Community Calendar

History Comes Alive with Dr. Chris Fonvielle
Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM – 11:45 PM

March Topic: The History leading up to the American Revolutionary War

With a tie-in to our Country's 250th Anniversary, Wilmington Water Tours and Dr. Chris Fonvielle present History Comes Alive!

Set sail through history on this immersive cruise led by acclaimed historian Dr. Chris Fonvielle. Each month, Dr. Fonvielle explores a different era of Wilmington and Cape Fear’s fascinating past — from early European exploration to the rise of the port city, to the dramatic battles and blockades of the Civil War. A gifted storyteller and local expert, Dr. Fonvielle brings depth, detail, and personality to every tale, all while cruising the scenic Cape Fear River.

Whether you’re a lifelong history buff or just curious about the forces that shaped this region, this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn while enjoying a relaxing, scenic cruise. Topics rotate monthly, so every trip offers a new perspective on Wilmington’s place in American history.

Our boat, The "Wilmington", has comfortable seating for up to 49 passengers, refreshments for all ages at the bar and a restroom on board. This is a 90 minute cruise, $45 adults, $25 children. Boarding is 15 minutes prior.

"Come and be a part of a special night celebrating our local poets! It's an evening dedicated to connection, showcasing the profound love for the art of poetry and spoken word within our community. Our wonderful hostess, Carrie Assata, will curate a smooth and intimate vibe, setting the stage for an unforgettable experience. Meanwhile, Dj MisStory will be on the ones and twos, spinning tunes to create a fantastic atmosphere for the evening. Join us for a night filled with creativity, expression, and the beautiful resonance of local voices. Let's celebrate the richness of our community's poetic spirit together!"

The Campfireball
Something like if Mr. Rogers was the host of Double Dare, this award winning immersive storytelling show is created spontaneously out of the real-life tales, anecdotes and experiences of the people in the audience. Created and hosted by Cory Howard (Moth Story Slam Grand Slam winner, National Storytelling Festival performer). www.campfireball.net

Tex & The City
Two-person improv comedy from Jeremy Griffin and Brian Prince, founding members of Wilmington’s turn-of-the-millennium improv troupe The Other Side, performing together for the first time in 15 years.

Doors open at 7:00 PM, and show starts at 8:00 PM!
Advance tickets: $12 / Door tickets: $15

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.

Big Dawg Theatre Company Revives Audience Favorite The Hermit of Fort Fisher
A Wilmington theatrical tradition returns to the stage at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC — Big Dawg Theatre Company will present a revival of
The Hermit of Fort Fisher, the beloved play by David Wright, running
April 2–5 and April 9–12 at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater. This
production will be directed by Steve Vernon, and will star Woody Stefl
as The Hermit, featuring Eben French Mastin (who played The Hermit in
almost 50 previous performances).

Based on the fascinating true story of Robert Harrill, the man known
as the “Hermit of Fort Fisher,” the play tells the story of the
coastal recluse who lived alone in a World War II bunker near Fort
Fisher for 17 years. Harrill became a regional legend as thousands of
curious visitors sought him out, drawn by his unconventional lifestyle
and philosophical outlook on life.

This upcoming production marks the sixth time Big Dawg Theatre Company
has produced the play, which has become a favorite among Wilmington
audiences. Each previous run has sold out, making early reservations
strongly recommended.

The Hermit of Fort Fisher explores themes of independence, human
connection, and the ways a single individual can capture the
imagination of a community. Through storytelling and reflection, the
play brings to life a figure whose presence along the Cape Fear coast
has remained part of local folklore for decades.

Performances will take place in Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater,
located at 310 Chestnut Street in historic downtown Wilmington.