By Liz Mitchell
The
2nd Saturdays program is a series of budget-friendly family events presented during the summer at historic sites throughout North Carolina. We are fortunate to have two important sites in
Brunswick County with free July and August events scheduled.
Weaving through Time, a daylong demonstration of spinning and weaving techniques, will be presented at
Brunswick Town on July 10. The demonstrations will include information about the various processes textile makers used over the centuries. Conservationists will be available to answer visitors’ questions about antique textiles, and guests will be invited to spin or weave their own projects.
Brunswick Town was destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War, and there are archaeological ruins of the colonial port town, with foundations of homes, kitchens and outbuildings, and a stunning ruin of the old church. Fort Anderson was built on this site and used as a Confederate fort during the Civil War. The town and the fort are on the National Register of Historic Places.
On Aug. 14, Dr. Stan South, an archaeologist, storyteller and author will present Can You Dig It, also at Brunswick Town. The daylong program will include stories of the excavation of the site. Visitors are invited to tell their own stories or read poetry. For more information about Brunswick Town, visit
www.nchistoricsites.org or call 910-371-6613.
The Battleship Arts Fest is set for July 10, 10 a.m. to noon at Battleship North Carolina. Artists will showcase work in ceramics, metal, wood and other media. Art will be for sale by young artists who will also demonstrate African drumming. Tours of the battleship are available at an admission charge.
The
Carolina Living History Guild will present the Blue and the Gray Navies program on Aug. 14 at Battleship North Carolina. Two ships named North Carolina participated in the Civil War, one in the Confederate Navy and one in the Union Navy. The event includes displays of ship construction and navigation plus the history of naval and military technology. Reproductions of period small arms and working models of steam engines will also be on display.
For more information about Battleship North Carolina, located on the Cape Fear River outside Wilmington, visit
www.battleshipnc.com or call 910-251-5797.