Pat McCrory, Governor
Susan Kluttz, Secretary
Marketing and Communications Office
News Release
Contact : Fay Mitchell (919) 807-7389
Julia Rogers (919) 477-5498
Release: August 14, 2014
Duke Homestead Celebrates Harvest & Hornworm Festival and Hosts
the Last Tobacco Auction in Durham
DURHAM – Duke Homestead celebrates North Carolina’s farming history and culture with their annual
Harvest and Hornworm Festival. Taking place Saturday, September 13th from 10 am to 4 pm, this event
allows visitors to travel back in time and join costumed interpreters as they harvest, loop, and cure
tobacco in the historic area. In the afternoon, Duke Homestead will be hosting the last tobacco auction in
Durham with seasoned veterans of the industry which was once the life-blood of our city.
Visitors can get hands on with history and win prizes in our looping contest or head over to the historic
home where we will be shucking corn and making corn husk dolls. The kitchen will be filled with the
tastes and smells of fall and the rest of the historic home will have hands on games, toys, and historic
costumes for the kids.
Local musicians, the Del-Ray Brothers will take the stage for two performances during the day. Folks
can meet and greet local pups with the Durham Kennel Club, and take a gander at antique tractors and
cars. See the historic area from a new point of view on the mule-drawn wagon rides or hop on for a pony
ride!
The competition will really get tough in the high stakes hornworm race. Kids can pick a hornworn to
enter and watch as it goes head to head to see which worm will race to the finish victorious. Don’t forget
to browse and buy from our talented local arts and crafts vendors and grab a bite to eat. But save room
for the Moon Pie Eating Contest in the afternoon! This classic Southern treat turns competitive as
everyone is vying for a taste of the Moon Pie glory.
The “Harvest and Hornworm Festival” takes place on September 13th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Duke
Homestead State Historic Site. For more information contact: 919-477-5498 or visit:
DukeHomestead.org for a full schedule of events. Duke Homestead is part of the Division of State
Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
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About Duke Homestead State Historic Site and Museum
Duke Homestead is the site of the Duke family’s nineteenth-century farm, where Washington Duke
started a tobacco business that later became the largest in the world. With the money generated by this
venture, the Dukes endowed Duke University, began what later grew into Duke Energy, and founded an
endowment that continues to contribute to charitable causes today.
Each year, Duke Homestead puts on four free 2nd Saturday events from June through September. For
more information on these family friendly events, visit the website DukeHomestead.org.
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 www.ncdcr.gov.