Hometown Teams Exhibit Opening Ceremony

You’re Invited!

Stadium Snacks • Crafts • Music • Sports

You won’t have to go far to experience the wonder of the Smithsonian. Throw on your favorite jersey and join us Friday, July 6 from 5 – 8 p.m. for our Hometown Teams: Sports in American Communities Exhibit opening reception ceremony! Nosh on peanuts and popcorn, take part in a free patriotic craft project, meet Florida Gulf Coast University’s very own Azul the Eagle, explore the exhibit and find bleachers to sit on and footballs of different materials to touch!  A true Americana town square celebration, this event features Millennial Brewing Company, Way Too Tall Torrie, Southern SnoBalls, Nathan’s Famous SWFL and more.

The Hometown Teams exhibit captures the stories that unfold on neighborhood fields and courts, and the underdog heroics, larger-than-life legends, fierce rivalries and gut-wrenching defeats. For more than 100 years, sports have reflected the trials and triumphs of the American experience and helped shape the national character. Whether it is professional sports or those played on the collegiate or scholastic level, amateur sports or sports played by kids on the local playground, sports are everywhere in America.

This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Exhibiting: June 30 – August 11
Opening Ceremony: Friday, July 6 from 5-8 p.m.

Partner Exhibits:

• From the Little Leagues to the Big Leagues Exhibit presented at the Williams Academy Black History Museum (June 30-August 11)

HomeTown Movies:

• July 14 – Indoor Family Movie Night: The Mighty Ducks
• July 28 – Indoor Movie Night: Caddyshack
• TBD – Race: The Story of Jesse Owens

HomeTown Panels:

• July 14 at Noon – Panel Discussion: Sports, Diversity & Society (Black History Museum)
• July 21 – Panel Discussion: Lee County Sports, A Look Back (Alliance for the Arts)
• July 21 at Noon – Panel Discussion:  Sports, Diversity & Society (Black History Museum)
• August 4 at Noon – Panel Discussion:  Contributions of Women in Sports (Fort Myers Regional Library – Downtown)

This exhibit is made possible by a Florida Humanities Council Grant awarded to the Southwest Florida Historical Society. Project partners include the Smithsonian, the Alliance for the Arts and the Lee County Black History Museum.  Special thanks to the City of Fort Myers, Lee County Sports Development and the Lee Trust for Historic Preservation for their contribution to the success of the exhibit.