Each month, Our State senior editor — and resident soundtrack maker — Mark Kemp, a former music editor of Rolling Stone, curates a one-of-a-kind Spotify playlist featuring North Carolina songs and musicians.
After a couple of years of navigating covid guidelines, MerleFest — now our state’s biggest, most beloved music festival — is back in Wilkesboro for its 34th year from April 28 through May 1.
This year, the late, legendary Doc Watson’s annual four-day, roots-based festival features a strong lineup with lots of great North Carolina-related artists, including headliner Emmylou Harris, along with Caleb Caudle, Rissi Palmer, David Childers, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Jim Lauderdale, and more. Plus, see other favorites like Old Crow Medicine Show, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Josh Turner, and Allison Russell.
This is a lineup not to miss. However, if you can’t make it, we’ve got you covered with this 30-song playlist featuring some of the highlights.
In Gorges State Park and other remote areas of our state, swinging suspension bridges — practically woven into the woods around them — transport hikers over rivers, across creeks, and into the past.
North Carolina’s state symbols make up a one-of-a-kind collection that tells our story. They include our native plants, the art we create, the crops we grow, and so much more.
He was smitten with the flavors of her Zimbabwean cooking. She was intrigued by his rural North Carolina upbringing. Together, they created a life in Durham — and a namesake restaurant that was the first of its kind in the entire country.
Calling all North Carolinians! Cast your vote in our monthly match-up.
