The April 2024 Issue

Throughout April, North Carolinians celebrate the delicate blossoms that leaf out on dogwood trees with festivals and fanfare across the state.

In the 1970s, a chemistry professor built a house into a hill to promote a sustainable lifestyle. A group of friends has transformed his “Hobbitat” into a modernist marvel that still pays tribute to the surrounding landscape.

Tended by a mother and son, a local flower farm and delivery service has sown seeds of joy and positivity in the Triangle area.

A New Hanover County artist creates glass sea turtles in a kaleidoscope of colors and whimsical designs to help protect the vulnerable species.

A biblical-themed park that’s part religious retreat, part roadside attraction encourages visitors from all walks of life to have a mountaintop experience.

When a beloved catch returns to North Carolina’s fresh waters to spawn, residents of a Pitt County town set their sights — and lines — on an annual spring celebration.

After writing Cold Mountain, Appalachian-born novelist Charles Frazier became one of North Carolina’s most celebrated authors. More than 20 years and four books later, his latest release continues to captivate readers.

A Granville County restaurant continues what its owners started in their home kitchen — a legacy of strong hands, local support, and delicious bread.

In the 1960s and ’70s, neighborhood playdates were a chance for one food writer to try new flavors and discover that food with friends tastes a little sweeter.

A stack of blueberry pancakes inspires flavors of childhood nostalgia, while the addition of nutty buckwheat flour adds just enough sophistication to make these perfect for a grown-up brunch.

Go ahead … layer the potato chips on top of the chicken salad. We won’t tell.

While we love it on Sundays, tender chunks of beef, aromatic vegetables, and a rich gravy make pot roast a winner any night of the week.

Spoon herby, citrus butter over boiled carrots for a simple and elegant vegetarian side dish.

This crunchy, tangy salad uses six simple ingredients and keeps for days in the refrigerator.

This braided herb bread, similar to challah, packs lots of flavors into a tender loaf.

Crab stuffed mushroom caps feel worthy of a special occasion, but these are easy enough to pull off for a delightful weeknight meal.

Baked in flaky layers of filo pastry, this savory spinach pie makes for a fun appetizer or comforting main dish.

Hoping to recapture the excitement of a school field trip, a writer plays tourist in her own backyard. In our capital city, she finds treasures that have been waiting nearby all along.

No matter your age, a world of wonder awaits in the City of Oaks.

More than a century after a Gilded Age couple designed an elaborate estate in Wilmington, their legacy lives on for all to enjoy.

Spanning 67 acres, this botanic garden showcases a Wilmington couple’s Gilded Age dream through the flower-lined paths, pergola, and resilient live oaks.

Since 1962, the family behind Joyce Farms in Winston-Salem has adapted to a changing agricultural landscape. By choosing heritage breeds, they make it possible for small-scale farmers to do what they love, and for North Carolina chefs to serve their poultry with pride.

In a mountain town with a rich literary tradition, poets of all levels share their stories — of love and loss, joy and sorrow, fleeting thoughts and deep revelations — at monthly readings.

Play ball! From the Asheville Tourists to the Down East Wood Ducks, fans of minor league teams across North Carolina settle in for another season of dreams.

Most mornings in Richlands, the place to be is a diner inside the local Piggly Wiggly, where a cast of regulars ponders life’s great questions over a hearty country breakfast.

North Carolina is home to the largest number of craft breweries in the South, a reputation that started with the state’s earliest European settlers — or beer lovers.

In Raleigh, the Museum of History houses the artifacts and anecdotes that trace North Carolina’s journey from past to present. Now, a pair of virtual programs open the museum to people across the state — and around the world — uncovering hidden aspects of our history, one bite-size piece at a time.

In the foothills of North Carolina, the Great Depression gave rise to a simple yet delicious sandwich that can’t be found anywhere else in the state.

A home renovation in Edenton reveals a collection of photos that had been lost behind a mantel — some for more than a century.

For more than a century, Gimghoul Castle — the stone home of a legendary secret society — has intrigued UNC Chapel Hill students and local residents alike.

In Burke County, an ancient sport tied to the Italian immigrants who founded the town of Valdese may be the key to keeping a culture’s traditions in play.

Long before the last family departed, settlers in a remote corner of Yancey County gave their mountain town the name Lost Cove. Years later, the choice seems prophetic. The once-thriving community has returned to nature, tucked out of sight, lost to all except historians and hikers.

When an inventor and his wife came to Asheville in the 1970s, he brought a far-out, ethereal sound, and she brought a cookbook full of recipes.

The history of the Old North State is peppered with little-known facts and fascinating tidbits. More than ephemera, these are the details that add color and texture to the story of our state.