Wilmington, NC

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Jul

Festival

Fourth of July Celebration and Historic Wilmington Tours

Downtown Wilmington Riverfront and Historic District, Wilmington, NC

Wilmington's Independence Day festivities include patriotic celebrations along the downtown riverfront with fireworks over the Cape Fear River, as well as special guided walking tours of historic downtown Wilmington highlighting Revolutionary War-era sites such as the Cornwallis House site, St. James Episcopal Church (established 1729), and the colonial waterfront district where Patriot resistance to British rule took shape.

Free for public celebrations; walking tours may have a feeJuly 4th; some walking tours may be scheduled on adjacent days. Contact the Historic Wilmington Foundation or Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau for tour schedules.

Date

TBD

Lecture

Cape Fear Museum Revolutionary War Programming

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, 814 Market Street, Wilmington, NC

The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science in downtown Wilmington offers periodic lectures, exhibits, and educational programs exploring the Lower Cape Fear region's role in the American Revolution, including topics such as the British occupation of Wilmington under Cornwallis in 1781, the colonial port economy, and Loyalist-Patriot tensions in the region. Programs are often tied to school group visits and special heritage months.

Small admission fee; check museum website for current pricingProgramming varies by year; contact the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science to confirm specific Revolutionary War lecture or exhibit dates.More info →

Date

TBD

Reenactment

Moore's Creek National Battlefield Living History Weekends

Moore's Creek National Battlefield, 40 Patriots Hall Drive, Currie, NC

Throughout the year, Moore's Creek National Battlefield hosts living history weekends where costumed interpreters portray Patriot militia and Loyalist Highland Scots forces of 1776. Visitors can experience musket demonstrations, camp life of the colonial period, discussions of the political divisions that split Cape Fear communities, and guided battlefield walks along the creek and reconstructed bridge site.

FreeMultiple weekends throughout the year, typically spring and fall. Check the National Park Service events calendar for Moore's Creek NB for specific dates.More info →

Date

TBD

Guided Tour

Historic Wilmington Foundation Colonial History Tours

Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC (various starting points)

The Historic Wilmington Foundation offers seasonal guided walking tours of Wilmington's oldest neighborhoods, including stops at Revolutionary War-era landmarks. Tours highlight the city's role as a major colonial port, the site traditionally associated with Cornwallis's 1781 headquarters, St. James Episcopal Church, and the riverfront wharves that made Wilmington strategically critical during the war. Special themed tours focused on the Revolution are offered during heritage weekends.

Varies; check with Historic Wilmington Foundation for pricingTours typically run spring through fall; contact the Historic Wilmington Foundation to confirm Revolutionary War-themed tour availability.More info →

Earlier This Year

Feb

ReenactmentFeatured

Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge Anniversary and Reenactment

Moore's Creek National Battlefield, Currie, NC (approximately 20 miles northwest of Wilmington)

Annual commemoration of the February 27, 1776 battle at Moore's Creek National Battlefield, one of the first Patriot victories of the Revolution. The event features living history demonstrations, musket and artillery firings, period military encampments, ranger-led programs, and wreath-laying ceremonies honoring those who fought. This battle effectively ended Royal Governor Josiah Martin's hopes of reasserting British control over North Carolina.

FreeHeld on the weekend closest to the February 27 anniversary; typically the last weekend of February. Check with Moore's Creek National Battlefield for exact dates.More info →