Local Events

March 27, 28, 29, 30, 2008 - The Rivertowne Players of New Bern present "Menopause" the musical during selected dates in March and April. Tickets are $20.00 in advance, or $25.00 at the door. Advance tickets are available now at: Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle Street, New Bern, NC. This show will sell out - so get your tickets early!! Performances for March 27, 28, 29 held at 8:00 pm; 3:00 pm matinees are scheduled for March 29 & 30. For more information, please call 252-638-2577.   

New Bern - Tryon Palace Decorative Arts Symposium

March 28-30, 2008 - "Borrowed, Invented & Stolen" Celebrating the Decorative Arts in America. This Year marks the 40th Decorative Arts Symposium at Tryon Palace. The Symposium is sponsored by Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. For a list of speakers and the agenda please visit our website at www.tryonpalace.org or call (800) 767-1560.

New Bern - Tryon Palace Saturday Sampler 

March 29, 2008 - Colonial blacksmiths made iron tools such as weapons, cooking utensils, horseshoes, and even cutlery for craftsmen and farmers in the 18th century. This workshop provides an introduction to the basics of blacksmithing with hands-on instruction and completion of a sample project to take home. Prepayment and reservations are required. For registration information, please call (252) 514-4935. Class size limited to 10 people (minimum enrollment: 5). The class is $20 per person with materials included. For more information please contact Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens at (252) 514-4900 or (800) 767-1560 or visit their website at www.tryonpalace.org  

New Bern - Coastal Women's Shelter "Night to Remember"

March 29, 2008 - Enjoy a catered dinner by The Flame Restaurant with wine, beer and soft drinks provided. Musical entertainment will be provided by The Flabbergasters with a live auction emceed by Skip Waters. Live and silent auction items will be donated by our generous business community. There will be 50/50 cash raffle and door prizes. Tickets are $40 per person and are available at the CWS office and Helping Hands. Event begins at 6:30pm and runs through Midnight. Proceeds will assist families of domestic violence. For more information please contact Coastal Women's Shelter at (252) 638-4509.

Aishu - The Sound of Another World at RIFP

March 30, 2008 - A concert of classical Indian Music will be presented by Aishu, born Aishwarya Venkataraman, in the Art Gallery  at Roanoke Island Festival Park on Sunday, March 30, at 4:00 pm. The mission of RIFP is to involve resident and visitors, of all ages, in a creative and stimulating exploration of Roanoke Island's historical, cultural and natural resources. For more information about this event call 252-475-1500 or visit them on-line at www.roanokeisland.com

Elizabeth City Downtown Benefit Dinner

March 30, 2008 - The City Wine Sellar is hosting an Italian Dinner on Sunday, March 30 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm to benefit Elizabeth City Downtown. The meals are $7.00 each and include: Stuffed Pasta Shells with Alfredo Sauce & Meat Lasagna, Seasoned Green Beans & Garlic Bread! Drinks and Homemade Desserts are available at an additional chrage. Tickets are available by visiting: The City Wine Sellar - 102 S. Water Street, MMT Printer - 605 East Fearing Street, or The Framery - 116 North Poindexter; or by calling 252-338-4104. 

Roanoke Island Festival Park

April 1-30, 2008 - Roanoke Island Festival Park is an interactive family attraction that celebrates the first English settlement in America. The centerpiece of the 25-acre island park adjacent to Manteo, North Carolina, is Elizabeth II, a representation of one of the seven English ships from the Roanoke Voyage of 1585. Costumed Elizabethan sailors greet visitors and help them experience sixteenth century seafaring life. Also visit the Settlement site, Roanoke Adventure Museum and see the Legend of Two-Path film.  Events are scheduled throughout the year in our indoor Film Theatre and our Outdoor Pavilion. Admission is charged. The on-site Art Gallery, fossil pit, Museum Store, Outer Banks History Center and marsh-side boardwalks are free and open to all. Hours vary seasonally. For additional information, call (252) 475-1506, (252) 475-1500 or visit us online at www.roanokeisland.com

North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island

April 1-30, 2008 - The NC Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island will offer a variety of maritime skills, boatbuilding, sailing programs and workshops throughout the year in the Creef Boathouse. Visit the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and learn the history of the screw-pile lights. Times and dates vary seasonally. Visit www.obxmaritime.org or call (252) 475-1750 for current programming schedules.

Dare County Land of Beginnings Festival

April 4-12, 2008 - This is a week-long festival with many exciting events, concluding with a black-tie gala on April 12th. Call the Lost Colony at (252) 473-2127 for a detailed schedule - or visit www.thelostcolony.com!

"Passport to Art" Auction and Gala at New Bern Riverfront Center

April 5, 2008 - Craven Arts Council & Gallery offers international cuisine, mystery, excitement, and lots of wonderful art at its 4th Annual Art Auction and Gala on Saturday, April 5. "Passport to Art" will be at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center and promises to transport everyone to a world of art to be sold at live and silent auctions. Those seeking a sneak preview can go  to www.cravenarts.org 

Dare County High School Art Show

April 7-28, 2008 -Dare County High School youth show their best work during the month of April. The annual exhibition is always eclectic featuring two- and three-dimensional art. Expect to see portraits, landscape paintings, abstracts, mixed media work and more. An opening reception will be held on April 6 from 4-6 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The show can be viewed Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (252) 475-1500.

Wilmington Azalea Festival

April 9-13, 2008 - A springtime tradition since 1948, the 61st Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival (April 9-13, 2008) celebrates the rich history, arts, and culture of Wilmington & NC's Cape Fear Coast. Framed by dazzling pink, lavender and white azaleas that dominate the region's landscape, the time-honored festival ushers in spring with Southern hospitality and fanfare. Festival highlights include Azalea belles dressed in rainbow-colored hoop skirts, home and garden tours, parade floats, juried arts and craft shows, contests, visiting ships, concerts, fireworks, and a street fair with exhibits, vendors, live entertainment, kids fun, and more. This year's Azalea Garden Tour (April 11-13) was featured in the March 2007 issue of Southern Living in the magazine's "Carolina Living" section. The 55^th Annual Azalea Garden Tour features 11 public and private gardens with the theme of "Gardens from the River to the Sea" www.azaleagardentour.org

Celebrate Spring in New Bern

April 11-12, 2008 - New Bern welcomes the return of Springtime with a collection of events April 11th & 12th.  Check out the Schedule of Events for details and contact information for the Home & Garden Tours, Art Walk, and Jazz Festival, or visit our website at www.visitnewbern.com! 

NASF Carolina Open Body Building Championships

April 12, 2008 - The 2008 NASF Carolina "Open" Body Building and Figure Championships will be held on April 12, 2008 in Elizabeth City. For more information, contact the Fitness Warehouse at (252) 331-2850.

North Carolina Maritime Museum - Build Your Own Kayak

April 12, 19, 26, 2008 - Build a 14 foot kayak. This workshop will meet on three consecutive Saturdays. At the end of the workshop the participants will have a 14 foot wooden kayak. The class is limited to four teams. Each team can have up to five members.  The cost is $650. Workshop limit is 5. Instructor is Craig Blackwell. To register or for more information call (252) 475-1750.

New Bern Civic Theatre Presents: 'On Golden Pond'

April 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, & 27, 2008 - This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memoryshe is ten years younger and delights in all the small things that have enriched their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who leave his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the grandchild the elderly couple have longed for. In the end, as the summer wanes and Norman and Ethel are brought even closer together by the incidence of a mild heart attack. Time, they know, is now against them, but the years have been good and, perhaps, another summer on Golden Pond still waits.

NBCT will hold a final dress rehearsal on Thursday, April 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7.00, open seating. Show Dates: April 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8 p.m., April 20 & 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets go on sale April 7. Call 252-634-9057 for more details.

'On Golden Pond' Upscale Opening

April 18, 2008 - Join New Bern Civic Theatre for an upscale opening night on April 18 at 8:00 pm. This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memoryshe is ten years younger and delights in all the small things that have enriched their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who leave his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the grandchild the elderly couple have longed for. In the end, as the summer wanes and Norman and Ethel are brought even closer together by the incidence of a mild heart attack. Time, they know, is now against them, but the years have been good and, perhaps, another summer on Golden Pond still waits.

A wine and cheese reception will be held in the Athens café at 412 Pollock Street after the show. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets go on sale April 7. Call 252-634-9057 for more details.

Tour de Cure

April 19, 2008 - 100-mile ride from Chesapeake, VA to Manteo, NC where participants will end their fundraising journey at Roanoke Island Festival Park. A benefit for the American Diabetes Association. Gates open at 8 a.m. - the race starts at 9 a.m. For more information, call (757) 455-6335, Ext 3276 or 1-888-DIABETES, Ext. 3281 or email mellis-butler@diabetes.org

Carolina Beach Lake Park Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-off

April 19, 2008 - The 2008 Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-off is all about delicious food, good music, and family fun, so bring the kids along to this family-oriented event! An admission fee of $5.00, (children 6 and under are free) gets you into the tastiest festival in town. Gates open at 11:30 am; chairs, blankets and children welcome, but please leave your pets at home. For more information, please call 910-458-8434 or visit www.PleasureIslandNC.org

Coastal Carolina Airshow Comes to Wilmington

April 19 - 20, 2008 - Dynamic airborne acts and breathtaking aerobatic feats will return to Wilmington skies Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20 during the Coastal Carolina Air Show 2008. Plan to visit Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape Fear Coast during this popular event held at the Wilmington International Airport. The airshow will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Jet Team and the U.S. Army's Golden Knights Jump Team! Gates will open daily at 8:00 am with a stunt bike show. The flying starts at 11:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the gate. Children ages 6-12 get in for $6 in advance or $8 at the gate; ages 5 and under are free! For more information, check out the program flyer, or call 910-254-9989.

Haunted Evening in New Bern

April 25, 2008 - Enjoy an evening of ghostly fun from New Bern's historic past. The New Bern Historical Society invites you to experience the mysteries, shadows, and phantoms of the Attmore-Oliver House by candlelight. The Haunted Evening starts promptly on the hour and lasts approximately 45 minutes. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at performance. Advanced tickets are recommended as space is limited to 20 persons each performance. A special Drama/Dinner Package is also available for $37 per person. Enjoy an authentic southern dinner at The Chelsea Restaurant either before or after the Haunted Evening performance. The price is all inclusive and you may select from a number of delicious meals. For additional information & tickets, please call the New Bern Historical Society at 252-638-8558 or the Craven County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 252-637-9400 or 800-437-5767.

New Bern Civic Theatre Presents: 'On Golden Pond'

May 1-3, 2008 - This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memoryshe is ten years younger and delights in all the small things that have enriched their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who leave his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the grandchild the elderly couple have longed for. In the end, as the summer wanes and Norman and Ethel are brought even closer together by the incidence of a mild heart attack. Time, they know, is now against them, but the years have been good and, perhaps, another summer on Golden Pond still waits.

Show Dates: May 1, 2, 3 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets go on sale April 7. Call 252-634-9057 for more details.

May Events in New Bern & Craven County

May, 2008 - The May calendar includes the Downeast Literary Forum, North Carolina Symphony Performance and the Neuse River Day! Please feel free to contact us at (252) 637-9400 or visit our website at www.visitnewbern.com for more information and a complete photo gallery.

Eastern North Carolina Festivals

Please click here to see a list of festivals that occur annually throughout our region.