African American Cultural Celebration set for next weekend

Posted: May 30, 2010

It's hard to remember now with temperatures reaching into the 80s and beyond, but back in January we had a lot of snow.

And one of the many things that was postponed was the N.C. Museum of History's ninth annual African American Cultural Celebration. The event, one of the museum's biggest of the year, was rescheduled.

It's set to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 (that's this coming Saturday).

"The program is very similar to what we had planned in January," said Emily Grant, the downtown Raleigh museum's youth programs coordinator. "We're sort of interested to see how the shift is going to be."

The Westover High School percussion section drumline from Fayetteville will kick off the event at 11 a.m. by marching up the Bicentennial Plaza between the history and natural science museums.

Visitors can watch scenes from the play “Phillis Wheatley and Friends”: see historical figures come to life from the museum’s new exhibit on Thomas Day, who operated North Carolina’s largest furniture workshop in 1850 and became the state’s best-known cabinetmaker; or learn about the George Eastman School in northeastern North Carolina.

You'll also find music and dance; craft demonstrations; storytelling; and games and crafts for kids. Staff members from historic sites across North Carolina will be on hand to share information. And war reenactors will pitch their tents outside.

Special guests include staff from the Durham-based Freelon Group, who will share their plans for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

And, best of all, it's all free. Click here for details. (And Emily wanted me to mention that the museum still has some spots open in their summer camps).

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The American culture?