Topics Related to Living History

The warm glow of candlelight and festive greenery will welcome visitors to “O Blessed Season!” at House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site. The Alston House will be decorated for Christmas and opened to the public Saturday, Dec. 7. 

Experience Christmas Candlelight Tours at Aycock Birthplace Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 with costumed interpreters who explain rural Christmas traditions and demonstrate open-hearth cooking. Tours will be given from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Admission for ages 5 and older is $3; ages 4 and under are free.

On March 21-22, 2020, thousands of living historians from across the country will descend on Bentonville Battlefield for the 155th Anniversary reenactment of North Carolina’s largest battle.

The sounds of artillery and musket fire will once again ring out at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. The annual summer artillery living history program will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Tory vs. Whig…Loyalist vs. Patriot…Neighbor vs. Neighbor…the Revolutionary War goes by many names. The scars of this personal and complicated war can still be witnessed at House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site. Come experience the American Revolution during the 237th anniversary of the House in the Horseshoe Battle Re-enactment Aug. 4-5.

Duke Homestead celebrates North Carolina’s food history and culture July 14 at “Pork, Pickles and Peanuts: Tastes of North Carolina.” This free, fun family event focuses on everything that makes the state taste great with the highly competitive and extremely tasty annual Barbecue Cook-Off and Pie

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. 

The meeting of opposing generals inside the humble parlor of James and Nancy Bennett was a small part of making peace and ending the Civil War. Why did the negotiations take days longer than those at Appomattox? How did the ending impact black and white civilians, the free and enslaved?

Surveyor, soldier, statesman, governor – Richard Caswell served North Carolina in many capacities and the Richard Caswell Memorial State Historic Site reopens April 7 with a celebration, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Damage from Hurricane Matthew led the N.C.

From earlier days at Palmer Memorial Institute, visionary women shaped the institution into an elite preparatory school for African Americans that closed in 1971.