NCMC Events From Around the State… May 14, 2012




1). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences (http://naturalsciences.org) Ever wondered how humans live, work and play in outer space? Now that the space shuttle program is over, does that mean space exploration will cease? Have your children ever expressed an interest in becoming an astronaut? Are aliens real? If you’ve ever had questions about the cosmos, Astronomy Days at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh is where you need to be on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 20 from noon to 5 p.m. Free.

2). Port Discover (www.portdiscover.org) Celebrate National Strawberry Month during “Strawberries Galore!” Port Discover’s Toddler Time program, on Thursday, May 17 at 10:00 am. Children will discover how taste buds detect sweet from sour and will plant a strawberry bed in Port Discover’s Kids Grow Garden. Toddler Time is a special science program just for preschoolers, ages 3 – 5. Cost for the program is $5 per child and reservations are required. Parents or guardians must accompany the child.

3). Hickory Museum of Art (http://www.HickoryArt.org) will host a preview reception on Friday, May 25 from 6 – 8 pm for “Contemporary Art for Adult Children: Paintings by Susan Webb Tregay.” Tregay is a nationally recognized artist whose new series recently won awards from Watercolor USA and the International Society of Acrylic Painters.

4). Museum of the Albemarle (www.museumofthealbemarle.com) ) Watch for Pirates at the Potato Festival as the Museum of the Albemarle presents “Pirate Family Fun Day” on May 19th beginning at 10:00 am. Out on the Museum Green join Blackbeard’s Crew and enjoy hands on pirate activities from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm visit with children’s author James C. Butz as he introduces you to his new book: “The Legend of Privateer Sir Captain Curri C. Tuck.”

5). Charlotte Nature Museum (www.charlottenaturemuseum.org) Mother Nature makes some of the cutest and cuddliest babies around – and she has a large brood! From fuzzy furballs to itsy bitsy and creepy crawly, young wildlife come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Join Charlotte Nature Museum for the May Creature Feature event, Nature’s Babies, Saturday, May 19, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

6). Weatherspoon Art Museum (http://weatherspoon.uncg.edu/) On Saturday, June 16, the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro will open a new exhibition, Zone of Contention: The U.S./Mexico Border. The exhibition focuses on artists’ investigations of issues related to the U.S./Mexico border, a geographic area of much debate and contention. Through photography, sculpture, works on paper, video, and new media, subjects such as migrant labor, immigration law, national sovereignty, and border control will be examined in terms of their current social and ideological impact.

7). N.C. Transportation Museum (www.nctrans.org) is once again celebrating the golden age of railroading this June, but doing so in a bigger and better fashion than ever before. The Great Southeastern Rail Days Festival will be held Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 3 from noon to 5 p.m. The Great Southeastern Rail Days Festival will feature an expanded offering of train rides, live music, magic, railroad artist Andy Fletcher, kid’s activities and a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk & Western to form Norfolk-Southern Railways. Like our previous “Rail Days” events, there will be a huge offering for families and railfans alike. But like the name, this year’s event is bigger and better.

8). Bennett Place State Historic Site (http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bennett/) On May 12, 1862, Lorenzo Leigh Bennett, oldest son of the Bennett Family, went to the town of Hillsboro and enlisted in the 27th North Carolina Infantry, Company G. As the war entered its second year, he and many other young men joined to serve the Southern effort. Over the course of the four year war more than 120,000 men from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army, and more than 32,000 of them died. In conjunction with the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, Bennett Place State Historic Site will present "Joining the Southern Cause," an outdoor educational program depicting life of the Southern soldiers and civilians in the second year of the war. Living history programs will be Saturday, May 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, May 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

9). HandsOn! (www.handsonwnc.org) Hands On! –A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum located in downtown Hendersonville, will be hosting a ”Music” class on Friday, May 18th from 11:00am-12:00 noon for children ages 3 years and up. Parent’s as teachers take their children on a musical journey. Parents will learn how to use manipulatives from the Early Learning Center boxes to help their children learn. This class is offered in conjunction with the Children & Family Resource Center’s Early Learning Center (ELC).The class will be free with $5.00 admission for non-members and free for members. There are limited spaces so please call to sign-up.

10). Cape Fear Museum (www.capefearmuseum.com) Cape Fear Museum’s Toys and Games exhibition is a delight for both the young and young-at-heart. Remember your favorite toy when you were young? What games did you play with your friends and siblings? Many of us connect to our pasts through our childhood experiences. View historical images of people at play and toys and games from our collection. You’ll relate to generations of local residents through their playthings. Play with a variety of interactives inspired by the Museum’s collection. Toys & Games is open through September 9, 2012.