The December 2020 Issue

Festive ways to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

When four local businessmen sought to save their town, locals took the challenge to heart, creating a place where innovation thrives.

These cookies hold a special place in recipe developer Lynn Wells’s heart: They were her dad’s favorites.

These soft, sweet oatmeal bars are a scrumptious holiday treat.

Have a very merry morning with these sweetly spiced scones.

A showstopping dessert inspired by the festive holiday drink.

This award-winning babka is a buttery, sugary swirl of holiday cheer: chocolate, apricot, cinnamon, and coffee.

It’s the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature is stirring — only Mom and Dad, assembling toys and steeling themselves for those famous last words: “Batteries not included.”

Every December, residents string up thousands of twinkling lights, transforming their Gaston County village into Christmas Town, USA.

Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners, clothespins and construction paper: Made with love by little hands, the most precious ornaments cost almost nothing, but the memories they hold are priceless.

A couple turned their passion for agriculture and love of North Carolina into Mike’s Farm, a holiday destination for families across the state.

For more than three decades, the small college town north of Charlotte has been known for its Hallmark-like holiday festival featuring costumed pooches, gingerbread houses, and Christmas trees galore.

This town and its surrounding hamlets occupy only a few square miles in the corners of Randolph and Moore counties, yet they’re home to dozens of potters, one of the densest concentrations in the world. To paraphrase an old saw: You can’t throw a pot without hitting one.

The Handmade Hanukkah Market may be quiet this year, but the close-knit community of artisans at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh will not let a pandemic keep them down. Families will still be celebrating together, in their homes, remembering markets past — and hand-making goodies for the future.

Hillsborough’s Lantern Walk will change direction this year, but the colorful lights will still shine for the community to enjoy during the longest night of the year.

Real flowers fade and droop, so a floral designer here in North Carolina creates his own lifelike arrangements that are equally at home in luxury boutiques and hanging on your front door.

An injury led a former factory worker and lumber salesman to a new career as an artist. Known today as The Bowlmaker, he gives fallen trees in Mitchell County their own second chances.

In Charlotte’s NoDa arts district, a Mexico-born store owner brings neighbors of all kinds together through the power of shared faith, art, and community spirit.

Ninety years ago, a bakery in Hendersonville created a delicious Christmas tradition. Today, the line of customers waiting for a box of fresh gingerbread men runs out the door and down the block.

From a handblown glass ornament that shines like a jewel to a coveted coffee mug perfect for Christmas morning, the best-loved gifts are the ones that can’t be replaced. We collected 10 of our favorite galleries and craft shops across the state for local, handmade treasures that you can’t find anywhere else.

On the cusp of a new decade, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is completed in Wilmington. The modern bridge is an icon of the fast-growing city, a connection to the rest of the state, and a promise of big things to come.

How a legendary NASCAR driver landed a presidential pardon.