Press Releases

Looking for something to do in downtown Kinston on the holiday weekend? The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center will be open the 4th of July.Visit the museum to learn about the building, operation, destruction and recovery of the CSS Neuse, the only remaining commissioned Confederate ironclad ram above the water and view exhibits regarding the region's Civil War history. In honor of our nation's independence, the staff will be dressed in Civil War-era clothing and providing demonstrations throughout the day.

Tryon Palace will celebrate the anniversary of America’s birth with a wide range of special events and activities planned for The Glorious Fourth, Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Second Marine Aircraft Wing Band, stationed at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, will perform in the Outdoor Pavilion at Roanoke Island Festival Park beginning at 8 p.m. Fireworks will begin at dark. Gates open at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Parking will be available at the Park until the lot is full with additional parking in Downtown Manteo. Handicap parking will be available at the Park. Pack up the lawn chairs, blankets and picnic and bring family and friends and join us as our nation celebrates.

N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz will host a discussion of the new bond proposal Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. at a celebration of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, appropriately named for shipwrecks that play a major role in the area's history. Exhibits tell stories of major wrecks including that of the USS Monitor, Titanic, U-85, USS Huron, and Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge. If the Connect NC bonds are approved by voters this November, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum may receive $3.5 million to fabricate and install permanent

The North Carolina Symphony will celebrate America’s 239th birthday with a free concert of patriotic favorites and high-spirited classics in its traditional Independence Day concert, with fireworks afterward, at Garner’s Lake Benson Park, Friday, July 3, at 8:30 p.m. 

Duke Homestead celebrates North Carolina's food history and culture July 11at "Pork, Pickles and Peanuts: Tastes of North Carolina." This free, family fun event focuses on everything that makes the state taste great with the highly competitive and extremely tasty annual Barbecue Cook-Off followed by the sweet treat that is the Pie Competition July 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Children between the ages of 5-12 are invited to the North Carolina History Center for a free art workshop inspired by the Fourth of July on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited for this workshop and reservations are recommended.

N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz will host a discussion of the new bond proposal Tuesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. at a celebration of the USS North Carolina Battleship that became the first of ten fast battleships to join the American fleet in World War II. If the Connect NC bonds are approved by voters this November, the Battleship North Carolina may receive $11.5 million to enable the construction of a 20,000 sq. ft. Visitor's Center, improved parking and an ADA accessible bridge for improved access to the battleship. Showcased within the new

The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is pleased to offer for a second consecutive summer, guided tours of Arsenal Park on Fridays at 2:00 pm, through August 14. The tour will be available free of charge. The site of the Fayetteville Arsenal was commissioned in 1838 by the federal government to manufacture and store arms. Seized by the Confederacy during the Civil War, the arsenal complex eventually encompassed more than 100 acres at the top of Haymount Hill. The facility was destroyed by Union troops under the command of William T. Sherman in March of 1865, 150 years ago.

N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz will host a discussion of the new bond proposal Tuesday, June 23 at 3 p.m. at a celebration of Fort Fisher that, until the last few months of the Civil War, kept North Carolina's port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. If the Connect NC bonds are approved by voters this November, state historic sites may receive $24 million to provide badly needed funding to repair or replace outdated HVAC and electrical equipment and $11 million to repair or replace roofs.