Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will sponsor musical performances at MerleFest April 27 - 29, including performances by 2018 North Carolina Heritage Award recipient Tony Williamson, and teen guitarist Presley Barker, who brings new life to roots music. The line-up of musicians from the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina will perform on The Plaza, one of 13 stages for the four-day music festival. MerleFest is considered one of the premier music festivals in the country.

There are many ways to show appreciation and conservation of planet Earth, and a variety of “preserve the planet” experiences are planned at venues within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. There are opportunities to participate all across the state. East

The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology will hold a Public Archaeology Day at the Wire Pasture Access of Lumber River State Park on Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Wire Pasture is located at 11765 US 74 Highway W, Maxton, N.C.

Many fans of the “Outlander” book series know that the Battle of Alamance figures prominently in book five, “The Fiery Cross.” Alamance Battleground State Historic Site will celebrate that time period and sensibility with the “Fraser’s Ridge Scottish Music Jam,” April 28, 1 to 4 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and picnic to the free event and enjoy an afternoon of Scottish music.

The Aycock Community Yard Sale scheduled for Saturday, April 14, has been cancelled. The event may be rescheduled for this summer. Spring is still a great time to visit and see the sheep grazing and Rhode Island Red chickens at Aycock.

Prohibition was a unique period in our country’s history, beginning in 1918 with the passage of the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, a federal amendment and subsequent law that prohibited the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol throughout the United States. But did you know that North Carolina enacted state-wide prohibition nearly a decade earlier? Learn more at “Inflamed by Spirits: North Carolina’s Role in Temperance and Prohibition,” a new, free exhibit opening Thursday, April 19 at the North Carolina State Capitol.

The “N.C. Digs!” traveling archaeological exhibit features artifacts from the Berry site in Burke County and other western North Carolina sites. The Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will host the exhibit April 16 to May 30. The exhibit features five different types of archaeological sites found across North Carolina: Native American, battlefield, plantation, trash pit and industrial. “N.C. Digs!” includes interpretive panels explaining each site type, and reviews techniques and methods used to excavate and analyze the materials discovered.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announces that six individual properties across the state have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The following properties were reviewed by the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and were subsequently approved by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register.

Visitors are invited to experience the ongoing conservation of the infamous pirate Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, at the fourth annual Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab Open House, Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for this fun and educational event, “Blackbeard: The Science of Pirates, 300th Edition.” 

Spring is here and often that means renewal, sorting and taking inventory. It’s the perfect time for the Somerset Yard and Market Sale Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. Community members, civic clubs, local churches and organizations are invited to bring gently used household items, jewelry, baskets, food, pottery, artwork, crafts and baked goods to sell. The event is a great way to enjoy homemade goods and buy local, meet neighbors and support community creativity. Vendor spaces near the visitor center will rent for $15.