5 Ideas for Ringing in 2016 Across North Carolina

Still looking for a way to ring in 2016? We have a few ideas for both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day across North Carolina:

 

1. Start your new year off Friday with a First Day Hike at one of North Carolina’s state parks. Most parks will have guided programs, and all parks will be open.

 

 

2. Ring in the new year Thursday with First Nigh Raleigh activities at the N.C. Museum of History and N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

 

 

3. Commemorate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution with patriotic music, historical reenactments with costumed characters and a dramatic reading of amendment’s text Friday at Tryon Palace in New Bern.

 

 

4. Swing in the New Year with Camel City Jazz Orchestra and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem Thursday at the Resolution 2016 Jazz Party.

 

 

5. Celebrate the arrival of 2016 with music by Strauss, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and others as performed by the N.C. Symphony Thursday in Raleigh.

 

 

Check out DNCR’s calendar for more information on these and other events, and a enjoy a great North Carolina weekend!

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10 Ideas for Halloween Weekend Fun Across North Carolina

An old fashioned day in Albemarle, concerts of the music of Harry Potter in New Bern and Raleigh and celebrations of Halloween across the state are just a few of the opportunities for fun and discovery you’ll find this weekend with the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Here are 10 things on our weekend to-do list:

1. Celebrate Halloween at one of our museums.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh will offer activities exploring science’s spookier side Thursday, while the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City will present a Halloween movie and crafts Saturday. Fayetteville‘s Museum of the Cape Fear will have trick or treating at the 1897 Poe House, also on Saturday.

 

 

2. Hear a spooky 40s-style radio show at Tryon Palace in New Bern Friday and Saturday.

 

 

3. See historic demonstrations and exhibits, make a craft and enjoy live music at Morrow Mountain State Park’s Old Fashioned Day Sunday in Albemarle.

 

 

4. Join Jones Lake State Park in Elizabethtown Saturday for costume contests, hayrides, games, hikes with rangers and animal exhibits as part of its annual Fall Festival.

 

 

5. Explore the intricacies of the Battle of Wyse Fork during a lecture and book signing Saturday the CSS Neuse Civil War Center in Kinston.

 

 

6. Take your Jack-O-Lanterns to Town Creek Indian Mound in Mount Gilead Sunday to see them launched in trebuchet built by local boy scouts.

 

 

7. Try and strike it rich at Reed Gold Mine in Midland before panning for gold closes for the season Saturday.

 

 

8. Experience a Halloween at Hogwarts with performances of the music of Harry Potter by the N.C. Symphony, presentations by an illusionist and face painting in Raleigh and New Bern throughout the weekend.

 

 

9. Trick or treat under the sea and enjoy a whole host of other Halloween-related activities throughout the week at the N.C. Aquariums at Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher.

 

 

10. Marvel at Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester when it goes on view Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh.

 

 

Check out DNCR’s calendar for more information on these and other events, and a enjoy a great North Carolina weekend!

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5 Last Minute Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is two days away and you still don’t know what to do to make your mom feel special this year. Don’t’ panic! We have a few last minutes ideas that will make both you and your mom happy this year:

1. Take you mom for tea and a garden tour at Tryon Palace.

 

 

Tickets are going fast for this unique experience, but there are still several spots open, especially during the 12:30 p.m. time slot.

 

2. Learn to weave with pine needles side-by-side with your mom Sunday at Town Creek Indian Mound.

 

 

Remember when you were kid and you made those Mother’s Day cards in school? Relive the glory days by discovering how to practice this traditional craft.

 

3. Explore seven pieces of art in the N.C. Museum of Art’s collection related to the theme of motherhood.

 

 

Don’t forget to stop by the museum’s Iris restaurant for a special lunch while you’re there.

 

4. Join the N.C. Museum of History for a Mother’s Day concert with The Buck Stops Here.

 

Your mom will love the group’s unique sound that blends traditional and old-time music with original songs and tunes.

 

5. Give your mom the gift of North Carolina culture.

 

 

From tickets to the acclaimed Starring, North Carolina! exhibit or one of North Carolina’s best arts events to unique Tar Heel crafts you can find at the N.C. Museum of Art’s gift shop, our museums, historic sites and other programs all offer something your mom is guaranteed to love.

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9 Great Easter Weekend Events Across North Carolina

A new exhibit of historical photographs of the mountains in Asheville, a beer tasting to kick off North Carolina Beer Month in Raleigh and opportunities to meet the Easter Bunny and go on Easter egg hunts around the state are just a few of the opportunities for fun and discovery you’ll find this weekend with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Here are nine suggestions to help you make the most of your time:

1. Discover the history and archaeology of whaling in North Carolina during a talk Thursday at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras.

2. Go on an Easter egg hunt and celebrate spring with other fun activities in the shadow of the Battleship North Carolina Saturday in Wilmington.

3. Kick off North Carolina Beer Month with a beer tasting Friday at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

4. Take your kids to Tryon Palace in New Bern Saturday afternoon for games, pictures with the Easter Bunny and an Easter egg hunt on the South Lawn.

5. Meet the Easter Bunny, dye and decorate eggs and take part in an Easter egg hunt on the grounds of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) Friday in Winston-Salem.

6. Ride the Easter Bunny Express with your family throughout the weekend at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. An Easter egg hunt and breakfast with the Easter Bunny will also be offered Saturday.

7. Explore the N.C. Museum of Art’s galleries after dark Friday in Raleigh, while Ed Stephenson and the Paco Band play in the background.

8. Check out a traveling exhibit of Horace Kephart’s iconic photographs of the Great Smoky Mountains, open at the DCR Western Office in Asheville for the first time this weekend.

9. See what it took to rebuild Tryon Palace in the 1950s in a new exhibit of photographs opening Sunday in New Bern.

Keep in mind that most of our historic sites and museums will be closed for the state holidays on Friday and Sunday. Call ahead before you visit to make sure they’re open.

Check out DCR’s calendar for more information on these and other events, and a enjoy a great North Carolina weekend!

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Our Spring Bucket List

It’s the first day of spring and we’re excited! It’s been a pretty rough winter across the Tar Heel State, and if you’re feeling as stir crazy as we are, you’re ready to get out there and celebrate the coming of the warmer weather with all of the best that North Carolina has to offer.

Here’s what’s on our spring bucket list. What’s on yours?

1. Jump on board the Easter Bunny Express at the N.C. Transportation Museum.

No one signals the arrival of spring quite like the Easter Bunny. And during the next couple of weeks, he’ll be offering special train rides at the N.C. Transportation Museum that your kids won’t want to miss. In addition to train rides, your family can also have breakfast with the big bunny and go on an Easter egg hunt at the museum on select days.

 

2. Get started researching your genealogy with RootsMOOC.

This free online course from the State Library and Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest will introduce beginners to the basics of the family history research, while offering pros a chance to take part in the teaching process and share their love for family history with others. Spring is a great time for a new project, make genealogy yours!

 

3. Experience a Civil War living history program.

North Carolina’s largest Civil War re-enactment will take place this weekend at Bentonville Battlefield in Four Oaks, but the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War won’t stop there. We have a number of programs planned through the rest of the season.

 

4. Visit the beautiful gardens at Tryon Palace.

The gardens at Tryon Palace represent the wide array of landscapes you’d see on larger estates during the 18th and 19th centuries. From the grandeur of the formal Maude Moore Latham Garden to the natural Wilderness Garden and the practical Kitchen Garden, there’s so much to explore.

 

5. Explore past issues of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine.

In print since 1937, Wildlife in North Carolina is the official educational publication of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The magazine features a stunning collection of nature photography perfect for the season, and thanks to the hard the work of the State Library, you can read more than 700 issues online for free.

 

6. See the science behind some of state’s most fascinating history.

From an overview of the engineering that makes Vollis Simpson’s whirligigs work to a look at the cutting edge technology used to conserve artifacts from the wreck of the Blackbeard’s flagship, several of our historic sites, museums and other venues are teaming up with the N.C. Science Festival this April to show you the interesting intersections of history and science.

 

7. Try out a new North Carolina arts experience.

From annual music festivals like MerleFest and Moogfest to the start of the run of the many of North Carolina’s outdoor dramas, there are so many great experiences across the Tar Heel State in the springtime. Check out the N.C. Arts Council’s cultural trails for some inspiration.

 

8. Take a stroll in the N.C. Museum of Art’s Museum Park.

If you saw our fall bucket list, you probably know that we recommended the park then, too. But the truth is that there’s really no bad to time to visit this 160-acre Raleigh gem. As part of its inaugural Art in Bloom festival this weekend, the museum will be offering several great programs, both inside and out.

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10 Weekend Events Across North Carolina You Won’t Want to Miss

North Carolina’s largest Civil War re-enactment in Four Oaks, a festival of art and flowers in Raleigh and a night under the stars in Mount Gilead are just a few opportunities for fun and discovery you’ll find this weekend with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Here are 10 suggestions to help you make the most of your time:

1. See North Carolina’s largest Civil War re-enactment Saturday and Sunday at Bentonville Battlefield in Four Oaks.

 

 

2. Join the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh for Art in Bloom, its inaugural festival of art and flowers throughout the weekend. Master classes, art making, lectures and breathtaking flower displays will all be part of the fun.

 

 

3. Make art in the Wake Forest Baseball Park in Winston-Salem Saturday with the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) and other local arts organizations.

 

 

4. Discover how the staff at Horne Creek Farm in Pinnacle used oral histories and other primary sources of information to restore the buildings on site during a program Saturday.

 

 

5. Spend a night under the stars at Town Creek Indian Mound in Mount Gilead, one of the best spots for stargazing in the Tar Heel State.

 

 

6. Learn tips and tricks for deciphering and preserving your old family photos at a workshop presented by the N.C. Genealogical Society and the State Archives Saturday in Raleigh.

 

 

7. Hear about the history behind Parker Legwear, one of western North Carolina’s largest textile operations, Saturday at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort.

 

 

8. Explore the history of the U.S. Coast Guard in North Carolina through a new exhibit at the Outer Banks History Center in Manteo.

 

 

9. Experience the works of female jazz and blues icons through songs and stagecraft during “Mama’s Got the Blues,” a multimedia production at Tryon Palace in New Bern Thursday.

 

 

10. Take your kids to the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City Friday to

make a mixed media canvas.

 

 

Check out DCR’s calendar for more information on these and other events, and a enjoy a great North Carolina weekend!

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8 Weekend Events Across North Carolina You Won’t Want to Miss

The grand opening of the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center in Kinston, the chance to meet Tar Heel sports legends in Raleigh and a look at the scandalous side of the Stanly family in New Bern are just a few of the opportunities for fun and discovery you’ll find with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources this weekend.

Here are 8 suggestions to help you make the most of your time:

1. Celebrate the grand opening of the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center in Kinston Saturday with lectures, musical performances and living history demonstrations.

2. Make a miniature paper garden at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh Sunday.

3. Hear scandalous stories from Stanly family’s history Friday at Tryon Palace in New Bern. 

4. Sing and dance along to the down home sound of Barleycorn & Rye during a concert at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh Sunday.

5. Discover the magic of Mozart with your kids during special family-friendly performances by the N.C. Symphony Saturday in Raleigh and Sunday in New Bern.

6. Bring a personal object that means something to you, share a story about it and help make a giant bundle dedicated to healing throughout the weekend at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem.

7. Hear about athletic careers past and present from some of our state’s sports legends Saturday at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

8. Celebrate North Carolina’s coastal and culinary heritage with Beaufort Food and Wine Saturday at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Check out DCR’s calendar for more information on these and other events, and a enjoy a great North Carolina weekend!

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