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Topics Related to Things to Do
Open your brown bag picnic and join the State Archives of North Carolina for a virtual program, "Lunch & Learn on the Trails."Staff will showcase records in the Archives relating to the 2023 Year of the Trail initiative. A roundtable discussion with the State Archives’ podcast team will explore the origins and evolution of the Great Trails State, tourism, and programs to promote health and environment through documents and imagery. Follow the paper trail through the Archives on a journey of historical discovery!
A state park in the migratory path of the monarch butterfly will host a festival to raise awareness about the declining population of this colorful creature.Gorges State Park in Transylvania County will host the second annual Mountain Monarch Festival on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the park’s visitor center. The festival will celebrate the monarch butterfly during its migration south through North Carolina to the high-elevation fir forests of Mexico’s Neovolcanic Mountains, where they overwinter until early spring.
There’s a Whole Lotta Otta at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) thanks to prolific parents Leia and Quincy, a pair of Asian small-clawed otters. They welcomed two litters of three pups in less than a year. The rambunctious romp of otters is complemented by Asta and Ray, the mother-son duo who live around the corner—all told 10 otters in the Otters on the Edge habitat.
It’s time to get buggy with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as they host BugFest, the largest one-day bug-centric event in the country. Satisfy all your web weaving, wing flapping, dungball rolling, creepy crawling and (of course) bug munching pursuits in one day: Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. It’s free!
The Museum of the Albemarle will host our monthly History for Lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, at noon in the Gaither Auditorium. Frank McMahon, assistant site manager at Historic Halifax State Historic Site, will highlight the contributions of African American soldiers from Halifax, who fought to bring us our independence during the American Revolutionary War.The Museum will offer the History for Lunch in-person and through Zoom. Register in advance through the Museum’s Facebook page or website to receive a link to attend the lecture virtually.
In celebration of Constitution Week 2023, the State Archives will partner with the Asbury Station and Samuel Johnston Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution for a “One-Day Wonder” exhibit of original documents.
Hikers soon will be able to enjoy a new stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Johnston County.Visitors are invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site on Friday, Sept. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Plan to arrive by 10:15 a.m., to give ample time to park a short distance away from the trailhead. Dress appropriately for the conditions: sturdy shoes and insect repellant are recommended. Light refreshments will be available before the ceremony.
A Town Hall meeting in Swansboro, originally set for Aug. 31 by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology (OSA), has been rescheduled for Sept. 14. The meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 14, from 6-8 p.m. at the Swansboro Area Heritage Center, 502 W Church St, Swansboro, N.C.
A mineral found in North Carolina that is essential to making specialized glass will be the topic of a free program hosted by the Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.Mica, which has been mined in western North Carolina for centuries, was used to make windows for early coal- and wood-burning stoves, along with more modern uses including radio vacuum tubes.
This event has been postponed due to the threat of severe weather