Preservation at the Beach
Since its founding in 1939, Preservation North Carolina has been the guardian of the state’s architectural heritage. It is also North Carolina’s only nonprofit statewide historic preservation group. Each year, the organization travels to a different town or city in the state for its three-day conference, which this year will take place in Wrightsville Beach from Oct. 17 to 19. The roster of events includes a variety of educational activities (lectures by historians and preservationists), tours of historic sites in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, honor awards and other special events. The conference is open to anyone interested in old houses and the positive impact of historic preservation. Oct. 17 – 19. Blockade Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd., Wrightsville Beach. For a conference schedule and registration: presnc.org/conference or call (919) 832- 3652.
King Fish
October means exceptional fishing in coastal North Carolina, and anglers of all stripes can participate in the 40th U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament. More than 400 boats compete for a variety of big-money purses (last year’s disbursement for fishermen was more than $270,000). Each boat must have a registered captain, and no more than six lines can be fished from any boat. Admission: Free for spectators. $340 entry fee per boat. Online registration until Oct. 2; on-site registration Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 12 midnight. Oct. 4 – 6. Southport Marina, 606 West West St., Southport. for info and registration: (910) 457-5787 or usopenkmt.com.
Coast, Roast, Toast…
Bald Head Island’s annual Roast and Toast on the Coast returns to the island from Oct. 5 to 7. Friday night’s feast will be an oyster roast on the scenic verandah of the Bald Head Island Club. Beginning on Saturday afternoon, Matt Register of Southern Smoke Barbecue will offer a Bald Head-inspired menu at the Common at Cape Fear Station, the island’s community park. There will be a silent auction to benefit the Old Baldy Foundation, which maintains the island’s lighthouse — the oldest in North Carolina. A Sunday brunch will be served at the Bald Head Island Club. The island is accessible by boat and ferry from Southport, and transportation once on Bald Head is limited to golf carts and bicycles. Oct. 5 – 7. For event tickets and weekend package information: roasttoastcoast.com.
Fire in the Pines
The Fire in the Pines Festival highlights the importance of controlled forest burning — without them, longleaf pines in the region would disappear, as well as red-cockaded woodpeckers, Venus flytraps, and other rare plants that require fire to survive. A demonstration controlled burn will take place, and in addition to live birds of prey and food trucks, there will be more than 40 exhibitors, among them: the Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Longleaf Coalition, the NC Forest Service, Boy and Girl Scouts of America, and the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. Admission: Free. Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Halyburton Park, 4099 South 17th St., Wilmington. For info: (910) 341-0075.
Art in the Arboretum
The Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum and the Wilmington Art Association combine forces for “Art in the Arboretum,” one of the largest juried art shows in North Carolina. More than 120 exhibitors in media ranging from painting and prints to pottery and sculpture will show work outdoors in the 7 acres of gardens. There will also be a raffle and silent auction, as well as People’s Choice awards. Admission: $5. Oct. 5- 7, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. For info: (910) 798-7670.
Waccamaw Pow Wow
The Waccamaw Siouan tribe called themselves the “People of the Fallen Star,” a reference to their home a few miles from Lake Waccamaw, which is believed to have been formed by a massive meteor. With council headquarters near Buckhead, the tribe currently has more than 2,000 members. This year they will celebrate native traditions at the 48th Annual Waccamaw Siouan Pow Wow at the tribal grounds in Bolton, North Carolina. Events will range from Waccamaw Siouan history, American Indian dance and drumming competitions to a horse show and gospel singing. There will also be workshops in basket making, pottery and American Indian beading techniques. Oct. 19 – 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission: $5. Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Grounds, 7275 Old Lake Road, Bolton, NC. For more information: (910) 655-8778.
Nature Calls
The Cameron Art Museum features a trip of new exhibitions this month. Renowned South Carolina woodcarver and artist Grainger McKoy’s intricately carved birds will be featured in “Recovery in Flight: The Sculptures of Grainger McKoy.” In 1995, Dr. Isabel Bittinger presented the Cameron with a collection of antique Japanese woodblock prints bound into albums. One of these was Ando Hiroshige’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, now on view, which features landscapes and figures in 18th-century Edo and Kyoto. “Nearer to Nature” focuses on artists’ works that have been inspired by the natural world. Artists include Elliott Daingerfield, Minnie Evans, Mark Flood, Hiroshi Sueyashi, and others from the permanent collection. All three exhibitions run through Feb. 17. Tickets: $10. Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St., Wilmington. For info: (910) 395-5999 or cameronartmuseum.org.
