Community Calendar

History Lecture
St. Eustatius & The First Salute
Presented by archaeologists Dr. Ruud Stelten & Alex Hinton
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Orringer Auditorium - 2:00 p.m. - FREE

Through archaeological discoveries and newly uncovered archival evidence, Stelten and Hinton will explore the crucial role the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius played during the American Revolution. Often called the “Golden Rock,” this tiny Dutch island served as a major hub for international trade, supplying desperately needed gunpowder, arms, and other goods to the American colonies. The presentation will examine how St. Eustatius connected to North Carolina ports, including New Bern, and how maritime archaeology is helping researchers reconstruct these forgotten connections. The lecture will also share the story of the famous “First Salute” of November 16, 1776, when the Dutch governor of St. Eustatius returned a cannon salute to the American brig Andrew Doria, an act widely regarded as the first formal foreign recognition of the United States.

This project is supported by Dutch Culture USA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States, to mark America 250.

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory and VFW Post 2514 invite local veterans and their families to a special Veterans & America 250 Celebration honoring America’s 250th anniversary and the men and women who have served our country. The event will feature a Living Military Timeline with historical reenactors and displays representing multiple eras of American military history, followed by the National Anthem, a Missing Man Table Ceremony, dinner, acoustic music, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. Doors open at 3:00 p.m., with the Living Military Timeline beginning at 3:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at approximately 4:45 p.m.
This event is free and reserved for veterans and their families. Veterans will be asked to provide documentation of military service. Space is limited and RSVP is requested. Please see the attached flyer for complete event details and RSVP information.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

North Carolina History Series
in partnership with Tryon Palace
NC History Center, Cullman Auditorium - 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: (3-Event Series Pass $25 OR Adults $10 / Students $5)

The North Carolina History lecture series continues with the goal to engage the broader community and expand the understanding of, and engagement in, the fascinating history of New Bern, Craven County and the state. We are pleased to welcome a very diverse group of four historians for this year’s series.

The series is presented by the Lifetime Learning Center and Tryon Palace, in partnership with the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Sunday, February 7, 2027
The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts
Speaker: Dr. Gregg Hecimovich, author of the award-winning book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, will share the fascinating story of Hannah Crafts and her remarkable novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative — generally regarded as the earliest known novel written by an African American woman who had herself been enslaved. Hecimovich’s research identifies Crafts as Hannah Bond, an enslaved woman held by John H. Wheeler and his wife, Ellen, in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Discover the extraordinary life behind this literary mystery.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) is the uniformed citizen volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. All of our missions are operated as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Auxiliarists provide crucial non-law enforcement and non-military support to the U.S. Coast Guard land, sea and air missions. There are four general task areas served by the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety, Operations, Marine Safety and Mission Support. The CGAUX has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

North Carolina History Series
in partnership with Tryon Palace
NC History Center, Cullman Auditorium - 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: (3-Event Series Pass $25 OR Adults $10 / Students $5)

The North Carolina History lecture series continues with the goal to engage the broader community and expand the understanding of, and engagement in, the fascinating history of New Bern, Craven County and the state. We are pleased to welcome a very diverse group of four historians for this year’s series.

The series is presented by the Lifetime Learning Center and Tryon Palace, in partnership with the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Sunday, March 14, 2027
Beyond the Recipe: Learning History from American Cookbooks
Speaker: Dr. Jamie R.C. Kirby, Research Historian at Tryon Palace, brings a unique perspective to this topic. A Virginia native who grew up in Salisbury, NC, Dr. Kirby has long been interested in Southern food and its place in American history. In this engaging lecture, they will look beyond the recipes to explore historic Southern cookbooks as windows into history, culture, identity, power, and place to discover what these everyday cookbooks can reveal about the America of their times.