It's not too late to plan to dance the night away in Civil War or formal attire at the Grand Blue and Gray Ball April 23 for Bennett Place State Historic Site. Recapture the antebellum style of ladies in large hoop skirts and gentlemen in uniforms of blue or gray.
The dance will be held at the barn at Daniel Boone Antique Mall in Hillsborough at 7 p.m. Flowers and candlelight, patriotic bunting and period music from the Jonny Booker Band will make for an evening of reverie. Popular period tunes will play and a dance master will provide detailed instructions if you don't know the steps. A professional photographer will be available so you can purchase a photograph that captures the moment.
Tickets are $35 individual or $50 per couple, and include heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks. They can be purchased online at www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com or at the site. The Bennett Place Support Fund sponsors the event to raise funds for projects at the historic site.
Bennett Place was the site of the largest surrender of the Civil War and included the armies of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida totaling nearly 90,000 war weary troops, effectively ending the Civil War. Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and Union Gen. William T. Sherman negotiated the truce at the farm of James and Nancy Bennett. The site interprets the life of soldiers and yeomen farmers of the period.
For additional information, please call (919) 383-4345, email bennett@ncdcr.gov, or visit website www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com. Bennett Place is within the Division of State Historic Sites within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.