Dram Yard + Gazebo Bar and The Burgwin-Wright House are partnering to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1922 escape of Topsy the circus elephant in Wilmington.

The special centennial event will be held 5:30-7:30pm on October 9 at Dram Yard, 101 South 2nd St., exactly 100 years to the night after Topsy escaped her owners with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus and trampled through Wilmington for nearly two days before being caught. The wild walkabout became the stuff of legend in the Cape Fear, causing thousands of dollars in damage to buildings like Eureka Dye Works on Second Street – now the home of Dram Yard.

To celebrate Topsy’s anniversary on October 9, Dram Yard, which is expanding its offerings this fall with Sunday brunch and Wednesday night dinner service, will offer specialty themed cocktails and snacks for guests at its outside gazebo bar and courtyard.

Throughout the evening in the courtyard, Burgwin-Wright House assistant museum director Hunter Ingram will also present a live telling of Topsy’s story, along with local history trivia, giveaways and a special toast to Topsy to cap off the evening.

Admission is free, and guests are encouraged to purchase Dram Yard’s specialty cocktails and snacks. Dram Yard will generously be donating a portion of the proceeds from the evening to the continued preservation of the Burgwin-Wright House.

For more information about Dram Yard, visit its website at www.dramyard.com.

Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is located at 224 Market Street in downtown Wilmington. Built in 1770 on the city’s first jail, circa 1744, it is the only Colonial-era structure in Wilmington open to the public. The museum is owned and operated by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina, which saved the house from the wrecking ball in 1937.

Guided tours of the house and jail are available Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.burgwinwrighthouse.com.