From a retro motel in Maggie Valley to a statewide barbecue bucket list to a round-up of classic hot dog joints, these stories were our readers’ favorites.
christmas
NC Icons: Tryon Palace
During Christmastime in New Bern, 18th-century holiday traditions come to life at North Carolina’s first State Capitol.
5 North Carolina Towns That Belong in a Christmas Movie
These towns across the state are spreading holiday cheer with carriage rides, Christmas lights, and charming festivals.
Brevard’s Window Wonderland
Downtown shops twinkle and glow during the holidays with window displays reminiscent of yuletide celebrations of the 1940s and ’50s.
A Guide to Downtown Asheboro
Around Christmastime, a nostalgic sense of anticipation and fellowship brings together this Randolph County community.
5 Festive North Carolina Christmas Parades
In small towns and big cities across the state, smiling faces line the streets (and waterfronts) as communities gather to celebrate the season — and get a sneak peek at Santa.
Winter Festivities in Scotland County
Celebrate the season with a Christmas parade and tree lighting, carolers, sparkling lights, festive storefronts, and downtown ice-skating in Laurinburg.
The 1980s: White Christmas on the Coast
A dramatic decade brings communities together around one more momentous event: a record-breaking storm that covers southeastern North Carolina in a blanket of snow — just in time for the holidays.
Dickens Village Devotion
In Durham, the careful re-creation of Victorian-era London in miniature takes a Dickens enthusiast back to his childhood in the 1960s, helping him honor Christmas in his heart and keep it all the year.