The demands of life for soldiers and civilians in the 1750s will be on view at the “Frontier Life Recreated” program at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site Saturday, Sept. 29. Re-enactors dressed as soldiers and settlers will demonstrate what daily life was like at the French and Indian War site 260 years ago.
How did civilians learn the art of war? Well, not in a classroom. Many long and tedious hours turned green recruits into soldiers. Bennett Place State Historic Site will offer a “School of the Soldier,” program Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29-30, that illustrates the transition.
This October, come and join the State Capitol Foundation for their annual Oyster Roast fundraiser, held at the State Capitol Friday, Oct. 12 from 7-11 p.m.
The evening's festivities will include live music from The Embers, featuring Craig Woolard and local emcee “Big John,” as well as shagging demonstrations. The event will also feature local N.C. beer, wine, plenty of great food, including raw and steamed oysters, and a silent auction with a wide variety of items.
The State Capitol is seeking volunteers interested in training as Capitol docents. Volunteers are the public face of the Capitol and are relied upon for tours, leading both adult and children’s groups. Volunteers also assist with special programming. The Capitol will hold a volunteer docent training and information session, Monday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. Docents will be trained to give tours of the 1840 Capitol and will learn much about local and state history.
For many doughboys, World War I did not end when they returned home. Their lingering memories of the horrors endured in the trenches became known as “shell shock.” Today we know it as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site will host a daylong symposium, “A Lingering Shadow: From Battlefield Trauma in World War I to a Modern Perspective on PTSD,” Saturday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will shine a light on what can be a very dark experience. The symposium coincides with the opening of the traveling exhibition, “North Carolina and the Great War.”