Press Releases

There’s a holiday happening to suit every taste at venues of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.   Fireworks over Tryon Palace, 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. 

Join the North Carolina State Capitol and Governor Roy Cooper for the annual tree-lighting tradition on Thursday, Dec. 8. The festivities will begin on Capitol Square at 5:30 p.m. with luminaries and holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band. The governor and dignitaries will make their way to the South grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street. The Junior Woman’s Club will give away cookies and cider — and even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance!

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Executive Mansion, the “people’s house,” will open its historic doors again for the beloved annual Holiday Open House from Dec. 8 through Dec. 10. Visitors are invited to tour the home, take in the decorations, and enjoy seasonal musical entertainment by local performing groups. The first floor of the mansion will be decorated with North Carolina-grown Christmas trees, floral and mixed evergreen arrangements and ornate mantle displays.

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority, which oversees the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), recently approved $17.4 million to fund nine capital improvement projects and six land acquisitions for North Carolina state parks, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The Authority approved the investments at its meeting held Nov. 4 at the state arboretum in Asheville.

The CSS Neuse Museum has partnered with non-profit organization KultureCity to provide a sensory inclusive experience for all museum programs and events. This new initiative will make exploring the museum a little easier for visitors with sensory sensitivities, including people on the autism spectrum, as well as people with sensory processing disorders, PTSD and other needs.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is pleased to announce that one additional individual property has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was reviewed by the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and subsequently nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration for listing in the National Register.

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will host its annual Christmas Open House, “A Civil War Christmas,” on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will have the chance to see the Harper House as never before. The house will be furnished as the residence of the Harper family in December 1865 instead of its normal set up as a field hospital. During the day reenactors will show how Civil War soldiers would have marked the holiday season. Everyone will be welcome to decorate and take home their own holiday ornament.

Six distinguished North Carolinians were presented the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest honor, by Governor Roy Cooper during a Nov. 15 ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The award recognizes significant lifetime achievements in the areas of fine arts, literature, public service and science. The 2022 honorees are the Honorable Eva Clayton for Public Service, Honorable Mickey Michaux for Public Service, Eric Church for Fine Arts, David Zucchino for Literature, Dr. Stanley Riggs for Science and Dr. Priya Kishnani for Science.

McDowell County has been chosen as the subject of a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes planned from 2022-24. Funding for this architectural survey comes from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF), administered by the National Park Service, for hurricanes Florence and Michael.

The North Carolina Arts Council announced today that two traditional artist teams from western North Carolina have been selected for the fourth annual “In These Mountains” Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeships.