NCMC Events From Around the State… October 13, 2014

1). Washington County Historical Society (www.livinghistoryweekend.com) and the Roanoke River Waterways Commission invites you for a special all-day event on October 25th! In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the sinking of CSS Albemarle (Oct. 27, 1864), we invite canoeists and kayakers to spend a morning paddling your way down Conaby Creek – the escape route of the Albemarle’s young daredevil destructor, Commander William B. Cushing! Not a paddler? Please consider joining us in the afternoon and evening instead. We will be hosting guided walking tours of historic downtown Plymouth, a troop encampment, hourly artillery firings, presentations by Norfolk's Tidewater Maritime Living History Association, and more! In the morning:  Cushing's Escape Paddle on Conaby Creek (ticketed, registration required) - Ticket includes shuttle service breakfast, lunch with musical entertainment, commemorative t-shirt, $5 donation to Spruill Farm Conservation Project, free museum admission to Port o' Plymouth Museum and Roanoke River Maritime Museum. Visit www.plymouthpaddles.com for more information and registration. In the afternoon & evening: Variety of Historical Programming (FREE, general public) - Downtown Plymouth Walking Tours, Troop Encampment, Artillery Firings, 7:00 Reenactment. Visit http://www.livinghistoryweekend.com/linked/schedule_for_day.jpg for full schedule and locations.

2). Hands On! A Child's Gallery (www.handsonwnc.org) is proud to present a SciGirls Professional Development Training, Monday, November 3, 2014, 9 AM - 4 PM. SciGirls is a PBS Kids television series out to change how tweens think about science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM!   In each episode, girls in your programs can join bright, curious real girls in putting STEM to work.  Then they can check out the PBS SciGirls website to play games, watch episodes, share projects, and connect with other SciGirls in a totally safe social networking environment!  SciGirls Trainings integrate inquiry-based STEM instruction with a commitment to gender equity.  Christi Whitworth, Education Director of Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute and the North Carolina Girls STEM Collaborative Lead guides this training.  Educators attending SciGirls Trainings will learn the latest research for exciting and engaging girls (and boys) in STEM; experience hands-on STEM activities; and gain access to free materials for hands-on, video-enhanced activities that put a creative twist on teaching STEM.  There is a $15 fee to attend this training. There are only 30 spaces open for this training!  REGISTRATION LINK: http://www.ngcproject.org/hands-scigirls-training. Registration closes one week before the training date.  Lunch is on your own. Directions to Hands On! and information regarding parking is available at http://handsonwnc.org/visit/directions/.   

3). The Museum of Anthropology (www.moa.wfu.edu) invites you to Day of the Dead Excursion on Saturday, October 25^th from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  The Hispanic League, the Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University and Sawtooth School collaborated to create this special outing celebrating the Day of the Dead.  The excursion will start in the morning at the Museum of Anthropology for an educational presentation and guided tour of the exhibit Life After Death: The Day of the Dead in Mexico. The exhibit’s centerpiece, a traditional Mexican ofrenda or home altar, serves as the backdrop to teach participants about the celebration’s history, observances, and folk art. After an authentic Mexican meal at the Museum over the lunch hour, participants will move to Sawtooth School for a workshop where veteran mask maker Martina Moore will guide them through each step of the creative process to produce a Day of the Dead inspired mask. Participants will have the option of displaying their masks in the Museum of Anthropology’s exhibition through early December. The excursion is open to ages 14 and over.  The fee is $50 per person.  Visit www.sawtooth.org for information and to register.

4). The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA (www.battleshipnc.com) invites Batty Battleship's Halloween Bash on Tuesday, October 28^th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Batty Battleship, brother Buggy and their friends return to the Battleship for a spooktacular trick or treating time.  A lot of fun and no scares it is the best location for the family to share.  But don’t be frightened and don’t you fret we promise we’ll provide a zoo with animals to pet. With candy and sweets there’s plenty of treats you’ll be asking yourself what more should I eat. Batty also announces she will have two very special guests this year, Anna and Elsa from “Frozen”.  Come have fun aboard the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA for the 6th annual Batty Battleship's Halloween Bash. Carnival festivities with henna tattoos, face painting and bounce house included trick-or-treaters of all ages will be begging not to leave. Admission is $5 per person. Kids 2 and under free. Some activities are weather dependent. Thank you to Sunny 104.5 for sponsoring this event.

5). Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex (www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov) announces that Halloween and history go hand in hand in October at the 1897 Poe House.  All month long the 1897 Poe House will be decorated with traditional Halloween décor from the Victorian period up through the 1930s. 1897 Poe House tours are given at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00 on weekdays and on the hour on weekends. The house is closed on Mondays. The cost is FREE!  Mark your calendars for Hallowe’en Revels Night Tours of the 1897 Poe House on October 17-18 & 24-25 from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Actors will portray members of the Poe household and their friends as they prepare for a night of Hallowe’en fun. The night tours cost $3.00 per person for ages 7 and up, children 6 and under are free. On Saturday, October 25 from 11:00-4:00 pm, look out for the ravens as you wander through the 1897 Poe House during our annual Poe House and Museum Trick or Treat event. Friendly guides will be stationed throughout the house to help you on your way. Listen to a Halloween story and then play carnival games in the backyard for a prize! Admission is FREE!

6). North Carolina Museum of Natural Science (www.naturalsciences.org) opens The World’s Largest Dinosaurs exhibition!  “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs,” a major new exhibition, explores the amazing biology of a group of uniquely super-sized dinosaurs: the long-necked and long-tailed sauropods, some of which may have reached lengths of 140 feet! The exhibition runs through April 12, 2015.  The exhibition draws on cutting-edge paleo-biological research that looks in part to living organisms to make inferences about how these giants were able to thrive, as a group, for approximately 140 million years. This innovative exhibition — including the centerpiece, a life-sized, detailed model of a 60-foot-long Mamenchisaurus — takes visitors beyond the bones and into the bodies of these titans, shedding light on how heart rate, respiration, metabolism and reproduction are linked to size.

7). Old Salem Museums & Gardens (www.oldsalem.org) presents Pigs & Pippins! Harvest Day at Old Salem on Saturday, October 18^th.  Celebrate the fall with hands-on activities, puppet shows, historic demonstrations and more. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Included with All-In-One ticket, Adults/$23; 6 –16/$11; Friends of Old Salem Free.

8). The N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) announces its 19th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. This free family-friendly festival will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Members of all eight state-recognized tribes come from across North Carolina to participate in this exciting celebration. Passionate about sharing their heritage, these musicians, dancers, craftspeople, storytellers and others provide many opportunities to learn about the state’s Indian culture, past and present. With so much to see and do, stay the day and grab lunch from vendors. Try some traditional American Indian foods with a modern twist, such as Indian tacos or Sappony salsa. For a schedule of all performances and presentations, visit NCMOH-programs.com or call 919-807-7900.

9). The Asheville Art Museum (www.ashevilleart.org) invites art and beer enthusiasts to join local artist Leigh Ann Parrish for a fun evening of creativity on October 24^th from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.! This workshop will engage participants’ artistic creativity and explore a variety of materials to create masks just in time for Halloween. The workshop is suitable for all levels of experience; however, you must be 21 years of age or older. All materials plus beer and snacks are included in the cost. Class size is limited and advance registration is required. Participants may register by contacting the Museum at 828.253.3227 or online at www.ashevilleart.org. Reservation deadline is Friday, October 17.  This event is held in conjunction with X, Y + Z: Dimensions in Sculpture.

10). North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) invites you to haunt the Aquarium for Halloween fun! Pirate skeletons, caped superheroes and fairy princesses once again haunt the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher for Trick or Treat Under the Sea. The newly expanded 2014 event features four nights of ghoulish good times, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23; Friday, Oct. 24; Wednesday, Oct. 29 and Thursday, Oct. 30.  Grab your costume and troll the Aquarium for spooky good times. Halloween games and magic shows will have the family shrieking with delight. Haunted gardens, live animal encounters and scary divers swimming among the sharks get the adrenaline pumping. Local merchants, also costumed for the event, give away treats and coupons to trick-or-treaters. Advance tickets available online at http://www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher and at the Aquarium, $11 each. Children 2 years old and younger are free. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Children 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Be green and bring your own trick-or-treat bag.