Press Releases

Find a fun-filled celebration with history, music and nature for the Fourth of July! Enjoy authentic experiences at attractions of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources this year.   Experience the zeal of some early supporters of the American Revolution at a state historic site, or the calm of a quite walk through the woods at a state park. There will be a special thrill to the high-spirited patriotic July 4 performance of the North Carolina Symphony, and other performances as well.  

The art of barbecuing has evolved in the Americas as explorers, pirates and even Sir Walter Raleigh discovered the natives outdoor cooking technique. Residents of Bath and environs can test their grill skills during the free BBQ Fest, Saturday, June 16, 10 a.m. The time-honored tradition of beer also will be recognized with a beer garden featuring domestic and craft beer and wine that opens at noon.

Genealogy research is a complex subject that involves finding the right resources, keen detective work, and enduring patience.

The deep-water robotic investigation of an unidentified shipwreck off the North Carolina coast will be shown live to guests at the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island on June 25. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will conduct the dive 40 miles off the coast of Hatteras Island via a robotic submersible launched from the research vessel Okeanos Explorer.

Two students from Research Triangle High School in Durham will have their documentary, “Black Wall Street: Conflict in Tulsa, Compromise in Durham,” screened in Washington, D.C. next week. The documentary was produced for the National History Day competition by Angelica Dinh and Lucy Grossman. It examines two Black Wall Streets, one in Tulsa, Okla., the other in Durham, and was a finalist at N.C. History Day in April.

June is Pride Month, when the LGBT community plans commemorations and celebrations across the country. James Miller, executive director of the LGBT Center of Raleigh, will speak on “Why Pride Matters,” June 21, 12:30 p.m., at the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 109 E. Jones St. Raleigh.

North Carolina law in the 1750s required able-bodied men ages 16-60 to serve in the colony’s militia. They gathered for military training several times a year and could be called away at any time, leaving their homes and businesses to defend the colony. Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will feature living history interpreters recreating an 18th century militia muster June 30-July 1.

More than 900 people were freed at Stagville Plantation, one of the state’s largest, at the end of the Civil War in 1865. Visit Historic Stagville Saturday, June 9, noon to 5 p.m., to discover the story of the end of slavery in North Carolina. The Juneteenth celebration will include performances, historic cooking demonstrations and interactive activities for all ages.  

From wood burning pits to high tech grills with ceramic briquettes, North Carolina is in love with barbecue. Historic Bath will host an exhibit June 1 to Aug. 31, which examines barbecue from the Caribbean in the 1500s up to today. The free exhibit debunks some common myths, such as “more is better,” and whether the cooked meat needs to “rest.”

He was the most feared of captains during the Golden Age of Piracy, and in June 1718, four vessels under his command sailed into what was then Topsail Inlet (now Beaufort). Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), became stranded in the inlet’s shallow water. To commemorate the effective end of a piratical career, a North Carolina Highway History Marker will be dedicated Thursday, June 7, 1 p.m., near the entrance on the drive into Fort Macon at Atlantic Beach.