The July 2022 Issue

This western North Carolina city offers fine dining, shops, and galleries — plus a vibrant history — in a cozy mountain setting.

North Carolina’s state colors adorn our flag, of course, but they’re also found in the things that make us who we are: food and music, nature and art.

Milkshakes offer sweet relief from the North Carolina heat, and some come with a lot more than just a cherry on top.

Hikers exploring Uwharrie National Forest fuel up on homey dishes at a nearby café with a rich history.

Get a summer soirée started with our curated Spotify playlist featuring songs by North Carolina musicians.

We talked to three North Carolina fig fanatics about the fleeting fruit’s celebrated history and heritage on Ocracoke Island, how to grow your own across the state, and their favorite way to eat them — from cake to biscuits.

Ham, bacon, Cheddar, and pineapple make an unexpected and delicious team.

Garnish these stuffed collard greens with green onions, peanuts, lime, and cilantro.

For a tasty, unexpected treat, serve this sweet and savory cheesecake with crackers.

Combine sugar and citrus for a refreshing, porch-perfect cocktail.

For a kid growing up in High Point, a love of wild things came naturally, encouraged by a seventh-grade science teacher and a mom who didn’t mind when those wild things came home in pickle jars and pillowcases.

For 250 years, music has filled the cobblestone streets of the Old Salem historic district in Winston-Salem. This summer, the band that’s played everything from Moravian hymns and polkas to rock ’n’ roll covers celebrates its historic milestone with their community.

These working farms produce fruits, vegetables, herbs, and livestock — and set the stage for unforgettable life celebrations. This month, we trade the ballroom for the barn with nine inspiring places for a party.

When farmers hoist themselves up into the seat of a tractor, they nurture a connection between a piece of land and a way of life. Nobody knows this better than North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, who has a deep appreciation for the machine that changed the landscape of our state.

On a sprawling farm in rural Northampton County, a young Black farmer-entrepreneur is teaching people the value of an ancient agricultural tradition with deep, dark roots.

Eastern North Carolina was once home to thousands of acres of Carolina Gold rice. And then, about a century ago, those rice fields disappeared. In Pamlico County, this heirloom crop is back — and coming to menus across the state.

Carolina Gold is making a comeback in fields out east, but here are two sides to North Carolina’s rice revival.

Absent from North Carolina’s landscape for 80 years, the plant with a hundred uses finds its way back to the fields.

Native to all 100 counties in North Carolina, this odd fruit had been all but forgotten. A farmer in Watauga County intends to change that.

For formerly incarcerated women, a farm in Alamance County imparts knowledge and skills, nurtures their physical and spiritual health, and supports them as they rebuild their lives.

One of the worst accidents of the American space program shapes a generation: In 1986, the nation mourns the heroes aboard the space shuttle Challenger, including two astronauts with deep ties to North Carolina.

Remembering Walton Street Park and Pool, a once-iconic institution of the city’s Black community.