Press Releases

Recalling the Scots-Irish settlers in the region, a special fundraising concert featuring the Scottish fiddle/cello duo of Tim MacDonald and Jeremy Ward is being presented by the Friends of Fort Dobbs State Historic Site. The Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m. concert at Southern Distilling, north of Statesville, celebrates the release of the duo’s new album, “The Wilds,” and also raises funds for Fort Dobbs.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and its support group the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association will sponsor a weekend-long cruise May 10-13 to demonstrate the potential for a small boat cruise industry in the Albemarle region.

Are you interested in learning about your family’s past, but don’t know where to start? Plan a visit to the Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site in Fremont Saturday, Jan. 20, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. for a beginning genealogy workshop, the first in a series of three.

The North Carolina Arts Council’s 2018 grant guidelines for nonprofit arts organizations are now available at www.NCArts.org. The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, March 1.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has selected William J. McCrea, a veteran department employee, as the new executive director of Tryon Palace in New Bern. McCrea has been serving as interim director of Tryon Palace since March of this year.

Enjoy a unique family outing with activities and fun at the Victorian Saturday program at the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center, Jan. 27, 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Were 18th-century pirates literate? What sort of books did they keep on board ship? A fascinating new discovery at the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab in Greenville helps answer those questions. Archaeological conservators with the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ QAR Lab have discovered and conserved a type of artifact that very rarely survives on shipwreck sites – paper.

Were 18th-century pirates literate? What sort of books did they keep on board ship? A fascinating new discovery at the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab in Greenville helps answer those questions.

Look up “maze” in the dictionary, and you’ll find it described as a confusing network of intersecting paths or passages, a complex arrangement that causes bewilderment, confusion or perplexity. Now take that up a notch by adding two vital ingredients — fun and education — and you’ve arrived at “Mazes & Brain Games,” a new exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, opening Jan. 20, 2018.

Soft spun cotton thread on unbleached muslin can create beautiful white on white home textiles. The soft cotton thread also can be braided and used to form the wick for candles. Historic Bath will show you how to embroider your own decorative piece using white thread Jan. 11, at 10 a.m.