The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), is pleased to announce $10,990,208 in grant awards for fiscal year 2026-27. A total of 340 grants will support nonprofit arts organizations, schools, after-school programs, municipalities, and artists in all 100 counties this year. Grant amounts range from $2,000-$354,262.In addition to its competitive grant programs, this year the North Carolina Arts Council facilitated $1,118,957 in direct appropriations to the Lost Colony.
Press Releases
The North Carolina Aquariums today celebrate their official 50th anniversary, marking five decades of connecting generations of visitors with North Carolina’s extraordinary aquatic life and environments. A division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), the NC Aquariums are celebrating 50 years of connecting people with the wonders of aquatic life, inspiring appreciation, advancing education, and promoting conservation.
Bennett Place State Historic Site will host a luminary program dedicated to telling the stories of enslaved people’s avenues to freedom during the Civil War era. The free event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18 from 7-9:30 p.m.
North Carolina State Parks and the Town of Lake Waccamaw announced Tuesday that searchers recovered the body of a kayaker reported missing Monday.Erick Ross, 25, of South Carolina, was reported missing after an abandoned kayak was found near one of Lake Waccamaw's boat ramps at approximately 4:45 p.m. Monday. His cell phone and other personal belongings were found inside the kayak.
The NC Aquarium Society received a $25,000 grant from New Hanover County to support the expansion and renovation of the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF), helping advance new habitats, educational spaces, and visitor experiences. A division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the North Carolina Aquariums connect more than a million visitors to the aquatic world each year, inspiring care and conservation of nature.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site will host a day of family fun and education on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event will feature historical trade demonstrations, a cannon firing, historical music, a food truck, and much more! Alamance Battleground is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
As students and families settle into a new school year, the
Three decades of creepy, crawly, fluttering fun come together when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts BugFest on Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. This year’s theme, “Hoppers,” spotlights treehoppers, leafhoppers and planthoppers, including the invasive and already infamous spotted lanternfly. The museum is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Learn about back-to-school challenges from over 50 years ago in a free online program hosted by the State Archives of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site will debut a new family-friendly event on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6-9 p.m. When the sun sets, “Reed Glow Mine” comes to life with the addition of 25,000 lights around every twist and turn of the property. Ticket sales begin on Sept. 1 and the site anticipates a sell-out event. Reed Gold Mine is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).