The Henrietta III Riverboat Cruise

The HENRIETTA III Cruises depart from Water & Dock Streets. All Cruises board thirty minutes prior to departure. Public Parking can be found at various specified locations around Historic Downtown Wilmington. Public cruises go out rain or shine, April through December, and Private Charters cruise year round.

Cape Fear Riverboats offers a unique venue for weddings, wedding receptions, anniversaries, birthdays and family reunions. Great for school, church, and club outings, as well as corporate functions. Have an evening of fun or romance on one of our dinner cruises, or take in the sights along the beautiful Cape Fear River in Wilmington, NC on one of our narrated sightseeing cruises… many options for a memorable event, suitable for any occasion.

“Welcome Aboard” is the motto of HENRIETTA III’s Captain Carl Marshburn and crew as they strive to offer the finest in Southern hospitality. A favorite for locals and visitors, HENRIETTA III is “the place” for special occasions in Wilmington, NC

Cape Fear Blues Festival

Considered the premier blues event of coastal North Carolina, the Cape Fear Blues Festival is also the musical centerpiece of Wilmington’s summer season.  Held July 23 – 25, 2010 it is owned, operated, and staffed by the Cape Fear Blues Society.

The Festival features a wide variety of events to please both seasoned blues fans and casual listeners.

Among the many activities are a Blues Cruise, workshops, live club shows, Festival concert, and an all-day outdoor blues jam.  Come and be a part of a unique blues experience between the beautiful beaches of the Cape Fear coast and the historic riverfront of downtown Wilmington!

Cape Fear Blues Festival
Cape Fear Blues Society
P. O. Box 1487
Wilmington, NC 28402 USA
Phone: (01) 910-350-8822
Email: admin@capefearblues.org

NC Battleship Memorial

Just up highway 17 to Wilmington is the immortal showboat, the USS North Carolina.

She survived every major pacific naval offensive of World War II and earned 15 battle stars. The USS North Carolina Battleship was brought to the Cape Fear River in 1961 by the citizens of NC as a memorial to all the men and women who served in WWII.

The self-guided tour includes an orientation film, crew’s quarters, galley, sick bay, engine room, pilot house, guns, Kingfisher float plan and more. The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is open every day of the year, including all holidays, as the ship is a memorial.

Summer Hours: Open Every Day! (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day) are 8 am – 8 pm. EXCEPT Independence Day when the ship closes at 6:00 pm to prepare for fireworks. Winter Hours (After Labor Day weekend through Thursday prior to Memorial Day weekend) 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, EXCEPT Christmas Day when the ship opens at noon. Admission is charged. 910-251-5797,

Area Resort Makes Top On List!

An area resort is #1 on list of Top 10 North Carolina Beach Resorts compiled by Read more

4th Of July In The Big W

Wilmington is celebrating the Fourth in a big way. Here’s a list of a few of the top events this year:

14th Annual Battleship Blast
Sunday, 07/04/2010 9:05 PM
One of the largest choreographed fireworks displays in the State explodes over the Battleship. View from historic downtown Wilmington. The Battleship closes at 6pm for fireworks. For more information 910.251.5797 Ext. 2048.
Battleship North Carolina
# 1 Battleship Road
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.battleshipnc.com

———————————–

4th of July Riverfront Celebration -
Sunday, 07/04/2010 5:00 PM
Celebrate Independence Day with music, food and fireworks in Historic Downtown Wilmington! Entertainment will be provided by the 440th North Carolina Army National Guard Band in Riverfront Park. Join us on Water Street from 5pm to 10pm for food, music, fireworks and fun! Fireworks will begin at 9:05 pm from the Battleship North Carolina. For those viewing the fireworks along the river bring your radios and tune in to WGNI 102.7 FM. Primary viewing of the fireworks will be from downtown. WECT TV 6 will also broadcast the fireworks live beginning at 9pm. For more information call 910.341.7855.
Downtown Wilmington
Water Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.wilmingtonrecreation.com

———————————–
4th of July Cruise aboard the Henrietta III
Sunday, 07/04/2010 6:00 PM
Come aboard North Carolina’s Largest Riverboat as we celebrate our Independence Day!! Enjoy the city sponsored fireworks from the promenade decks. Boards 30 minutes prior to cruise. Pre-paid reservations required. Boarding begins at 6pm. Call 800.676.0162 or 910.343.1611.
Henrietta III
Water & Dock Streets
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.cfrboats.com

One Tree Hill Returns

The popular TV show “One Tree Hill”, filmed in Wilmington, NC has been approved for another season – making 2010 its eighth year running.

According to EUE/Screen Gems vice president Bill Vassar, thirteen new episodes have been ordered.

All Wilmington had been abuzz with speculation for days about whether “One Tree Hill,” would be renewed for another season. On May 18, 2010, The CW renewed the show for an eighth season consisting of 13 episodes minimum.

It has also been confirmed that original cast members James Lafferty, Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Galeotti will all be returning.However, Lee Norris and Antwon Tanner have been removed as main characters and it is unknown if they will be recurring later or not at all.

The show has also been moved to Tuesday nights as a lead in to Life Unexpected.

The show is set in a fictional town called Tree Hill in NC and originally followed the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty). Their relationship evolved from heartless enemies to caring brothers, and the basketball drama, as well as the brothers’ on-again/off-again romances with female characters, have been significant elements within the series.

The show’s interiors are filmed at the EUE/Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, North Carolina and exteriors are filmed in and around Wilmington.

Originally planned as a feature length film with the title Ravens, after the high school basketball team, it was decided to make One Tree Hill as a television series. The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place is derived from the song “One Tree Hill”, which is, actually, named after a landmark in New Zealand. Most of the episodes of the show are titles of songs, bands or albums.

Executive Producer Mark Schwahn named the town “Tree Hill” because while he was writing the idea for the show, he had been listening to the album The Joshua Tree by U2. At the start of the show, fans often asked Schwahn why the show was named One Tree Hill when the town was just called Tree Hill. The question is ostensibly answered when Karen tells Lucas in episode 1.22 that “There is only one Tree Hill – and it’s your home.”

According to the Wilmington Regional Film Commission about 125 professional locals are employed on the set and the show pumps about $1 million per episode into the local economy.

Airlie Gardens

While you are in Wilmington take a day trip to Airlie Gardens! The gardens are in all their glory right now and Garden Tours are available.

Generations of locals and tourists travel to the historic property with its beautiful azaleas, dogwoods, camellias and various annuals bring a splash of color to the waterside oaks and pines.

A 67-acre county park, Airlie Gardens garnered nationwide fame for its spectacular plantings, which at one time included more than 600,000 azalea bushes and more than 5,000 camellias.

The most famous couple to originally owned the property were J. Pembroke Jones, a wealthy rice trader, and wife Sarah (Sadie) Jones, who bought a 150-acre tract in 1886. They named their estate “Airlie,” after the ancestral Scottish home of Jones’ family.

After the Joneses’ deaths, the Airlie property passed to the Corbett family in 1948. Bertha and Waddell Corbett operated the gardens as a private tourist attraction for many years. In 1999, in cooperation with the N.C. Coastal Land Trust, New Hanover County acquired Airlie from the Corbetts at a cost of $10.5 million.

Attractions include the gigantic Airlie Oak, estimated to be more than 460 years old, the Pergola Fountain and plantings arranged to bloom year-round.

The property known as Airlie was part of a 640-acre land grant from King George II to the Ogden brothers in 1735; by the 1800s much of the original acreage had been transferred to Joshua Grainger Wright.
It was not until the arrival of Sarah Jones, wife of Pembroke Jones, that a formal garden was created. The Joneses were wealthy industrialists noted for their lavish entertaining.

They used Airlie as a means to accommodate their guests and parties.

Sarah Jones began planting the property in 1901 and later in 1906 commissioned German landscape architect Rudolf Topel to transform the tract into a picturesque garden. Airlie reached its peak during the 1920s, at which time it was reported that over a half million azaleas and 5,000 camellias were in the garden; many of these plants still bloom and thrive in the garden. The 67-acres of today’s Airlie are all that remain of the original 155-acre estate.
The Corbett Family purchased the Airlie property from the Joneses in 1948 and used the gardens as a primary residence. Local business owners with strong ties to the community, the Corbetts would open the garden to the public several seasons throughout the year, especially in the spring during azalea bloom. In 1999 the family sold the property to New Hanover County.

Today, Airlie is a local treasure as one of the last undeveloped land tracts along Bradley Creek. The gardens are undergoing restoration and are now preserved for public use.

Regular season hours at Airlie are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week. During spring bloom season (April 3-May 17), the gardens stay open till 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Winter hours (Jan. 2-March 19) are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Cost: Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children aged 6-12. Children younger than 6 are admitted free.

Descendent Buys Orton!

A direct descendent of Roger Moore, who built the original Orton Plantation home in 1725 is the new owner of the antebellum plantation house and the gardens!

Louis Moore Bacon, who now resides in London but was born in Raleigh, has purchased almost the entire 5,000-acre property – including the historic plantation house and its famous gardens – from the Laurence Sprunt family who have owned the Brunswick County landmark since 1884.

The Plantation and Gardens (located just 35 miles from Wilmington, NC)will close indefinitely on May 31st while plans for the future and other renovations are made. Hurry to see this incredible place while this years gardens are still available to you!

Current Orton manager David Sprunt, will retain that position, said the family has kept the land around the plantation’s pond.

He said he’s excited about the plans for the plantation, but it is hard for the property leave his family’s ownership after all of these years.

A press release states that Bacon is directly descended from Roger Moore, who built the original Orton residence in 1725. Bacon’s mother’s family has strong ties to nearby Wilmington.

Many are relieved to hear that Mr. Bacon has a reputation for buying historic properties such as Orton Plantation and keeping them in their natural state. Also the N.C. Coastal Land Trust holds conservation easements covering much of the Orton property. The executive director of the Land Trust states that Bacon is noted as a conservationist and a supporter of numerous environmental organizations.

Forbes magazine notes Bacon, age 53, is a native of North Carolina who manages several hedge funds and now resides in London, and the London Sunday Times notes that that he is the richest hedge fund manager in Britain having a nearly $1.7 billion fortune.

Orton Plantation, which recently opened for the 2010 season, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the gardens. Extensive renovations were made in the gardens to open up panoramic views to the Cape Fear River, remove competing vegetation, redesign and enhance the flower beds and restore and preserve the colonial rice fields.

Among the predominant species in the garden are live oaks, camellias, azaleas, flowering fruit trees, daphne, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, dogwoods, and colorful spring and summer annuals. Lawns and water gardens lend variety to the lush vegetation.

Plan to come spend a day at Orton Plantation! The gardens are in their glory right now! The historic landscape designed around the 1735 mansion and colonial rice fields overlooking the Cape Fear River and 20 acres of secluded walking trails surrounded by hundreds of acres of rice fields make Orton Plantation Gardens a wonderful place to visit.

One of the oldest plantations on the Lower Cape Fear and the only one with a manor house still standing, Orton has become a privately owned tourist attraction, celebrated for its elaborate gardens. In recent years, the plantation and its grounds have served as locations on a number of motion pictures.

The house and grounds are located at 9149 Orton Road S.E., Brunswick County just off N.C. 133, close to the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site.

Get directions click here!

Hours are 8am to 5pm March – August and 10am – 5pm September – November (except they close for Thanksgiving Day).

Cape Fear Museum Camps

The Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington offers Summer Camps for children 5-10 providing an avenue to engage in fun, hands-on learning about the history and natural science of the Lower Cape Fear.

Each camp runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Costs are $60 per child for members, $75 per per child for nonmembers. To register, call 910.798.4362, or download an application here.

Space is limited so sign up now!

Science Masters
June 14 – 18, 2010 ~ 7 & 8 year olds
Archaeology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Meteorology, Physics, and Zoology. From A to Z, take on the role of different scientists to explore the how’s and why’s of what they do through hands-on fun and experimentation.

Mini Adventures
June 21 – 25, 2010 ~ 5 & 6 year olds
From astronomy to zoology, take part in a unique Museum adventure each day. Design your own invention, investigate the stars, and even become a “bubbleologist.” Don’t miss this summer camp favorite!

Young Engineers
June 28 – July 2, 2010 ~ 9 & 10 year olds
If you can dream it, we’ll give you the tools to build it! Construct the highest and strongest towers, experiment with bridge designs, plan and create a miniature golf course, and explore structures found in nature. Conclude the week with an engineering extravaganza!

Dinos and More
July 12 – 16, 2009 ~ 5 & 6 year olds
How big were dinosaurs? What did they eat? Where did they live? Discover dinosaur secrets, “meet” other prehistoric creatures who lived in the Lower Cape Fear, and investigate modern relatives of these ancient beasts.

Cape Fear Wild
July 19 – 23, 2010 ~ 9 & 10 year olds
Wild animals, wild plants, and wild weather — the Lower Cape Fear region is a wild place! Create a new species of insect-eating plant, ponder how to preserve natural spaces, and design your own eco-friendly exhibit. Learn how to be a conscientious conservationist.

Battleship NC Fantail Film Fest

Every Friday night in Wilmington all May enjoy watching movies on the Battleship NC’s fantail underneath the stars!

Tickets are $2 a person and go on sale at 7:30 pm. Chairs are provided but camp chairs & blankets are welcome.

Popcorn & drinks will be on sale. There are sponsorship opportunities available. Please call 910-251-5797 for more information.

Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington: May 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th)
Time: 8:30 pm

* May 7th – Raiders of the Lost Ark
* May 14th – King Kong – (1933)
* May 21st – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – (Gene Wilder, 1971)
* May 28th – The Wizard of Oz

Next Page »