Profile of an African Elephant in a field next to a tree at the Asheboro North Carolina Zoo. (ARandall/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)
This week’s roundup highlights accomplished UNCSA alumni, two adorable baby owls, and more.
It’s Friday, and you know what that means… another roundup of positive NC news stories! We’re starting the weekend off on the right foot with a trip to Oz, three Emmy nominations, and two sweet animal stories.
NC Zoo’s first elephant turns 50!
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Happy birthday, C’sar! The first-ever African elephant to join the NC Zoo turned 50 this week, and you’re invited to his birthday party.
The zoo took to Instagram to share some adorable pictures of the elephant, who came to NC in 1978, in celebration of his special day. Visitors can attend C’sar’s birthday bash on Friday, August 9th at 10 a.m., and as an elephant lover, I’m already having FOMO!
UNCSA alumni nominated for Emmy Awards
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The nominations for the 76th Emmy Awards were recently announced, and three alums from NC’s very own University of North Carolina School of the Arts scored nominations!
Danny McBride, a multi-talented filmmaking graduate, scored his first Emmy nomination in the outstanding documentary category for his work on the HBO series “Telemarketers.” McBride is known for his work as an actor, comedian, writer, and producer who created and starred in the hit shows “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Vice Principals.”
Drama graduate Tiffany Little Canfield, an accomplished casting director, earned her sixth nomination this year for outstanding casting for a comedy series for her work on Hulu’s hit show “Only Murders in the Building.”
And Alex Perrone, a dance graduate at UNCSA, is nominated for the second time for outstanding prosthetic makeup for his work on the latest Disney+ Star Wars series, “Ahsoka.”
Land of Oz theme park to temporarily reopen this fall
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You too can follow the yellow brick road over three weekends this September, when Beech Mountain’s storied Land of Oz theme park reopens for its annual Autumn at Oz festival. The park, which originally opened in 1970 and closed 10 years later, reopens every year for the “largest Oz festival in the world,” an immersive theatrical experience in which guests can follow Dorothy’s path from the Gale family farm to Oz and meet all the iconic characters along the way.
Tickets to the festival are selling quickly, so don’t miss your chance to delight any young “Wizard of Oz” lovers in your family!
Rescued baby owls released into the wild
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On Instagram this week, Wake County Parks shared the touching story of two baby Eastern Screech Owls who were found on the ground by a group of visitors to Harris Lake Park back in May.
The owls were taken to Holly’s Nest Animal Rescue in Lee County, where the staff have taken care of them over the past two months. Now that they’re back in good health, the staff at Harris Lake Park invited the visitors who found the owls back to see them as the owls are set to be released into their natural habitat!
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