Steel spurs and cowboy hats weren’t typical of the 1970s hippie counterculture — that is, until the town of Love Valley hosted North Carolina’s own version of Woodstock. Fifteen miles north of Statesville, much of Love Valley looks straight off the set of Bonanza — wooden storefronts, a saloon with swinging doors, hitching posts for horses — just as its founder and pistol-wielding mayor, Andy Barker, envisioned.
In July of 1970, seven years after this Wild West-inspired town was incorporated, Barker used his cowboy retreat to throw his daughter, Tonda, the ultimate rock ’n’ roll birthday party. With a lineup of 43 musicians, including the headlining Allman Brothers Band, the concert soon mushroomed into a three-day event simply called “The Love Valley Thing.” Barker expected maybe 25,000 to 50,000 concertgoers, but when Friday came, an overwhelming number of cars, hitchhikers, and long-haired hippies flooded the valley. With an estimated 100,000 people attending by Saturday, the village burst at its seams with free spirits and colorful signage that spoke of going against the grain and the government. Today, former flower children remember the sight of tents dotting the valley’s hillsides and the authentic sense of community and belonging.
In the third episode of Away Message's fourth season, we meet a couple that's finding out what it's like to be alone in nature without ever being apart from your spouse.
The dog-eared, food-splattered pages of cookbooks hold recipes that define our state, as well as our palates. These vintage dishes are sure to remind you of suppers past and will make you feel right at home.
For a longtime angler, revisiting the first fish of his youth has become a late-spring ritual: catch a bluegill, then cook and eat it — right on the spot.
Fresh cherries, Cheerwine, and a crunchy crust make for the ultimate North Carolina dessert. Just add ice cream!
