Who came out on top? Discover the match-ups that North Carolinians were most excited to cast their vote in this year.
Our State’s 5 Most Popular Stories of 2021
From a history of North Carolina’s gold rush to a round-up of iconic barbecue joints across the state, these stories were our readers’ favorites this year.
Freedom on Wheels
A bicycle maker has turned his childhood sense of adventure into a career that lets him share the gift of pedaling through life’s ups and downs.
Toys We Treasured
Every generation knows the fizzy anticipation of waiting for Christmas morning — and the lazy warmth of the day that follows. For some North Carolina kids, the joy of finding that Santa brought a hoped-for gift — a model train, a brand-new bicycle, a sled — sparks a lifelong passion.
Game for Fun in Wilmington
The gift of a board game helped move a man to the first square in a career at play.
Joy Rides in Blowing Rock
In a private showroom in Watauga County, an early trailblazer in online auto sales collects life-size versions of the toy cars of Christmases past.
Going for Gold: Mooresville’s Olympic Connection
The Olympic dreams of a North Carolina engineer who designs bobsleds for Team USA were born in the Piedmont.
Pieces of Childhood
Adults have rediscovered the enduring joy of jigsaw puzzles — and this Winston-Salem company creates puzzle scenes that bring North Carolina home for the holidays.
Aunt Nancy’s Cookies
A writer in Greensboro recalls how a favorite relative arrived each December, bearing shirt boxes brimming with old-school gems.
