Topics Related to Things to Do

Eyewitnesses to the battle of Bentonville likened the noise of the fight to “one continuous peel of heavy thunder.” Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will look to recreate that noise on August 21 during an event called “Heavy Thunder.” Historians will explain how multiple artillery pieces functioned in the battle. Visitors can learn the different ways artillery was used in combat and how cannons were loaded and fired.
For centuries, Western North Carolina artists have made the region renowned for handmade craft, from the living traditions of the Cherokee to today’s contemporary craft artisans.
Join Duke Homestead State Historic Site at the historic Durham Athletic Park for an evening of two vintage baseball games on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Are you a local artisan? Do you have beautiful crafts to share with the community? The Gov. Charles B. Aycock State Historic Site is currently accepting applications for craft vendors to participate in its annual “Rakin’ in the Fun Festival” on Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will feature musical groups, a kids’ area with an inflatable slide and games, food trucks and living history demonstrations. There is a $10 vendor fee for participating in the event.
Savor history and nature at a state park, aquarium or the zoo July 4 weekend. Numerous activities are planned across the state that coincide with Independence Day.
Living history returns to Fort Dobbs in Statesville.

On June 26, Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will host a living history event showcasing camp life when the fort provided shelter to civilians seeking refuge from a 1759 war between British colonists and the indigenous Cherokee of western North Carolina.

Costumed re-enactors representing colonists, along with enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will demonstrate historic weapons, cooking and crafts. The program will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site will debut “A Memory A People Could Not Forget: Lumbee Indians at Fort Fisher” on Tues., June 29. This new exhibit depicts the contributions and remarkable story of Lumbee Indians at Fort Fisher.
 In honor of Juneteenth, numerous N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources sites across the state will feature events and tours throughout the month of June.

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and ensure that all enslaved people were now free. It celebrates the official end of slavery in the United States.
The North Carolina State Capitol will host a community art collaboration on historic Union Square, Saturday, June 19 in commemoration of Juneteenth. In 2020, the City of Raleigh designated Juneteenth as a city holiday celebrating the official end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Did you know that over 300 businesses in North Carolina were listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book? In fact, there were 327.