The rebirth of Canton has been different from that of other small mountain towns: While some have reinvented themselves as tourist destinations, Canton is focused on nurturing a close-knit community.
31 Days, 31 Ways to Enjoy Apples in North Carolina
We’ve picked a bushel of North Carolina apples in every form — from pies to pottery to cider — to enjoy from the first perfect, blue-sky day of October through chilly Halloween. That’s one for each day of the month!
The Maple Brothers
Every year, Tim and Matt Nichols create hundreds of different kinds of Japanese maples — in a dizzying array of shapes and colors and sizes — at their mail-order nursery in East Flat Rock. And every one of the trees has roots in their grandmother’s garden.
Inside Morris Costumes: Charlotte’s Center of Make-Believe
More than 50 years ago, the Morris family business began with gorilla suits sewn in a basement in Charlotte. Now, they send costumes all over the world, helping customers transform into their spookiest, sweetest, and silliest selves.
How Jaki Shelton Green Invents New Ways to Be
On her Poetry Porch in Mebane, North Carolina’s poet laureate welcomes family and friends, encourages rich conversation, and helps us navigate a different kind of world.
One of the Southernmost Maple Syrup Farmers
In Ashe County, a farming family transforms sap into sweet Appalachian maple syrup — and has turned threatened woodlands into a protected forest for future generations.
Seeing the Season When You’re Color-Blind
The reds and golds and purples that paint our mountains every fall are a sight to behold. But for some, color is missing from the show.
Buskers and Music at the Crossroads
For nearly a century, North Carolina singers and songwriters have built careers busking for tips in the great outdoors. At these five spots, the kindness of strangers has helped fund some of our most enduring classics.
The Bamboo Princess of Asheboro
In Randolph County, a young explorer finds a peaceful escape in a castle built with imagination and towering stalks of native bamboo.
