May 10th, 2008 (Sat)
	Garden Lectures
	Speaker: Barbara Sullivan, Author & lecturer, Wilmington, NC “Summer Blooming Plants for the South” 10:00 a.m.FREE.  Sponsored by the Harold H. Bate Foundation.Visitor Center Auditorium Barbara will share her insight on the plants that survive heat and drought of southern summers to provide us with many colorful and fragrant flowers.  To be followed by a book signing by the author.             AND (a 2nd lecture – a true “gardeners delight”!)   Speaker: Dr. Peter White, Director of the NC Botanical Barden and Professor of Botany at UNC-Chapel Hill “North Carolina’s Wildflowers and Ecology” 2:00 p.m.FREE.  Sponsored by the Harold H. Bate Foundation.Visitor Center Auditorium North Carolina is a state rich in wildflowers.  The tropics are renowned for their plant diversity, but that diversity is often in trees and other woody plants.  North Carolina deserves recognition for its treasure of wildflowers.  Among the reasons for our diversity are the diversity of habitats and soils of the state—our plants include the Greenland sandwort, a plant found along Hudson’s Bay, in our high mountains, as well as on our coastal plain.  We are also a world “hot spot” for carnivorous plants, including the Venus Fly Trap, called by Charles Darwin “the most wonderful plant in the world:.  This talk will be a survey of the interesting stories of North Carolina’s wildflowers.  To be followed by a reception with Dr. White.

May 15th, 2008 (Thu)
	African American Lecture
	7 p.m. FREE. Visitor Center Auditorium Guest Speaker: Dr. William Anderson, Professor of History, Western Carolina University "Cultural Impacts: Americans in America and Europeans among the Cherokee" Although most people are familiar with how the Native Americans adopted the white man's culture and became "Americanized," many are not aware of what we borrowed from the Indians. They affected virtually every aspect of our lives today including language, government, literature, recreation, medicine, hygiene, and food. European impact on Cherokee culture was most devastating to nature. Europeans also influenced Cherokee politics and society and threatened their entire belief system. Their influence also brought dramatic changes in population size, settlement patterns, and men's and woman's traditional roles. Although some European influences were positive, most were negative, and much of Cherokee culture is lost forever.

May 17th, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history. You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette. Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we're bringing history to life! Tickets required. Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

May 17th, 2008 (Sat)
	Saturday Sampler: New Bern Literary Symposium
	“Journaling and Writing Memoirs” 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. FREE. Visitor Center Auditorium Memoirs are the jewels that historians seek. They provide insight to events, language, and life style that might otherwise be lost over time. On Saturday May 17, Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens will host the New Bern Literary Symposium as we present two author panel sessions; one in the morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Journaling and Memoir Writing and another in the afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. in which local authors will uncover the truth about Mystery/Suspense Writing. Come and meet the authors and start journaling now.

May 18th, 2008 (Sun)
	South Lawn Concert Series: Craven Community Concert Band
	FREE. South Lawn Pack a picnic and join your family and friends for the first concert of our 2008 South Lawn Concert Series. For this performance by our very own Craven Community Concert Band, please bring you own chairs and blankets, but leave pets and alcoholic beverages at home. Gates open at 5:00 p.m., concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

May 28th, 2008 (Wed)
	New Opportunities and Challenges in Preservation
	7 p.m. Free. Myrick Howard, Executive Director of Preservation North Carolina is speaking on New Opportunities and Challenges in Preservation.  This lecture is presented by New Bern Preservation Foundation.

Jun 1st, 2008 (Sun)
	Summer Garden Hours
	June 1-September 1, Gardens open until 7:00 p.m. Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.

Jun 3rd, 2008 (Tue)
	Council of Friends Historical Movie Series: Elizabeth, the Golden Age (2007)
	7:00 p.m. FREE. Visitor Center Auditorium Actress Cate Blanchett returns to her Oscar-nominated role and director Shekhar Kapur steps back into the director's chair for this belated sequel to the critically acclaimed 1998 biopic Elizabeth that explores the 16th century romance between the "Virgin Queen" and noted adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen).  Michael Hirst teams with William Nicholson to pen the screenplay, and actor Geoffrey Rush returns to the role of Sir Francis Walsingham.

Jun 7th, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history. You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette. Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we're bringing history to life! Tickets required. Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

Jun 14th, 2008 (Sat)
	Gardening with Heirloom Seeds
	Garden Lecture, Visitor Center Auditorium   10 a.m. Guest Speaker: Lynn Coulter, Author and Gardener Free, sponsored by grants from Mary Duke Biddle Foundation & the Harold H. Bate Foundation. Lynn will share her enthusiasm for heirloom seeds, enjoyed by gardeners, cooks, and plant lovers. Discover more about sharing and propagating the seeds of heirloom flowers, fruits, and vegetables. There will be a book signing after her lecture.

Jun 16th, 2008 (Mon)
	South Lawn Concert Series - North Carolina Symphony
	Gates open at 5:00 p.m., concert begins at 7:30 p.m. FREE South Lawn Pack a picnic and enjoy the beautiful summer blooms in our gardens with family and friends, followed by a thrilling performance by the North Carolina Symphony. Please bring lawn chairs and blankets, but leave pets and alcoholic beverages at home.

Jun 19th, 2008 (Thu)
	Parlor Talk
	Speaker: David Stone, Tryon Palace Blacksmith “Firearms in Colonial America” 12:00 p.m. FREE, Bring Your Own Lunch, Beverages will be provided. Commission House Parlor Firearms were important in colonial America for a variety of reasons: subsistence, defense, justice, trade, politics, and even recreation. Join us for a talk that explores some of the history, technology, and many uses of 18th century firearms.

Jun 21st, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history. You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette. Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we're bringing history to life! Tickets required. Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

Jun 30th, 2008 (Mon)
	South Lawn Concert Series
	440th North Carolina National Guard Concert Band Gates open at 5:00 p.m., concert begins at 6:30 p.m. FREE. South Lawn We are pleased to welcome back the Raleigh-based 440th Army National Guard Band, with their thrilling program of patriotic tunes and hot jazz. Pack a picnic and come early to stroll in the gardens and stake out a good spot on the South Lawn. Please bring your own chairs and blankets, but leave pets and alcoholic beverages at home.

Jul 4th, 2008 (Fri)
	The Fourth of July
	Festivities: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Dramatic Reading of the Declaration of Independence: 11:00 a.m. FREE Garden Admission, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Interior tours require the purchase of a ticket. Hear the Declaration read from the Palace steps by costumed characters portraying famous North Carolinians from the Revolutionary era; listen to the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps; and participate in thematic and patriotic craft activities.

Jul 5th, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history. You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette. Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we're bringing history to life! Tickets required. Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

Jul 19th, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history. You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette. Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we're bringing history to life! Tickets required. Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

Jul 21st, 2008 (Mon) -- Jul 25th, 2008 (Fri)
	Colonial Camp Life
	8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily (Participants may remain onsite until 5:30 p.m.) Directed by Camp Flintlock and hosted by Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens. $200 per person.  ($180 for Council of Friends members) An exciting new program at Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens offers 4th-8th grade students a chance to step back into the past and experience life before ipods and the internet.  At the Colonial Life Day Camp, participants will explore how colonists lived in 18th century North Carolina.  They’ll participate in numerous hands-on activities that will give them a taste of colonial life, including:Colonial cooking demonstrationsQuill pen writingColonial dress-upColonial gamesBlock printingRag doll makingFife and Drum instructionAnd much, much more!So come join us this summer, and discover how Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is making history fun! Advance registration is necessary: visit www.tryonpalace.org or call 252-514-4939 for more information. Registration closes Monday, July 7.  Minimum Enrollment: 10

Aug 2nd, 2008 (Sat)
	Tryon Palace Theater
	11:00 a.m. Visitor Center Auditorium Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history.  You may see an 18th century puppet show, a 19th century play, or another engaging historical vignette.  Programs vary, so check often to learn about new ways we’re bringing history to life!  Tickets required.Call 252-514-4900 for more information on specific performance schedule.

Aug 17th, 2008 (Sun)
	African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
	2 p.m.$4-Adults, $2-Students. Tour departs from the Visitor Center Lobby. Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks.  Reservations required: 252-514-4935.(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Sep 27th, 2008 (Sat)
	Garden Lecture
	Speaker: Barry Glick, Plant Breeder and Owner of Sunshine Farm & Gardens“Something Old, Something New, Something Yada yada yada” 10:00 a.m.  FREE.  Sponsored by the Harold H. Bate Foundation. Visitor Center Auditorium A humorous yet factual talk on heritage plants, grown two centuries ago and still a valuable part of many gardens.  Barry also discusses current plant breeding which has selected many new plants with larger flowers, in more colors and with unique foliage, which add to the wide range of plants currently available.