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August
September
October
George Washington Lecture Series

  programs of interest to children or families

August

2nd Saturdays: Wonderful Wood
Saturday, Aug. 14
Noon–4 p.m.

Watch craftspeople make bowls and other objects from that “tree-mendous” renewable resource, wood. See and purchase their work in the Museum Shop, and sample yummy “Goodness Grows” products made in North Carolina. 2nd Saturdays = art, heritage, food, and fun at 37 state historic sites and museums. Free! Visit www.ncculture.com.  drop-in program

Make It, Take It: Wood Works
Saturday, Aug. 14
Noon–4 p.m.

How much wood does a woodworker work? Find out by making your own wood craft to take home. drop-in program

History à la Carte: Colored Confederates and U.S. Colored Troops
Wednesday, Aug. 18
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.

Earl Ijames, Curator of African American and Community History

Using primary sources, Ijames will look at people of color who served in the Union or Confederate army during the Civil War. Hear about their struggle for freedom and learn what is being done to honor them today.

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September

History Corner: Master Craftsman Thomas Day
Wednesday, Sept. 1
10–11 a.m.
Ages 6–9 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.

Get to know Thomas Day and find out what made him and his furniture so unique. Presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.

History Hunters: History Mystery
Wednesday, Sept. 1
10–11 a.m.
Ages 10–13
To register, call 919-807-7992.

How do historians unlock the past? What clues do they follow and what tools do they use in their search? Come find out!

Time for Tots: Pigskins and Leatherheads
Tuesday, Sept. 7 or Sept. 14
10–10:45 a.m.
Ages 3–5 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.

Learn about the history of football, then create a handheld field kick game to take home!

Associates: Washington Opening Gala
Thursday, Sept. 16
7–11 p.m.
To purchase tickets, call 919-807-7849 or buy online at ncmuseumassoc.com.

Join honorary chairs Eve and Sherwood Smith at this black-tie celebration to welcome Discover the Real George Washington. Major funding for the gala provided by Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.

Garden Tour
Saturday, Sept. 18
2–4 p.m.
To register, call 919-807-7992.

Tour the museum’s garden to see native plants, colonial herbs, and traditional North Carolina cash crops. Then help harvest the sorghum cane and learn about making molasses!

Make It, Take It: Paper Pockets
Saturday, Sept. 18
1–3 p.m.

Are your pockets sewn into your clothes? They wouldn’t have been in the 1700s! Color and assemble a paper pocket, then learn about colonial life in Discover the Real George Washington. drop-in program

From Head to Toe: Clothing in 18th-Century North Carolina
Sunday, Sept. 19
3–4 p.m.
To register, call 919-807-7992.

Louise Benner, Curator of Costume and Textiles

From silks to homespun, colonial clothing reflected the wearer’s social status and occupation. Join Benner for an illustrated talk highlighting fashions of the period.

History à la Carte: An Unexpected Treasure
Wednesday, Sept. 22
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.

John Coffey, Deputy Director for Art, N.C. Museum of Art

The N.C. Museum of Art is one of only two art museums in the country with a gallery dedicated to Jewish ceremonial art. Hear the story of this exceptional gallery and its treasured collection.

Family Day: Colonial North Carolina
Saturday, September 25
11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Watch craftspeople at work, meet Revolutionary War soldiers, practice writing with a quill pen, tour Discover the Real George Washington free of charge, and much more!

Artists at Work: Colonial Crafts and Trades
Saturday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 26, 1–3 p.m.

See members of the Sixth North Carolina Regiment reenactment group demonstrate carding and spinning, straw hat making, bookbinding, and other skills. drop-in program

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October

First Friday Film: 1776
Friday, Oct. 1
7–9:30 p.m.

Enjoy this rousing musical about the American colonies’ move toward independence. Get $5 adult admission to Discover the Real George Washington from 6 to 9 p.m.!

Putting a Face on the First President
Sunday, Oct. 3
2–3:30 p.m.
To register, call 919-807-7992 by Oct. 1.

Jeffrey Schwartz, Professor of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh

Hear how Schwartz and his team used computer imaging and forensic techniques to help create the life-size statues of our nation’s first president in Discover the Real George Washington. A reception follows the program.

Time for Tots: All about Corn
Tuesday, Oct. 5 or Oct. 12
10–10:45 a.m.
Ages 3–5 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.

You can butter it, roast it, grind it, pop it, and even weave it! Find out more about America’s number one field crop and make a corn shuck doll to take home.

History Corner: Día de los Muertos
Wednesday, Oct. 6
10–11 a.m.
Ages 6–9 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.

During this annual Mexican festival, families honor their deceased loved ones. Learn about the holiday’s ancient origins and how it is celebrated today. Presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.

History Hunters: Washington’s World
Wednesday, Oct. 6
10–11 a.m.
Ages 10–13
To register, call 919-807-7992.

He’s known as the “Father of Our Country,” but what was George Washington like as a kid? What adventures and experiences formed our first president? Come find out!

Hand Sew a Colonial Pocket
Saturday, Oct. 9
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Age 12 and older
$20 ($15 members); bring a bag lunch.
To register, call 919-807-7988.

See 18th-century sewing tools and clothing from the museum’s collection and sew a pocket using historically accurate reproduction fabrics and patterns. Open to beginning and intermediate hand sewers.

Writer’s Block: The Great Dismal: A Carolinian’s Swamp Memoir
Saturday, Oct. 9
3–4 p.m.

Bland Simpson, Professor of English and Creative Writing, UNC–Chapel Hill

Simpson blends personal experience, oral history, and natural history to create an intriguing portrait of the Great Dismal Swamp and its people. A book signing will follow the program.

Music of the Carolinas: John Dee Holeman
Sunday, Oct. 10
3–4 p.m.

Renowned Piedmont bluesman John Dee Holeman has been singing and picking since the 1940s. Here’s your chance to catch him in concert with fellow Piedmont blues musician Andy Coats. PineCone cosponsors the performance.

History à la Carte: Carolina Backcountry at War
Wednesday, Oct. 13
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.

Tom Magnuson, Trading Path Association

Some of the most remarkable social, political, and military events in American history occurred in North Carolina between 1761 and 1781. Magnuson will address how these events impacted our state.

Make It, Take It: Take a Seat!
Saturday, Oct. 16
1–3 p.m.

Make a miniature version of a 19th-century chair and then see full-size examples in Behind the Veneer: Thomas Day, Master Cabinetmaker. drop-in program

Rising to the Challenge: Women in Public Office
Thursday, Oct. 21
7–8:30 p.m.
To register, call 919-659-1445.

Reserve your seat for this panel discussion with women attorneys in public service. The program includes a video in which female chief justices from our nation’s top state courts talk about their experiences. Presented with the N.C. Bar Association.

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George Washington Lecture Series

On Wednesday, September 22, the North Carolina Museum of History Associates will launch a series of lectures in conjunction with Discover the Real George Washington. The $12 ticket price per lecture includes discounted admission to the exhibit. Free to Associates members. For reservations, please call 919-807-7847.

Upcoming lectures:

Washington’s Southern Tour
Wednesday, September 22, 7 p.m.

Hear Raleigh’s own Warren Bingham, an expert on Washington’s visits to North Carolina, speak on where Washington “really did” sleep.

George Washington and the Federal Court
Thursday, September 30, 7 p.m.

Willis Whichard, former N.C. Supreme Court justice and dean of the Campbell Law School, will look at Washington’s relationship with James Iredell and the federal court. Iredell, a North Carolinian, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by Washington.

The Gardens at Mount Vernon
Thursday, October 28, 7 p.m.

Dean Norton, director of horticulture at Mount Vernon, will speak on the gardens’ landscape design and unusual plants, and the innovative agricultural techniques employed by Washington.

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