Topics Related to Things to Do

Gold mining at Reed Gold Mine was in its heyday in the 1850s. This was before the California gold rush, when gold mining in North Carolina was the place to be. In 1799, young Conrad Reed discovered a 17-pound gold nugget while fishing in Little Meadow Creek, giving rise to America’s first gold rush. Historic interpreters at Reed Gold Mine, Saturday, April 28, will recall that time.
There can be a certain charm to cooking over an open fire, and participants in the Historic Cooking Class on the Old Southern Way of Cooking at President James K. Polk State Historic Site will have that experience. The workshop, Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., led by trained historic chef Cheryl Henry, will reconnect participants to the lives of women of centuries past. The fee is $60.
Food, fun, special events and history will take over the town during the Kinston BBQ Fest Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to classic cars and barbecue, see some of the period physician’s tools at a free medical program at the CSS Neuse. 
There are many ways to show appreciation and conservation of planet Earth, and a variety of “preserve the planet” experiences are planned at venues within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. There are opportunities to participate all across the state.

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Test drive a robot, create your own “slime,” build a boat out of duct tape, or help recreate North Carolina using LEGOs. The possibilities are endless as you check out Triangle SciTech Expo at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and immerse yourself in the excitement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free.
The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology will hold a Public Archaeology Day at the Wire Pasture Access of Lumber River State Park on Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Wire Pasture is located at 11765 US 74 Highway W, Maxton, N.C.
Many fans of the “Outlander” book series know that the Battle of Alamance figures prominently in book five, “The Fiery Cross.” Alamance Battleground State Historic Site will celebrate that time period and sensibility with the “Fraser’s Ridge Scottish Music Jam,” April 28, 1 to 4 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and picnic to the free event and enjoy an afternoon of Scottish music.
Prohibition was a unique period in our country’s history, beginning in 1918 with the passage of the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, a federal amendment and subsequent law that prohibited the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol throughout the United States.

But did you know that North Carolina enacted state-wide prohibition nearly a decade earlier? Learn more at “Inflamed by Spirits: North Carolina’s Role in Temperance and Prohibition,” a new, free exhibit opening Thursday, April 19 at the North Carolina State Capitol.
The Aycock Community Yard Sale scheduled for Saturday, April 14, has been cancelled. The event may be rescheduled for this summer.

Spring is still a great time to visit and see the sheep grazing and Rhode Island Red chickens at Aycock.
Visitors are invited to experience the ongoing conservation of the infamous pirate Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, at the fourth annual Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab Open House, Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for this fun and educational event, “Blackbeard: The Science of Pirates, 300th Edition.”