Music and melon will accent the Old-Fashioned July 4 Ice Cream Social celebration at Mountain Gateway Museum (MGM). Red watermelon, white vanilla ice cream and bluegrass music are a formula for a fun-filled, family friendly free celebration Wednesday, July 4, 2 to 4 p.m. – or until the food runs out.
At MGM’s annual Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social, the museum’s staff and volunteers will serve refreshments under the gazebo while local band Possum Creek plays traditional favorites and some patriotic tunes on the front porch. It’s the museum’s way to say “thank you” to the community for its ongoing support.
Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on the grounds and enjoy the food and music. You can also view the town’s 4th of July parade, which will start at 4 p.m. It will proceed from Old Fort Elementary School down Catawba Avenue past the museum before turning right onto East Main Street.
Guests also can view the new exhibit, “Understanding Our Past, Shaping Our Future,” about the Cherokee language. The traveling exhibit runs through Nov. 4. It focuses on the role of Cherokee language to Cherokee culture and explores themes of Cherokee homeland, heritage sites, tourism, family and community celebrations.
The 15-panel exhibit uses smart phone technology to access conversations recorded in Cherokee at the Cherokee language program at Western Carolina University that are linked by QR codes to the archive and accessed by smart phone. The comments on historic photographs displayed in the exhibit provide a personal story and adds insight into Cherokee identity.
For additional information, please call (828) 668-9259. Mountain Gateway Museum is located at 24 Water St., Old Fort. It is part of the Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.