NCMC Events From Around the State… December 13, 2010

1). Bellamy Mansion presents African-American History Day with Jonkonnu Celebration on Saturday, December 18th from 11am-2pm. Grab the family and attend this free 3-hour event. Come early at 11 AM to make a mask so you can join in the fun; then stay to hear story tellers and Sarah, the enslaved Bellamy cook, tell about her life in the kitchen. Learn about and participate in the Jonkonnu parade and celebration scheduled for 12:30.

2). Museum of the Albemarle The Museum of the Albemarle will hold History Tales: Make It, Take It on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 3:30 pm. Elementary age students accompanied by an adult will discover different Christmas traditions, share some of their own Christmas traditions and participate in a hands-on activity. The program is free to the public.

3). Port Discover Port Discover’s Afterschool Science presents 1 + 1 Equals Achoo!, a children’s health awareness program on Thursday, December 16 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Dr. Maille Lyons, from Old Dominion University, presents the unique interactive game illustrating how sickness can spread through a community. Children will also learn what can be done to prevent the germs from spreading and stay healthy!

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art On a cold, crisp November morning in 1930s Alabama, young Truman Capote and his friend Sook woke up, announcing, “It’s fruitcake weather!” So begins A Christmas Memory, the beloved play performed annually at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. This year’s performance of the holiday favorite will be Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. Admission is $8 for members and students, $12 for non-members. For information and to purchase tickets, please call 336.758.5150.

5). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum invites you to enjoy the season with a Holiday Art Camp Monday, December 27 through Thursday, December 30, 2010 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cost is $18 per day for Museum Members and $20 per day for Non-Members. Take a break over the holidays and sign your art enthusiasts up for one or all four days of hands-on fun at the Museum’s Holiday Arts Extravaganza! Campers will spend their afternoons creating art of all kinds in the bright and sunny studio at the Asheville Art Museum. Pre-registration is required.

6). Cape Fear Museum presents Learning Center: Toy Science on Saturday, December 18. Explore toys that spin, balance and roll to uncover the scientific principles involved in play. Why do tops spin? How does a yo-yo work? What makes toy cars move? Experiment with historic toys. Investigate the inventive process by creating your own toy to take home.

7). Town Creek Indian Mound Windy cold days, and long and colder nights are tough on birds, as summer’s lush vegetation has withered away and insects have died or gone dormant. Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site will help feed these feathered friends with its Christmas for the Birds free program on Saturday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors can help create homemade pine cone bird feeders using suet and bird seed. They can also decorate trees along the site’s entrance with these festive “ornaments.”

8). Tryon Palace presents Lunch and Learn: The 18th-Century Holiday Table, Speaker: Matt Arthur, Tryon Palace Living History Coordinator on Tuesday, December 14, 12:00pm at the North Carolina History Center. Free admission; bring your own lunch, beverages will be provided. Feasts and parties were an integral part of the colonial and early American Christmas tradition. In this program, learn about the dishes and desserts that made for a joyous 18th-century holiday celebration.