The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announces the “Capitol 250: NC Freedom Fest” will be held July 4 at the State Capitol building and grounds in Raleigh. The free all-day festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with the arts, history, nature, and culture that define North Carolina's role in the nation’s story.Headlining “Capitol 250: NC Freedom Fest” will be musical performances by North Carolina-based singer-songwriters Tift Merritt and Rissi Palmer.
Press Releases
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) today announced the appointment of Dr. Mark Penning as the new director of the North Carolina Zoo.Dr. Penning recently announced his retirement as vice president of animals, science, and environment for Disney Experiences, part of the Walt Disney Company. There he oversaw animal care, conservation, and environmental initiatives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge and The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot, and at Disney parks around the world.
A rare, recently discovered eyewitness pen-and-ink sketch of the Continental Army’s North Carolina Brigade is coming to North Carolina for the first time.The sketch depicting Continental Army soldiers and camp followers marching through Philadelphia on Aug. 25, 1777, is on loan to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources from the Museum of the American Revolution and will be a centerpiece of DNCR’s America 250 NC commemoration.
Stormtroopers, princesses and droids are invited to dust off their costumes for the third annual May the 4th Beach Cleanup hosted by the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) Monday, May 4, 8-10 a.m. at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The North Carolina Aquariums are a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
On Thursday, April 23, a contractor working on a wastewater system renovation project at Falls Lake State Recreation Area’s Holly Point Campground damaged a wastewater line and caused an unintentional discharge, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of Parks and Recreation announced.
Young historians from across the state gathered in Winston-Salem on Friday, April 17, for the 2026 Tar Heel Junior Historian Association (THJHA) Annual Convention, hosted by the
It’s easy to run into a crab or a sandpiper in the coastal region of North Carolina – visitors and local folks are often witnesses to the marvels of nature that make up the state’s delicate ecosystems. Each organism from a frog to a fern is critical to the habitat and because of their importance, the North Carolina Aquariums are leading the Coastal North Carolina team in the NC Bioblitz—part of the City Nature Challenge (CNC) April 24-27. Science Across NC created the NC Bioblitz to encourage participation in the CNC in the state.
A man who achieved global fame as a professional wrestler and movie star soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker. The N.C. Historical Marker Program is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) is pleased to announce that one additional documentation, four new historic districts, and nineteen 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, subsequently nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer, and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.