone Power, Mel Ferrer and Errol Flynn. Tickets are $10 a person.
Join the Ava Gardner Museum for a weekend honoring her international legacy through live flamenco performances, selections from her acclaimed filmography and never-before-seen artifacts.
The festival begins Friday, October 2, with “A Night in Madrid,” a black-tie gala at the Ava Gardner Museum. Walk the red carpet, explore museum exhibits and experience the spirit of Spain with live flamenco dancing, Spanish music, a curated charcuterie spread and screenings of Ava Gardner films in the museum theater. Tickets are $30 a person.
On Saturday, October 3, the celebration continues with a screening of “The Sun Also Rises,” the 1957 film starring Gardner alongside Tyrone Power, Mel Ferrer and Errol Flynn. Tickets are $10 a person.
