Press Releases

South Mountains State Park in Burke County is partially reopening March 17, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. The park has been closed since last fall due to widespread damage after Hurricane Helene.Clear Creek Access in Morganton will reopen March 17 for day use. Visitors will be able to utilize both Clear Creek and Lake View trails for hiking and horseback riding. Picnic facilities and fishing will be available at the lake.The park’s main access is slated to partially reopen in April.

The North Carolina Trails Program has released the fiscal year 2025-26 grant cycle for the federal Recreational Trails Program, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. Eligible applicants can apply for grants from $10,000 to $100,000 to fund trail development projects across the state. In addition, the spring 2025 grant round for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Safety and Education Grant (SEG), each up to $5,000, has also opened.

This Women’s History Month, learn about changes to the practice of midwifery in the early twentieth century in North Carolina.

Join us in celebrating with the dedicated staff of the CSS Neuse Museum, devoted volunteers, and Friends of the CSS Neuse Museum board members as we commemorate ten years of promoting local history. Attend our "Cheers to Ten Years: Anniversary Celebration and Living History" on Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. We warmly invite our community and all visitors to explore the new exhibits and interactive enhancements that have enriched the museum over the past decade.

Summer camp registration opens March 1 at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) for a season filled with adventures indoors and outdoors for children ages 5 to 14. Campers will have encounters with animal ambassadors, explore the marsh, make new friends and for older campers, kayak in the Cape Fear River Basin. Camp season runs mid-June through mid-August, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Because of the unique and immersive nature of the Aquarium summer camps, some fill up immediately.

Throughout March, in celebration of Women’s History Month, agencies within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will showcase the remarkable contributions of North Carolina women through special programs and exhibits.

Experience history come alive at the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site 160th anniversary program March 15-16. Thousands of living historians from across the country will descend on Bentonville Battlefield for one of the nation’s largest battle reenactments.     

On Saturday, March 8, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site will host the North Carolina Rice Festival. The festival celebrates how rice and Gullah-Geechee culture shaped the North Carolina Lowcountry.

The finale in a special series of concerts celebrating North Carolina’s unique story of moonshine and motorsports will take place March 29 at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, N.C.The concert will feature Tar Heel legend of Americana, Jim Lauderdale, the iconic bluegrass combo, the Kruger Brothers with special guest Jonah Horton, along with the Nest of Singing Birds.