On 2nd Saturdays This Summer, North Carolina Culture Is Everywhere

RALEIGH, N.C. - May 29, 2013 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. -- It may be tales of pirates who roamed our coast told at Maritime Museums, or a potter at work while bluegrass plays at the N.C. Museum of History. It could be contestants panning for gold at Reed Gold Mine or history buffs learning about a 1937 presidential visit at the Outer Banks History Center. These are a few 2nd Saturdays happenings coming on June 8, July 13 and Aug. 10.

2nd Saturdays programs orchestrated by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources will demonstrate that North Carolina culture is everywhere. It's summertime free family fun that makes a gas-tank getaway possible for every citizen in the state. Affordable recreation for residents and tourists benefit communities and lead to great outcomes and good times for all.

A unique authentic North Carolina experience will be found at each of the 27 state historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, and even a history center, throughout the summer. Many venues will offer hands-on activities, crafts and local food vendors and artisans.

Musical offerings will include bluegrass, gospel or classical. Tryon Palace will offer Regency era dance lessons -- which requires registration and carry a fee -- while Roanoke Island Festival Park and the Outer Banks History Center will teach you the "Big Apple" dance from the 1930s. Or learn about movie making in North Carolina at the Museum of the Albemarle.

The rewards of digging in the dirt through archaeological explorations will be shared at Historic Halifax and Town Creek Indian Mound; or a salute to the bounty of the farm at Somerset Place or Horne Creek Farm. On the other extreme, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will offer lessons in etiquette.

The music of emancipation and "Jubilee" at Historic Stagville or19th century musical traditions at President Polk State Historic Site will set toes tapping. Mountain Gateway Museum will feature fly fishing. In honor of the state's literary tradition, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial will feature an author each month.

Various aspects of the Civil War also will be examined. Camp life during the war will be featured at Bentonville Battlefield, while Bennett Place will celebrate the Civil War cavalry soldier with mounted interpreters. Fort Fisher will examine blockade running and place buoys to mark wrecks near the fort, while Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson will examine the introduction of torpedo warfare. Vance Birthplace will offer discussion of Union sentiment in western North Carolina during the Civil War period.

More than 100 programs will make for great family escapes this summer. For more information call (919) 807-7389 or visit www.2ndSaturdaysNC.com.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources:

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.