Spy gala supports National Cold War Center

The National Cold War Center is hosting its annual fundraising gala on Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held in Hangar 207 on Atlanta Street in Blytheville. Tickets are available at nationalcoldwarcenter.com

“For Your Eyes Only,” the theme of the gala, plays on the pop culture spy-era of the Cold War. “We wanted to create a Bond-like feel for the party,” said event chair Seth Holifield. “It promises to be a dazzling night for sure.” The evening—requiring cocktail attire, in the true Bond fashion—will feature a large silent auction along with a live auction which will include, among other items, vacation home rentals from California to Colorado to Martha’s Vineyard. Dinner and dancing will round out the night, with music by the Jake Maurer Band from Tootsie’s in Nashville.

The National Cold War Center, a project in development in Blytheville at the former Eaker/Blytheville Air Force Base, will tell the entire story of the Cold War, focusing on the role of the nuclear triad and the impact on American citizens. A primary exhibit is the still-in-tact “alert” compound at the Blytheville base, a facility that housed U.S. Air Force B-52 crews during wartime efforts of the 1950s through the 1990s and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. As a precursor to the Center, the Blytheville Air Force Base Exhibition has opened on the base, highlighting the history of the Strategic Air Command post that was home to over 300,000 people over the years. The Exhibition currently is opened on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.