A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

Each year, Our State’s Made in NC Awards celebrate the talent and creativity of North Carolinians. Top honors in 2023 went to a luthier in Fuquay-Varina, a baker in Kitty

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

Each year, Our State’s Made in NC Awards celebrate the talent and creativity of North Carolinians. Top honors in 2023 went to a luthier in Fuquay-Varina, a baker in Kitty

Meet Our Made in NC Award Winners

Each year, Our State’s Made in NC Awards celebrate the talent and creativity of North Carolinians. Top honors in 2023 went to a luthier in Fuquay-Varina, a baker in Kitty Hawk, a distillery in Durham, a textile cooperative in Morganton, and a woodworker in North Wilkesboro. Meet our winners.


 

Shiemann Guitars
Craft

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

 


 

Durham Distillery
Drink

Inspired by her family’s convivial cocktail hours, co-owner Melissa Katrincic and her husband created Conniption Kinship gin, an eye-catching violet spirit that is quickly turning visitors into gin lovers. Read more …

 


 

Sweater Box Confections
Food

Meet “Cookie” Chris Carroll, the baker behind Sweater Box Confections’ bite-sized tea cookies. Our favorite? The crisp-yet-delicate lavender lemon shortbread cookies. Read more …

 


 

Handcrafted by Keegan
Home & Garden

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. Read more …

 


 

Carolina Textile District

in collaboration with InnovaKnits, Fonta Flora Brewery, Solid State Clothing, and Opportunity Threads

Style

Marigold-dyed beanies represent a heartwarming — and head-warming — collaboration between the Carolina Textile District, a mountain-based brewery, and textile manufacturers all within a 135-mile radius. Read more …

 


This story was published on Jan 16, 2024

Our State Staff

Since 1933, Our State has shared stories about North Carolina with readers both in state and around the world. We celebrate the people and places that make this state great. From the mountains to the coast, we feature North Carolina travel, history, food, and beautiful scenic photography.