Press Releases

Jaki Shelton Green Poet Laureate Induction Ceremony Scheduled Dec. 10

The new date for the installation of North Carolina’s ninth Poet Laurate, Jaki Shelton Green, is Monday, Dec. 10 at the State Capitol.

Public Archaeology Day Oct. 27 Celebrates Archaeology in North Carolina

What is archaeology? It’s more than just digging in the dirt! The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology will hold a Public Archaeology Day Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh. 

Explore the Historic Harvest Season at Stagville Oct. 20

Explore the crafts and harvest traditions of one of North Carolina’s largest plantations at the Historic Stagville Harvest Festival, Oct. 20, noon to 5 p.m.  Enjoy demonstrations by master craftsmen, hands-on activities for all ages, and music by artists from the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Admission is $5 per person, in support of the site’s programs and mission. Tickets are available at the door.

2018 North Carolina Book Award Recipients Announced

Writers delving into societal inequality and social unrest have taken top honors in the competitions for the 2018 North Carolina Book Award, to be presented Oct. 26 during the annual meeting of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association in Greenville. The struggle of women and African Americans seeking opportunity and equality resonate throughout the winning works.

State Capitol Marks 400th Anniversary of Sir Walter Raleigh’s Death

Even 400 years after his death, Sir Walter Raleigh continues to intrigue. Raleigh sponsored three expeditions to Roanoke colony in the 1580s, the earliest British attempt to settle North America. In 1792, North Carolina’s legislature honored this feat by naming the state’s new capital city for the explorer, soldier, and writer.   

Harvest Home School Day at Historic Stagville

Visit Historic Stagville Friday, Oct. 19, for a full day of educational activities! Are you studying American history, African American history, colonial history, the Civil War, or the history of slavery? Stagville’s Fall Harvest Homeschool Day will offer students hands-on activities about life on a plantation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a fee of $4 per child. 

N.C. Highway Historical Marker to Honor Educator Peter Weddick Moore

Although born into slavery in 1859, Peter Weddick Moore used education as a path to success and service. He likely attended a school founded by the Freedman’s Bureau and went on to become the principal of the new State Normal School for the Colored Race in 1891, which is now Elizabeth City State University. A N.C. Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated in his honor Oct. 20 in Elizabeth City at 11 a.m.

Fall Festival at Bentonville Battlefield Offers Family Fun for Free

Take a ride on a wagon around the historic Harper House at Bentonville Battlefield’s annual fall festival Saturday, Oct. 20. The program will include demonstrations by costumed interpreters and a festival atmosphere that will offer wagon rides provided by End of the Drive Mule Farm, carnival games, vintage baseball, crafts, pumpkin hunt and more!

DNCR Sec. Hamilton to Join Hurricane Florence Volunteers at Wilmington’s Scotts Hill Baptist Church Wed., Oct. 10

Raleigh, N.C. – Secretary of the N.C. Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources Susi Hamilton will be volunteering at Scotts Hill Baptist Church Wednesday, Oct. 10 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Bennett Place Fall Family Fun Craft Day

The cooler weather, lower humidity and bright fall colors inspire many to decorate for the season. Pumpkins, dried corn and gourds become art objects. Bennett Place State Historic Site will host members of the North Carolina Gourd Society Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a one-day craft making event. The fee is $10 and reservations are required.