1). Bennett Place State Historic Site presents “Planting the Fields” on Saturday, March 28. Join the farm staff as they prepare for the spring planting season. Visitors will get to learn how the Bennett family and other North Carolina farmers made their living and tried to survive during the time of the American Civil War. Program runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

2). Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens: Two new galleries celebrating 50 years of Tryon Palace history will open on March 21, 2009. The galleries, which are inside the Palace, will exhibit antique furniture, paintings and objects d’art from the original Maude Moore Latham collection and items bought to furnish the Palace for its opening on April 8, 1959. Many have not been on view for decades. Eighteenth-century archaeological evidence found during the restoration will also be on display. Visitors will be able to see the Palace evolve over time – from the furnishings of the 1950s to today’s more historically accurate portrayal of eighteenth century interiors.

3). N.C. Museum of History : Nearly 150 years after the Civil War, the bloody Battle of Antietam is still studied and analyzed. At day’s end in the countryside surrounding Maryland’s Antietam Creek, more than 23,000 American soldiers were dead, missing or wounded. Stephen R. Potter, PhD, will speak on “Antietam and the Archaeology of Tactics” on Saturday, March 28, from 4-5 p.m. at the N.C. Carolina Museum of History.

4). N.C. Maritime Museum: The N.C. Maritime Museum will offer two programs that feature birds the week of March 24 that are geared toward beginners and experts alike. James Craig, PhD, a retired Virginia Tech professor, will give a free program at the Museum that features photos and tips on photographing wild birds on Tuesday, March 24, at 11 a.m. The Coastal Photo Club will meet at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center in Scotland Neck on Thursday, March 26, for a daylong workshop. Reservations are required for the event, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $30.

5). Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site presents “144th Anniversary Living History Program, School of the Soldier: Confederate Army Camp of Instruction,” March 21-22. Costumed military living historians will present small arms weapons, close order drill, and other military-themed demonstrations. A small army camp will be on display to show how the soldiers lived. 19th century civilian domestic skills will also be presented around the Harper Kitchen area. All demonstrations are subject to change without notice. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. both days.

6). Reynolda House Museum of American Art will present “French Impressionisms,” a program of French Impressionist music and poetry, on Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. The program is held in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibition, “American Impressions: Selections from the National Academy,” on view through June 28. Visitors attending the concert are invited to see the exhibition at its only venue outside New York. Admission is $8, $5 for members and students.

7). Museum of the Cape Fear: Jon and Caroline Parsons will present a free musical program on Sunday, April 5, at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Starting at 2 p.m., the duo will delight the audience with traditional songs and many old-time favorites. See the Parsons play unusual instruments, such as a kazoo, harmonica, jaw harp, spoons and a comb with wax paper. They will also play more traditional instruments: the guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele and bass. As a special bonus on April 5, the museum will give away toy musical instruments: slide whistles, tambourines, harmonicas, or kazoos. The Parsons’ performance is the closing act for the museum’s special exhibit, “Rhythm and Roots of North Carolina Music.”

8). SECCA: The playful rendering of ice-skaters, slow-motion leaps of a trampoliner, or the downpour of water provide backdrops for artist Anna von Gwinner to create short video loops of imaginary moments in the life of a city. Von Gwinner, of Berlin, Germany; will speak at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 31 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-C). The event will be held at the College of Arts + Architecture, School of Architecture in Storrs Hall, Room 110, 9201 University City Boulevard. Von Gwinner’s talk is co-sponsored by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) and UNC-C. The lecture is free and open to the public.