Independence Day is this weekend and the state Department of Cultural and Natural Resources is encouraging the public to “embrace history and nature at July 4 events.”
Tryon Palace in New Bern is celebrating Independence Day with the Glorious Fourth the morning of Saturday, July 3. Commemorative festivities will be on the South Lawn from 9 a.m.-noon July 3. The activities are free to with the purchase of any admittance ticket, including a day pass, galleries pass or gardens pass.
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See how a cannon fires during Cannon Day 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 4, at Fort Macon State Park. Meet at the fort to learn about the different cannons used at Fort Macon and how they function. Programs will conclude with a blank firing demonstration. Demonstrations are at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and a different cannon will be fired for almost each session. Fort tours are at 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Meet in the fort entrance for the 45-minute tour.
Roanoke Island Festival Park will be rocking Sunday during a free Independence Day concert at 8 p.m. Sunday with Jonny Waters & Co. Following the concert, watch the Town of Manteo’s fireworks show over the water after dark.
The North Carolina Aquariums in Kure Beach, Manteo and Pine Knoll Shores, and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head will welcome visitors this July Fourth weekend. The North Carolina Zoo and all state parks will be open as well.
The rest of the state
Historic Stagville in Durham at 10 a.m. Monday will host a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” Bring a chair or blanket. The free event will last about an hour, with the option to tour the original slave dwellings at Horton Grove available afterwards.
North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh will be open during regular hours with exhibits on the state’s Variety Vacationland, experiences of North Carolina’s military veterans from 1898-1945, beach music and the story story of North Carolina. Free.
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North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh will be open during regular hours with exhibits on dinosaurs, the state’s habitats and animals, and more. Free.
Visit the State Capitol in Raleigh to celebrate July 4th with a traditional “Salute to Independence” featuring a reading of The Declaration of Independence. The Capitol will be open for self-guided tours from noon-3 p.m. Free.
In Old Fort at Mountain Gateway Museum from 2-4 p.m. Saturday there will be a afree Ice Cream Social with old-fashioned games, free watermelon, ice cream and bluegrass music by Possum Creek..
