The February 2024 Issue

For this legendary musician, the path to stardom — and civil rights activism — began during her early childhood in Tryon.

The story of how Hillside — a sprawling estate in Guilford County — became a charming bed and breakfast has all the makings of a real-life fairy tale.

For decades, a log cabin in Johnston County was a place to gather and share stories. A local theater company has carried on the legacy of telling tales within its walls.

Thanks to a mug-obsessed man in Caldwell County, a cabin in the woods gives an entirely new meaning to “happiness in a cup.”

When will the spring sun shine again? In Wake County, all eyes are on one groundhog with a modern approach to answering this annual question.

First came love, then came marriage, then came the largest chocolate celebration in eastern North Carolina.

Toasting to special occasions calls for a visit to Gibsonville’s family-owned steakhouse with a more than 40-year history.

At a family-owned bakery, recipes for popular multilayered cakes and other confections come straight from Grandma’s cookbooks.

On cold February evenings, a chef warmed up with her father’s signature spaghetti sauce. Now, she has rediscovered the recipe that defined her childhood winters.

In far-western North Carolina, generations of Brasstown Carvers have preserved Appalachian tradition by turning blocks of wood into keepsakes with character.

Creativity flows through western North Carolina — here’s where to find it along Highway 64.

While much of nature hunkers down for winter, a bouquet of bright blooms peeks out from the slumbering landscape to embrace the chill.

In the cold depths of winter, color and life shine vibrantly underfoot as winter blooms and blossoms peek out from the grounds at this Hillsborough garden.

Along the Neuse River, where Piedmont gives way to Coastal Plain, an area known as the “Let’Lones” provides the peace and solitude that foster growth and change.

How a celebrated North Carolina writer found his rhythm by doing spoken-word performances of his verse accompanied by improvised music.

The legacy of one of the world’s most influential jazz musicians has its roots in the Piedmont city where he grew up, which has finally embraced this 20th-century musical icon.

A visual artist in New Hanover County blends colorful tones into musical masterworks.

At cozy venues across the state, lights dim as jazz musicians take the stage, captivating audiences with strings, keys, horns, and vocals.

Greensboro has long been known as a hotbed for adventurous jazz musicians. Nowadays, the stage is set for students in UNCG’s Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program.

Our State celebrates the very best in North Carolina craftsmanship with the Made in NC Awards. Meet the talented artisans who won top honors in 2023 — and watch them at work.

By salvaging wood from abandoned barns across North Carolina, luthier Matt Schiemann gives these historic pieces new life … and a new sound.

Meet the baker behind Sweater Box Confections’ bite-sized tea cookies. Our favorite? The crisp-yet-delicate lavender lemon shortbread cookies.

Inspired by the convivial ritual of family cocktail hours, Durham Distillery owners Lee and Melissa Katrincic created Conniption Kinship Gin, an eye-catching violet spirit that is quickly making fans out of gin naysayers.

The Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina are known for producing world-class hardwood. But when a tree nears the end of its life, woodworker Keegan Watson steps in and gives discarded pieces new life as beautifully made home furnishings.

This heartwarming — and head-warming — collaboration takes shapes as a one-of-a-kind beanie developed using materials and talent within a 135-mile radius.