Press Releases

Sit at home, turn on your laptop or tablet, and learn what resources and tools are available at the State Archives of North Carolina and the N.C. Government and Heritage Library for researching your family history. The annual Family History Fair streams on Saturday, November 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The state's highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, will be presented to six distinguished North Carolinians Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. Governor Roy Cooper will present the awards at the 7 p.m. banquet and ceremony.

Visitors can stop by a colonial tavern or get their hands dirty making bricks during Port Brunswick Days Oct. 21-22 at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. Living historians will demonstrate daily life in this early port town on the lower Cape Fear River.

Take a ride on a wagon around the historic Harper House at Bentonville Battlefield’s annual fall festival Oct. 28.

There were few clear borders in North Carolina when William Churton arrived in 1748. Assigned to the Granville Land Office in Edenton, the cartographer and surveyor, along with lawyer Daniel Weldon, established a border between North Carolina and Virginia.

The strong literary tradition of North Carolina will be showcased again with presentation of the 2017 North Carolina Book Awards, Friday, Nov. 17, in Raleigh.

Golden hues and flourishes of red span the horizon as autumn leaves drift in the crisp air. To celebrate the fall season, the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site welcomes you to the first annual Rakin’ in the Fun Festival Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for a cross cultural celebration. Admission will be $2 for ages 5 and up. Ages 4 and under are free.

Historic Bath offers Halloween fun Tuesday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a night of Halloween movies, pumpkin painting, games, candy and more! Wear your favorite Halloween costume and enjoy a “no fear, all fun” night out at Historic Bath.

Explore the crafts and harvest traditions of one of North Carolina’s largest plantations at the Historic Stagville Harvest Festival, Oct. 21, noon to 6 p.m.  Daytime demonstrations, vendors and crafts will give way to an African drum circle around an evening campfire with a master musician. Admission will be $5 per person, with a $15 family rate.

Join the fun in downtown Kinston at the Eastern North Carolina Brew & Que Fest with special events, food and history. The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center will host a free Shipbuilding Saturday program Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience history, paint a model ironclad for $2, and make a memory and keepsake.