Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offers holiday events to match every interest and taste. Holiday train rides at the N.C. Transportation Museum, a “Christmas Flotilla” at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort, “Christmas by Candlelight” at a state historic site and “Holiday Pops” or other performances with the North Carolina Symphony at home or on tour, are a few of the unique holiday experiences awaiting families at modest or no cost.

Eight distinguished North Carolinians were presented the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest honor, by Governor Roy Cooper at a Nov. 14 ceremony at the at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. The award recognizes significant lifetime achievements in the areas of fine arts, literature, public service and science. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the awards.

Elk Knob, Lake James, New River, and Stone Mountain state parks will reopen at least partially on Nov. 15, the Division of Parks and Recreation announced. These parks have been closed entirely since Sept. 27 due to Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina Land and Water Fund Board of Trustees met October 1 and 2 to consider grant applications and make awards for projects that will protect North Carolina’s land and water from the mountains to the coast.“As we continue the unprecedented response to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, we are reminded that conservation makes us more resilient to future events,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “These important grants will help protect our state’s land and wetlands for generations to come.”

WHAT:

Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will commemorate North Carolina’s military history with a “Military Timeline” Nov. 9. Visitors will learn about the experiences of soldiers and support personnel from the past 450 years. The educational program will offer a sample of soldier life through history.Re-enactors dressed as soldiers and support personnel from the Civil War, World Wars, American Revolution, and many other time periods will present scheduled historic weapons firing demonstrations, along with ongoing displays of camp life, equipment, and cooking.

 North Carolina’s strong literary tradition is celebrated by the 2024 North Carolina Book Awards, which will be presented Dec. 6 during the annual meeting of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association. The annual awards recognize significant works by North Carolina writers.Since its founding in September 1900, the N.C. Literary and Historical Association has pledged to stimulate the production of literature and to collect and preserve historical material in North CarolinaThe 2024 North Carolina Book Award winners are:

Opening Nov. 16 at Historic Stagville, Maya Freelon: Whippersnappers will premiere large-scale sculptures, archival photographs, paintings, and collages that transform the former plantation. Fully titled Whippersnappers: Recapturing, Reviewing, and Reimagining the Lives of Enslaved Children in the United States, Freelon’s first large-scale installation featuring portraiture was born from her research of enslaved children highlighted in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.

Crowders Mountain, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman state parks, as well as Rendezvous Mountain, will reopen at least partially on Nov. 1, the Division of Parks and Recreation announced. These parks were temporarily closed through October after impacts from Hurricane Helene.The following areas are open at each park:    • Crowders Mountain — trails and day-use will reopen, all camping will remain closed through November

 The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will receive $750,000 to replace the roof of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse at Historic Edenton State Historic Site. The project is being supported in part by a Semiquincentennial Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service.