The President James K. State Historic Site and the Friends of President Polk's Birthplace, Inc. are partnering for Polk Fest, a special day of programming at the historic site. On Saturday, Oct. 17, visitors can bid on silent auction items, as well as participate in a variety of games, special presentations, living history demonstrations, and arts and crafts. The President James K. Polk State Historic Site is administered by the Division of Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
Topics Related to Living History
Not all North Carolinians supported independence during the American Revolution. Some remained loyal to the Crown, while others sought to remain neutral amid the conflict.
The State Archives of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, will explore the varied reasons individuals and groups were unable or unwilling to support the cause of independence during a free webinar, “Not All Were Patriots: The Other Side of the American Revolution in North Carolina,” on Oct. 7 from noon to 1 p.m.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site will host a World War II living history program on Saturday, Oct. 3. Military and civilian re-enactors will set up living history displays on the green between the visitor center and earthworks. A period field kitchen and numerous historic military vehicles will be on display as well. Fort Fisher is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site will host a day of family fun and education on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event will feature historical trade demonstrations, a cannon firing, historical music, a food truck, and much more! Alamance Battleground is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
Experience North Carolina farming culture and history at Duke Homestead’s annual Brightleaf Harvest Day on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. In addition to demonstrating the nearly lost art of tobacco looping, site staff and volunteers will show how tobacco is grown and harvested in the field.
Fans of the hit television series “Outlander” and North Carolina history alike are invited to a free online program from the State Archives of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, that will explore the historical events and archival records that inspired the show's North Carolina storylines.
While most people think of dusty battlefields when they picture the Civil War, the real game-changing technology was happening on the water. On Saturday, July 11, the CSS Neuse Museum will pull back the curtain on this high-seas drama with its immersive summer program, “Sailors in the Summer: Ironclads and Naval Living History.” From 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., regional history will come alive through interactive exhibits, expert-led demonstrations, and hands-on family activities designed to show exactly what it took to survive as a sailor in the 1860s.
“The din of battle roared like one continuous peel of heavy thunder,” wrote one eyewitness to the 1865 battle of Bentonville. On Saturday, June 13, Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will recreate a small percentage of that noise during its “Heavy Thunder: Summer Artillery and Infantry Program.” The free program runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Bentonville Battlefield is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site will host a re-enactment of the 1771 Battle of Alamance on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The event marks the 255th anniversary of the battle, the violent conclusion of the Regulator Movement in North Carolina. The battle re-enactment begins at 11 a.m., the precise time the battle commenced exactly 255 years ago. Alamance Battleground is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.