NCMC Events from Around the State… November 23, 2015

1). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, invites you to join them for Holly-days. What is Holly-days? Holly-days is a month long educational program with a wintery wonderland & holiday theme! On December 2nd, the Hands On! Mountain is transformed by Jack Frost, Elves & Santa with decorations and activities where learning comes into play.  They will offer winter & holiday themed programming all month focusing on science, literacy, math, art, and cultural/religious festivals.  Some activities are free with admission & some have a small fee.  For additional information about their educational programs and facility, please visit their website at www.handsonwnc.org or call 828-697-8333.

2). The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville (www.naturalsciences.org) presents, “Science Cinema,” on Saturday, November 28^th, featuring Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” This 1967 film was the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney animated Classic Series. This 78-minute film will be shown at 10:00 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. This film is rated G. The last Saturday of each month, the museum will be showing engaging nature and science films, perfect for the entire family. Science Cinema programming is funded by a grant awarded from the International Paper Foundation.   Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, please call the museum at 910-914-4185 or email Whiteville@naturalsciences.org.

3). The Tobacco Farm Life Museum (www.tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org) is hosting a Holiday Craft Show as part of their “Stepping into the Past Saturday Series”. On Saturday, November 28^th and Saturday, December 5^th crafters, demonstrators, and vendors will be on site selling their wares, all local and handmade products, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Holiday Craft Show is a great opportunity to find one of a kind gifts for everyone on your list while also supporting local craftspeople and folk artists and the preservation of traditional skills. Saturday Series events are included in regular museum admission.

4).  Levine Museum of the New South (www.museumofthenewsouth.org) invites you to “Cuisine with a Conscience” on Tuesday, December 1 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meet three area chefs who use their culinary talents to benefit important causes, ranging from hunger and poverty to human trafficking. Featuring Roberto Mendoza from The Chef’s Heaven Cuisine, Jim Noble from The King’s Kitchen, and Antonia “Neet” Childs from Neet’s Sweets. Discover the unique ways they serve their food with a mission as each talks about the issues they are passionate about, and how their establishments are tackling them. In addition to the program, guests will enjoy samples from the three chefs. Presented in conjunction with the exhibit, Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited, currently on display at Levine Museum. $4 for Museum members and $8 for non-members. Reservations are required as space is limited. Register online at www.museumofthenewsouth.org/register.

5). The Smith-McDowell House (www.wnchistory.org), on the campus of A-B Tech Community College, opened the doors to its 2015 Holiday House on Wednesday, November 18^th.    This year’s theme “Here We Come a-Caroling” celebrates the history and stories behind some well-known Christmas Carols with lavishly decorated period rooms representing the mid-late 19th century.  Young visitors can also enjoy a special “Twelve Days of Christmas” search to locate hidden objects throughout the house. The 2015 Holiday House will be open through Sunday, January 3^rd during normal operating hours:  Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays Noon – 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $9 for adults; $5 for children and students. Groups may contact the house to schedule a tour.  The center is also offering guided Twilight Tours on Thursday, December 3^rd and Friday, December 4^th. These new, after-hours tours will last approximately one hour. Participants will experience the house through costumed interpreters, live music, and refreshments while learning history and fun-facts about the carols highlighted in year’s decorating theme.  Twilight Tour tickets are $25 general public; $20 Asheville History Center members; and $10 ages 3-18. Advance reservations are required and may be made by contacting the center directly at 828-253-9231 or purchasing online at www.wnchistory.org.

6). Tryon Palace (www.tryonpalace.org) announces the opening of their new exhibit, Child’s Play, at the North Carolina History Center.  The evolution of toys will come to life in this free exhibit in the Center’s Duffy Exhibition Gallery. Ranging from 18th-century ivory dominoes to 20th-century model trains, and from homemade toys to tech toys, Child’s Play offers a variety of objects both old and new. Visitors will also learn how industrial advances have changed toys, not only in appearance but in availability. Child’s Play includes hands-on opportunities for visitors to release their inner child by playing with games and toys that include Lincoln Logs, tops, dominos, board games, a Rubik’s cube and imaginary tea parties with dolls. Child’s Play will remain open as a free exhibit throughout the holiday season and continue through Jan. 10, 2016. For more information call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org.

7). The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (www.nchistoricsites.org/chb), a North Carolina State Historic Site, announces its upcoming Christmas event, “Cocoa and Candlelight in Canary: A 1940s Christmas Celebration”, on Saturday, December 5^th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  “Cocoa and Candlelight in Canary” will be held in Canary Cottage, Dr. Brown’s campus home, and in the Museum’s Visitor Center. Visitors are invited to learn about 1940s holiday décor and traditions while enjoying refreshments, listening to vintage holiday music, and making their own ornaments to take home. Join the museum for a warm look back at the holiday traditions celebrated on Palmer’s campus. Tickets are $2.14 for youth and $3.20 for adults (18+)—Cash Only.  Please call 336-449-4846 for more information.

8). New Winston Museum (www.newwinston.org) will host a book reading and discussion with John Railey, author of “Rage to Redemption in the Sterilization Age: A Confrontation with American Genocide” on Thursday, December 3^rd at 5:30 p.m. John Railey, editorial page editor of the Winston-Salem Journal, will read and discuss his recent book, and bookmarks will be on hand for book sales.  John Railey, a native of Tidewater, Virginia, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A veteran of Virginia and North Carolina newspapers, he is the editorial page editor of the Winston-Salem Journal. He has won numerous state and national awards for his work. Admission is free.

9). High Point Museum (www.highpointmuseum.org) invites you to their 43^rd Annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 6^th from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This annual event has become a tradition with local families. Come for a day of special reenactments, music, demonstrations, refreshments and hands-on activities like candle dipping!  Fun for all ages. FREE. No reservations required.

10). The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) presents “Eastern Coyotes: Part Wolf, Part Dog, Extremely Adaptable,” at the Museum in Downtown Raleigh on Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m.  Join mammalogist and coyote expert Roland Kays and learn how hybridizing with wolves and dogs allowed these coyotes to rapidly evolve into a larger predator, helping them to fill the ecological niche left open after the extirpation of wolves in the East.  This presentation is held in conjunction with “Extreme Mammals,” the Museum’s current special exhibition, which explores the diversity, ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like. This is the third in a series of scientific talks that delve into what makes a mammal extreme — the biological characteristics, behavior and ability to adapt for survival. Please visit www.naturalsciences.org for a full schedule of events.