Hatteras Happenings at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

HATTERAS ISLAND — Try painting, food tasting, or hearing about “the good ol’ days” on Hatteras Island at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in July. The Meekins Chandlery Gift Shop and Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum are sponsors.

Award winning writer Ray McAllister, Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist, will reflect on his family’s annual visits to the island more than 25 years ago and relate entries from his new book, “Hatteras Island: Keeper of the Outer Banks” on July 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Although fast food restaurants, strip malls and beach-dominating duplexes have sprung up, much about the island has remained the same. Storm buffeted Hatteras has kept its soul. McAllister will tell stories of charter fishing, Billy Mitchell, U-Boats, the paving of Route 12 and the building of Oregon Inlet Bridge. He will relate how weather and the rugged people of the island have influenced the community.

Cast your vote at the Hatteras Island Methodist Cookbook Challenge on July 16, 12 noon-2 p.m. Two new cookbooks, “Kinnakeet Kitchens,” by St. John’s United Church Women in Avon, and “Keeping the Faith Recipes & Stories of the Windows,” by the Hatteras United Methodist Church family and friends, will offer favorite recipes and tasty samples. It’s a rare opportunity to meet local authors and try real Hatteras cuisine.

North Carolina watercolorist Jim Wordsworth will teach a Beginner’s Watercolor Painting Class on July 23, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The $25 registration fee includes a painting kit and lunch. There will be an overview of watercolor painting with a focus on good composition and tips to get a painting underway. Wordsworth will present a one-man show from 2:30-4 p.m. Participates must bring a small landscape picture, be aged 12 or older, and register with the museum at (252) 986-2995.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, located next to Ferry’s Dock in Hatteras, presents the maritime heritage and history of shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It is part of the Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.

African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour - Jul. 19, 2009

Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Berns historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. Reservations required: 252-514-4935.(Minimum Enrollment: 10)
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Fife & Drum Corps Recruit Camp - Jul. 27, 2009

Tryon Palace has undertaken the exciting task of recreating a colonial fife and drum corps, which plays at numerous events throughout the year in New Bern and beyond. In this camp, participants will learn from experienced instructors the basics of reading music, scales and rudiments, marching, history, and tunes that will prepare them to join the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps.
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N.C. Maritime Museum Announces July and August Calendar

BEAUFORT – There is a lot to see and do at the North Carolina Maritime Museum this summer. Programs and activities range from to investigations of microscopic marine monsters to classes in boat handling. The exhibit “Traditional Watercraft” is a hands-on exploration of how traditional North Carolina boats were designed, built, and used, and is on view through Sept. 28.

The Museum documents, collects, preserves, and researches the maritime and natural history of coastal North Carolina, and interprets history through educational services and exhibits. The N.C. Maritime Museum, 315 Front St., Beaufort, N.C., is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call (252) 728-7317 or e-mail maritime@ncmail.net.

1 Wednesday  - Seafood Workshop: Wild About Shrimp

Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch presents this hands-on workshop that features the popular crustacean in science and culture, with samples to taste. Reservations are $10. 2-4 p.m.

2 Thursday - Rachel Carson Reserve

An interpretive walk, led by retired Museum educator Jeannie Kraus, features the wildlife and history of the local estuarine environment. Reservations $15, $10 ages 8-11. 9:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

2 Thursday - Museum Marvels

View artifacts from the museum collection not currently on display. The program will be presented by Museum staff. 3 p.m.

7 Tuesday  - “Ichthyology and Otoliths: My Life as a Foreign Fisheries Observer”

Join local author Dail Bridges for images, a lively discussion, and a book signing. 3 p.m.

8 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

8 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

9 Thursday - Museum Secrets Revealed

Take a behind the scenes tour of the Museum’s collection, research, and exhibit areas with the staff. Reservations are $5. 3 p.m.

10 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

11 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

14 Tuesday - Dolphins

The Museum’s Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster will share photos and speak about local dolphins by. 3 p.m.

15 Wednesday - Watson Shells Revisited

Featured shells from the Museum’s international collection will be available for viewing. The program will be led by Museum volunteer Doug Wolfe and Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch. 11 a.m.

15 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life
Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

21 Tuesday - Bonehenge

See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

22 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

22 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

23 Thursday - Maritime Origami

Have fun with a maritime themed paper folding craft demonstration by volunteer Naomi Fontenoy. 3 p.m.

24 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

25 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Beach Finds

Identify specimens from North Carolina beaches. 3 p.m.

30 Thursday - Nautical Skills

A demonstration of skills for life at sea will be presented by Museum intern Meghan Kaylor. 3 p.m.

31 Friday - Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks

Cape Lookout National Seashore biologist Dr. Sue Stuska will give a presentation on the wild horses of Shackleford Banks. 3 p.m.

4 Tuesday - Sea Turtles

Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster discusses sea turtle ecology & conservation. 3 p.m.

5 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

6 Thursday - Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge

Maritime Archaeologist David Moore will give an update on Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge project. 3 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Bonehenge
See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from Museum volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

21 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

22 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

For more information, call Lori Duppstadt at (252) 728-7317 or go to www.ncmaritimemuseum.org. The North Carolina Maritime Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m. There is no admission fee.

The N.C. Maritime Museum, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Podcasts are available 24/7 with information about the department at www.ncculture.com.

Celebrate a Traditional Independence Day at State Capitol

RALEIGH — Pack a picnic lunch, don’t forget your lawn chairs and blankets, and come out to enjoy the July 4th holiday at the State Capitol’s annual celebration of America’s independence. This fun-filled, patriotic family event has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. The Saturday festivities are free and open to the public.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., musical performances, historical and military displays, a craft demonstration and several hands-on and play activities for children will be going on at the Capitol. Visitors will be able to listen to music inside the Capitol and outside on the square from groups such as the St. Mark’s Jazz Band, The Huckleberry Brothers and the Raleigh Concert Band. Families may also depart from Capitol Square on a narrated trolley ride throughout the historic downtown, featuring Raleigh landmarks.

Period-costumed re-enactors will evoke American military might from the Revolutionary period to the Vietnam era. Once again, the Capitol will sponsor the popular “Old Fashioned 4th” historical demonstration area where visitors can discover how Americans celebrated Independence Day in days gone by. Here folks will have a chance to try their hand at quill pen writing, sack races and much more.

At 11:45 a.m., those who fell in the Vietnam War and all remaining POW/MIA military personnel will be honored and remembered in a brief memorial service held at the N.C. Vietnam Memorial on the Capitol lawn. At noon, the annual “Salute to Independence” will begin at the 1840 State Capitol’s east front with a reading of Thomas Jefferson’s most noble achievement, “The Declaration of Independence.”

This moving presentation will be followed by a solemn placement of floral tributes to mark the 1775-1781 War for Independence and the successive wars that have helped preserve America’s freedoms and spread democracy and freedom globally. Concerts will follow the noontime ceremonies.

Food vendors, including Cooper’s BBQ and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, will be located on the Capitol grounds.

The N.C. Museum of History gift shop will be open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., and its restrooms will be available to all attendees throughout the Capitol’s July 4th celebration.

A National Historic Landmark, the N.C. State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888 its granite walls housed all of state government, and the Legislature met here until 1961. Today the governor and her staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square, where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the State Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol.

For more information on the State Capitol call (919) 733-4994 or go to http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.