Duke Homestead Hosts “Bull Fest” for June 8 Second Saturdays

Who was the Duke family? How did they impact the city of Durham, exactly?  Visitors can answer all these questions and more at Durham's Duke Homestead.

A celebration of everything Durham happens at Duke Homestead State Historic Site on Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at “Bull Fest.” The free family fun program will go back to the roots of the Duke family and the 1870s birth of the tobacco industry in Durham and the country.  Sustain-a-Bull will give a presentation on local Durham businesses and Wool-E-Bull will greet the kids.

This is the first of the summer’s 2nd Saturdays programs organized by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources happening at historic sites and history and art museums statewide.  Each venue will create a unique experience of authentic North Carolina culture to delight locals and tourists alike on June 8, July 13 and Aug. 10.

In addition to demonstrations of making pipe tobacco in an on-site factory, in the historic home there will be sewing and preparation of bags and labels for the Duke’s first pipe tobacco brand, called Pro Bono Publico.  Meanwhile, there will be cooking on the wood-burning stove, a country doctor display, and historic games and toys to entertain the kids.

A mini food truck rodeo, musical performances, including the Little River cloggers, and artisans and craftsmen selling locally made products will offer ample opportunity to enjoy the crafts and tastes of the past and present.

For additional information call (919) 477-5498 or visit online.  Duke Homestead is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit this website.

Learn more about Durham's history online.