Press Releases

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 Visitor's Center will be a new dining area with café and inside/outside seating, as well as exhibits expanding on the story of the USS North Carolina Battleship.

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.

N.C. Department Secretary Susan Kluttz will host a discussion of the new bond proposal Monday, June 22 at 3 p.m. at a celebration of Brunswick Town, a major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River that was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. If the Connect NC bonds are approved by voters this November, Brunswick Town may receive $3.5 million. Accelerated erosion along the Cape Fear River is threatening to destroy historic resources including colonial ruins, a Civil War fort and several 18th and 19th century wharves at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. This funding will supplement existing funding in the design and installation of an innovative new shore protection system for the site's entire riverfront.

In addition to the "Queen of Steam" locomotive, train rides on motor cars, and lessons on train safety, the Rail Days Festival at the N.C. Transportation Museum June 20 will feature exhibits and designs for trains of the future. Representatives from UNC-Charlotte will discuss technology that will consume less fuel and make for safer, more affordable transportation.

Tryon Palace’s Jonkonnu interpretive performance group will hold free workshops for those interested in joining the troupe in the Waystation Auditorium on Tuesdays, from 1-3 p.m., June 23 to Aug. 11.

Pack a picnic, bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy the Independence Day holiday weekend at this annual patriotic celebration Saturday, July 4. The Historic State Capitol will sponsor this free, fun-filled family event that has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. For the fifth year, an outdoor naturalization ceremony for approximately 30 new citizens will take place at noon on the Capitol steps.