The August 2023 Issue

The spirit of the mountaineers who settled here echoes through the streets of this High Country town.

Our furry friends may have beds and crates of their own, but when they give us those puppy-dog eyes, we know the truth: What’s ours is theirs.

A girl finds her passion creating beautiful garments for elite local women. But in this fictional postwar tobacco town, the most glamorous echelon of society is not what it seems.

There is no more recognizable natural feature on the Outer Banks than the largest living sand dune on the East Coast — but this coastal icon was almost lost to development in the 1970s.

At an Outer Banks seafood market and restaurant, old-school and new-school flavors both get a seat at the table.

Shall we gather? Listen to our curated Spotify playlist featuring 10 songs by North Carolina artists about reunions, togetherness, and coming home.

Shaped by the wind and battered by storms, the iconic rock formation overlooking Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge remains an enduring symbol of our state.

Working for Hugh Morton meant coordinating film crews and helping design the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. One man handled it all with ease.

In North Carolina, canning began as a way to stretch the lifespan of one’s harvest. Through decades of canning clubs, family traditions, and shared recipes, it has also preserved a way of life.

When the circus came to Louisburg in the early ’50s — proudly showing off its performers in a caravan through town — the elephants reigned on the parade.

A childhood spent building forts and tree houses in the woods around High Point prepared the Ramblin’ Man for a lifetime of outdoor exploration.

For generations, visitors have been drawn to the unusual rock formation in Hickory Nut Gorge. Today, a quaint community and serene natural beauty are part of the allure of Chimney Rock.

Explore an island in the middle of the state, search for Venus flytraps among the wetlands, and keep your eyes open for fairies alongside bright blooms on these engaging trails.

A hundred years ago, families called this lush valley in Haywood County home. Today, their descendants return each August to celebrate their roots and reconnect with neighbors that could’ve been.

Every year, alumni of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford — the oldest orphanage in the state — return to Granville County to celebrate the place where they grew up.

On one joy-filled Sunday every August, a quiet church comes to life. There, descendants of two African American families celebrate a shared heritage that dates to a 19th-century Randolph County community rooted in faith and bound by family ties.

For nearly two centuries, pilgrims have traveled from across the state to a 50-acre plot of land in Lincoln County for prayer and fellowship at what some say is the oldest camp meeting in the country.

A Southern funeral brings us together in joy as well as sorrow, comforted by stories and memories, food and fellowship, laughter and tears — until we meet again.

Over five days in Davidson County, ag enthusiasts show off antique tractors, combines, and mowers with pride. At the Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion, memories of the farming life — and the beloved engines that have powered it — endure.

When loved ones travel from across the state, across the country, or across the world to reunite, these places make it easy to enjoy their precious time together.