Levine Museum of the New South

Through a variety of programs, festivals, and events, the Museum presents fun opportunities for all ages to explore the history of the New South. Learn about the types of programs and events offered at the Museum throughout the year.

Check out our calendar for specific upcoming programs.

Program Series
Signature Events

Program Series

Through lectures, panel discussions, book signings, workshops, walking tours and more, Levine Museum offers a wide variety of fun, learning opportunities. The Museum provides historical context for contemporary issues, thoughtful community forums, and explorations of the sights, sounds and ideas of the Carolina Piedmont.

Global Dish

In partnership with the Mayor’s International Cabinet, Levine Museum presents a series of quarterly educational dinners titled Global Dish, featuring cuisine, conversation and culture.

Global Dish is intended to foster interaction between longtime residents and international newcomers, introducing members of the Charlotte community to new Charlotteans—our immigrant community; and to open an ongoing dialogue where all residents can discuss the rapidly expanding population of our area, obtain a better understanding of why people chose to relocate in Charlotte, the issues that these new groups face and what it is like to live here as an immigrant.

Check our calendar for upcoming dinners in January, March and June.

New South for the New Southerner

Find Charlotte's heart and soul in Levine Museum of the New South's program series, New South for the New Southerner. Historian Dr. Tom Hanchett will lead lively educational discussions on Charlotte's history and its future, covering topics as varied and colorful as why so many streets are named Sharon, what business was like in Charlotte before interstate banking, and where you can drive 105 without getting a ticket! Local voices from the community will join him in leading the program and sharing stories.

This lighthearted lesson in local history is ideal for newcomers and natives, and will also feature wine from North Carolina winery and Charlotte family Shelton Vineyards, hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants, and access to the exhibits.

Programs will be held in September, January and June. Visit our calendar for dates and details on individual programs.

Presented by Marsh Properties, sponsors include The Charlotte Observer, Wake Forest University Babcock Graduate School of Management, and WFAE 90.7 FM.

Walking Tours

During the months of May and September the Museum offers walking tours that take participants through uptown Charlotte and the Fourth Ward neighborhood, with a look at the history behind today’s Center City. Led by Museum historian Dr. Tom Hanchett, the tours present a unique opportunity to get out in the city and up close with uptown's history.

Imagining Southern Places: Spaces and People in the South

A thematic literary two-year luncheon series launching in September 2006. Each year will include 4 programs arranged thematically around places and spaces memorably imagined in Southern fiction, poetry and memoir, and will feature authors reading a selection of their work followed by a moderated discussion. These discussions will focus on perceptions, philosophies and interpretation of the Southern spaces and places in each piece. The subjects and issues raised include the history of Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, life in a textile mill and what that means today with the shift in the global economy, growing up as an African American in the South and life in a "New South" city. Made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council.

Signature Events

Taste of the New South

This annual fundraising event for Levine Museum features an evening cocktail reception with cuisine from a prominent regional resort or inn. Taste of the New South is designed to showcase the featured resort's buildings and grounds as well as the executive chef’s talents. Through decorations, floral arrangements, and cuisine, Taste of the New South reflects the style and ambience of the featured resort and strives to recreate the experience of visiting and for guests in Charlotte. Taste of the New South is held each year in early March, on site at the Museum. Previous guest resorts and country inns include:

2007 - Biltmore, Asheville, NC - Chef Edwin French
2006 - The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, GA - Chefs Stephen James Jordan and Scott Pikey
2005 - The Sanctuary, Kiawah Island, SC - Chefs Matthew Niessner and Doug Blair
2004 - The Homestead, Hot Spring, VA - Chef Josef Schelch
2003 - The Cloister, Sea Island, GA - Chef Todd Rogers
2002 - Eseeola Lodge, Linville, NC - Chef John Hofland
2001 - The Richmond Hill Inn, Asheville, NC - Chef Brian Ross
2000 - Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, SC - Chef Ken Vedrinski
1999 - The Fearrington House, Chapel Hill, NC - Chef Cory Mattson
1998 - The Society for the Revival and Preservation of Southern Food - Edna Lewis & Scott Peacock
1997 - The Inn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN - Chef John Fleer

Distinguished Lecturer

The Distinguish Lecturer series continues to help the Museum further its mission to put Southern history into a regional, national and global context. Since 1995, the Museum has brought outstanding historians, authors and journalists to Charlotte audiences. Past Distinguished Lecturers include:
John Hope Franklin
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Charlie Rose
Tom Wolfe
Michael Beschloss
Lee Smith
Clyde Edgerton
David McCullough
David Gergen

A Woman's Place

Each year, the Museum and Charlotte's "Woman of the Year" organization present A Woman's Place. The event is held in March in recognition of Women's History Month. This program was created to explore the evolving roles of women in the New South and to celebrate their outstanding accomplishments. In the past, panels have featured media professionals, Latina community leaders, police officers and firefighters, and college and university presidents.