Press Releases

The state of North Carolina is seeking feedback on a feasibility study evaluating the suitability of a state park on the Black River in parts of Sampson, Bladen and Pender counties. During the 2017 legislative session, the N.C. General Assembly directed the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation to conduct the study and report results to the Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources by March 1, 2018.

To commemorate the 300^th anniversary of Blackbeard’s adventures along the North Carolina coast – the place where he was ultimately brought to justice – the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is showcasing a traveling exhibit that includes artifacts representing weaponry, nautical tools and personal items recovered from his wrecked flagship the Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR). 

A new destination park in historic downtown Wilson filled with kinetic, colorful whirligigs created by North Carolina’s own world-renowned folk artist Vollis Simpson will be officially dedicated and opens on Thursday, Nov. 2.

Beginning Nov. 1, admission fees at North Carolina aquariums will be reduced for patrons presenting an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, card along with a valid form of photo identification.

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.