In June 1840, North Carolinians celebrated the completion of a new State Capitol with a festival and feast in Downtown Raleigh. On Saturday, June 13, North Carolinians can celebrate again as Raleigh's Historic State Capitol commemorates its 175th anniversary with a free daytime festival and a ticketed evening barbecue fundraiser that honors this historic milestone.
The free daytime celebration begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m., and features family-friendly festivities both inside the Capitol and outside on Capitol Square. Activities will include performances by local musicians, military re-enactors, local historic site demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, a trackless train ride for children, hands-on children's activities - and, of course, birthday cake!
The evening ticketed fundraiser, "Barbecue & Bluegrass Birthday Bash," will run from 5 to 8 p.m. and is sponsored by the State Capitol Foundation. Features include bluegrass music by Ash Breeze and the Bethesda Bluegrass Band, barbecue plates (BBQ, slaw, potatoes, green beans, banana pudding, tea) served by Carolina Barbecue of Garner and beverages provided by Mystery Brewing Company of Hillsborough.
Meal tickets for the evening fundraiser are $25 for adults ($20 for current State Capitol Foundation members) and $10 for children's plates. To purchase tickets in advance, please visit http://ncstatecapitol.org/capitol175 or call 919-733-4994. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Proceeds support the education, restoration and preservation programs at the Capitol. Signature sponsors for the celebration include Carolina Barbecue of Garner, Mystery Brewing Company of Hillsborough and Cirque de Vol.
"This celebration was inspired by the original dedication in 1840, but with a modern sense, so it promises to be a can't-miss event," said Terra Schramm, State Capitol Site Administrator. "The daytime festivities and evening concert will launch a year of special programs and exhibits at the State Capitol that aim to capture public interest and inspire a new generation to participate in the history that continues to be made here every day."
Highlighting the daytime festival will be a noon formal cornerstone re-dedication ceremony led by N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz, Deputy Secretary Dr. Kevin Cherry and featuring the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina.
The day also serves as the official opening for the Capitol's 175th anniversary museum exhibition "Capitol Connections: 175 Years of People, Places and Politics." Exhibit Curator Kara Deadmon will give a free exhibit lecture at 2:30 p.m. inside the Capitol's House Chamber. Joining her will be Paul Hardin Kapp, co-author of the new book "The Architecture of William Nichols: Building the Antebellum South in North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi."
The State Capitol's mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The State Capitol is at One Edenton Street, Raleigh. Please visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol or call (919) 733-4994 for more information.