Searching for Serendipity in Beautiful North Carolina

Sunset on Cape Fear River

Welcome to ncgypsy.com, a travel sampler featuring things to do and see in North Carolina.  The categories above are loaded with info about various cities and sites throughout the state so please take your time perusing the pages.  Your feedback is always welcome!  Feel free to drop a line with comments, suggestions, or just to say hello via the Contact link at top.   Also use the links upper right at the top to follow ncgypsy.com on Twitter and to 'Like' us on Facebook.

While you're here, be sure to check out the Festival and Events tab at top.  There you'll find a list of links to statewide listings of events for the current week. Use that section to plan your weekend.  Thanks for visiting ncgypsy.com - enjoy!

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Plan Your Weekend: 10 Events Happening Across NC That You Won't Want to Miss

Special steam engine train rides in Spencer, a soap making workshop in Pinnacle and musket and cannon firing demonstrations in Statesville are just a few of the opportunities for fun and discovery you'll find with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources this weekend.  Here are 10 suggestions to help you make the most of your time:

1.  Join the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer for one of three great events Saturday: a celebration of Piedmont Airlines, special steam engine train rides and a railroad book sale.

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2. See re-enactors perform musket and cannon firing demonstrations this Saturday and Sunday at Fort Dobbs in Statesville.

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3.  Learn how to make soap the old fashioned way with ingredients you can find at any grocery store during a workshop Saturday at Horne Creek Farm in Pinnacle.

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4.  Celebrate Purim and the Chinese New Year with a night of music, dancing, food and drinks Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh.

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5.  See memorabilia from Sleepy Hollow's filming at Tryon Palace on display at the N.C. History Center in New Bern through Sunday.

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6.  Stop by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem on Saturday for a pancake social complete with art activities and performances.

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7.  Hear about the struggle for civil rights in the small Martin County town of Williamston during a lecture at Historic Bath Saturday.

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8.  Learn about world music, folklore and dance through songs and stories at the Museum of Albemarle in Elizabeth City Saturday.

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9. Enjoy concerts of Beethoven's 7th Symphony performed by the N.C. Symphony in Fayetteville, Raleigh and Sanford throughout the weekend.

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10.  Hear the harrowing tales of men who were prisoners of the North Vietnamese government during the Vietnam War Friday at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

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About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is improve our state's quality of life by creating opportunities that promote economic development, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and spark creativity to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit ncdcr.gov.

Images courtesy of N.C. Department of Cultural Resources
Source: N.C. Department of Cultural Resources

Find Your Roots With New Online Course 
in Genealogy,  RootsMOOC

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Ever wonder about Aunt Ruth's first husband, or where grandpa's mom was born? The State Library of North Carolina can help you do family research with RootsMOOC, an online course that incorporates the most useful sources, tools and techniques for researchers. The Government and Heritage Library staff will help you get off to a good start with your genealogy research and by the end of the course you'll know where to keep digging.

A growing movement of online education, Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), are being developed by many universities and educational institutions around the world to offer not-for-credit courses to the public, free of charge. The State Library of North Carolina is partnering with the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University to offer RootsMOOC.

Participants can spend as much or as little time as needed per module. There are no graded activities, deadlines or set time to 'meet', but the course and discussions will be open March 23 through June 1.

RootsMOOC consists of five two week modules that open sequentially. Modules remain open after coming online, so participants can go back to earlier modules if they desire. Modules include:

• Introduction and Orientation
• Getting Started and Staying Organized
• Tapping into the U.S. Census
• Using State and Local Resources (local history room, public library, university archives, state library and archives, etc.)
• Understanding and using Digital Collections

Participants will complete an ancestor chart, conduct interviews with relatives and share progress with fellow participants. You'll be challenged to go beyond online resources, identify local genealogy societies and libraries in your area, and connect with experts that can help you wherever your search leads.

Created by Wake Forest University's Z. Smith Reynolds Library and the State Library of North Carolina, this project was made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Learn more about the course and sign up here.

For additional information, please call (919) 807-7450. The Government and Heritage Library in the State Library is within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

"This Day in NC History"

Raleigh Acorn.

Want to know what happened in NC on this date in history?  Click on the image above to visit the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources blog that's loaded with tidbits of historical facts.  

Black History Month Events 2015

NC Civil War Events 2015

Find NC Festivals And Events

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