The April showers have been ample and the vines are budded all across North Carolina’s verdant wine country. Wine has proven itself one of the most popular and lucrative agricultural, agritourism and value-added production success stories since the demise of Big Tobacco, and the many public offerings of wine country promise to remain one of the strongest sectors of the important North Carolina tourism industry in these troubled economic times.

First, in a big first for NC’s wine industry, the Duplin Winery in Rose Hill near Cape Fear, has become the first North Carolina winery – the first winery outside the west coast, in fact – to have earned the Adams Beverage Group Fast Track Brand award as well as the Impact Hot Brands Award from Wine Spectator publications.

Duplin’s champagne is being served at Mount Vernon, its Magnolia was named a favorite summertime wine by Martha Stewart. The winery now has a 1 million gallon capacity and receives over 100,000 visitors annually. There are daily tours and tastings, weekly music with wine and cheese in the courtyard, and even a popular dinner theater.

In other news, the Haw River Valley is now the third wine growing district in North Carolina to receive federal recognition as an “American Viticultural Area” [AVA], establishing that grapes grown in the 868 square mile area produce distinctive wines. The piedmont valley joins previously recognized AVAs in the high country Yadkin Valley and Swan Creek within Yadkin’s broader AVA. This brings multiple piedmont vineyards and six wineries into the prestigious designation and is a significant boost to the wine and viticulture industries expanding in our state.

Check out some of the coming season’s events at Visit Alamance, beginning with the Art on the Haw River Wine Trail on May 2 and 3, 2009. This is a free for the whole family event and will combine a winery tour and tastings with exhibitions and demonstrations of fine arts in the style of traditional artist studio tours. Visitors can travel the 50-mile scenic drive through the heart of the rural piedmont to find unique, hand crafted furniture, hand blown glass, distinctive pottery, metal sculptures, paintings and photographs, collectable quilts and fiber arts, the cultural crafts and fine arts kept alive and thriving by the friendly people in this friendly region.

North Carolina currently ranks 10th in the nation for wine and grape production and is home to more than 80 fine wineries. That’s triple the number that existed in 2001, so this diverse agriculturally-based value-added industry continues to lead the way as a valuable model of successful rural development in this time of general economic insecurity.

If your family is wondering where to go and what to do to celebrate Independence Day this year, consider some of the great events North Carolina has on offer, from the mountains to the piedmont to the coast, and everywhere in between!

For instance, Fort Bragg near Fayetteville is hosting Operation Celebrate Freedom VI on the Main Post Parade Field on base. Wynonna Judd and Dakota Rain, the Golden Knights Parachute Team and other musical guests will entertain the crowd. There will be plenty of food and drinks, and camping is allowed. The fireworks are spectacular every year at this event, almost as great as I remember on the Potomac in DC in my youth! The event is free and open to the public, the contact number is 910-396-9126.

If you’re on the coast near Southport/Oak Island in the Cape Fear area you’ll want to make plans to spend the day and evening in Southport, where there will be a car show on Bay Street in front of the Garrison House and all-day arts and crafts shows at Franklin Square Park and in the Franklin Square Gallery. Concessions, water stations and comfort stations will be along Howe Street, and on the Waterfront Stage there will be all-day stage entertainment even as the Decorated Boat Flotilla sails past the Southport Waterfront. Stay on your blanket for the wonderful fireworks at 9 pm!

Out west in Asheville there will be events free to the public all day for the Ingles 4th of July Celebration, starting at 1 pm at Pack Square and along the length of College Street downtown. The Sons of the American Revolution will offer a patriotic tribute, there will be music from some of Asheville’s hottest bands, free craft projects and family games for everyone. There will be food vendors and rides for the kiddies, and the fireworks begin at 10 pm.

In the Charlotte area your family can celebrate twice! First, NASCAR’s home at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is hosting a fireworks extravaganza & CRASHcars Trailer Race Destruction derby on Tuesday, July 1st on the quarter-mile oval for just $7 adult, $3 for children 6-12, under six free. Now, THAT is some good ol’ North Carolina summertime fun at the racetrack!

On the 4th proper, North Carolina’s Carowinds Theme and Water Park offers its Night of Fire Spectacular. Boasting more than 1,000 fireworks shells to fire off, ticket-buyers can opt for the All-You-Can-Eat Picnic too.

In Raleigh there will be things going all day, including free events on the State Capital grounds and the NC State Fairgrounds. Music at the Koka Booth Amphitheater, and the many offerings of First Fridays downtown.

So for visitors and residents alike, there are some great 4th of July events on the calendar. Come on in, set a spell, take your shoes off! There is something wonderful going on near your favorite spot in North Carolina!

It’s not too late to get your tickets for the 2008 spring Lake Eden Arts Festival, at beautiful Lake Eden in Black Mountain. Word has it that vehicle camping permits are all sold out, but there are still tent permits available as well as weekend and day tickets for those who don’t mind staying at one of the many great hotels and motels in the Black Mountain and Asheville environs.

LEAF holds its festivals every spring and fall (this year the autumn festival will be October 17-19) to showcase the LEAF in Schools and Streets arts mentoring projects for youth, its LEAF International music collaborations from Panama, Guatemala, Rwanda, Bequia and Mexico, and dozens of great, culturally significant musical groups, individuals and artists from everywhere.

This year there will be more than 40 Healing Arts Workshops during the day, featuring Yoga and Tai Chi, Folk Art, Juried Handicrafts, a national $1,000 Poetry SLAM, a children’s village with clowns, jugglers, puppeteers, games, stories and art projects. There are joyful parades, jam sessions, circus arts and zipline fun out over the lake.

This spring’s musical lineup on LEAF’s four stages includes Arrested Development, Javier Garcia, Nanci Griffith, David Wilcox, Corey Harris & the 5×5 Band, Latter Day Lizards, Steep Canyon Rangers, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas among many others, including international players including Rahim AlHaj, Vincent Nsengiyumva of Rwanda and many, many more. There will be Zulu stilt dancing, an interactive electronic music experience via the Bob Moog Foundation… check out the lineup of performers for yourself and see what’s in store.

There will also be a Jam Tent with old time, bluegrass and Celtic jams ongoing, mountain trail runs and hikes, an old time fiddle and banjo contest, plus the usual parades and visiting artists’ booths, great food and drink, and thousands of wonderful people.

Tickets: (828) 686-8742 or www.LakeEdenArtsFestival.org

“LEAF is more than just a festival: It is a bond that links music, the arts and education into one package. The eclectic assortment of sounds found at the festival had traveled widely, bring music from across the globe.”
- Relix Magazine, December 2007

Moving toward the east, there are more great reasons to consider North Carolina’s abundant offerings for family fun when planning getaways and vacations.

11. Mountains to Sea Trail

From the very top of Clingman’s Dome near the Tennessee border to the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the strand of the Outer Banks, North Carolina’s 925-mile long Mountains-to-Sea Trail offers an adventurous way to explore the state’s natural treasures and human wonders. This is an adventure a visitor can embrace in small chunks or in an extended all at once while experiencing the best of NC’s towns and cities, rural agritourism initiatives and natural preserves.

12. Waldensian Valdese

The rich history of the Waldensian sect is preserved in beautiful Valdese, NC in the foothills between Morganton and Hickory. With a world famous winery, a summer festival and outdoor drama, the finest Bocce Ball clay court anywhere and one of the best regional musical venues anywhere, Valdese is a fun and educational stop along the way for anyone wanting to experience some of the best of North Carolina’s homespun heritage.

13. NC’s Arts and Agriculture Trails

In a unique alliance between the North Carolina Arts Council and the NC Cooperative Extension Service, a total of 16 different, well-planned “Arts and Agriculture Trails” have been mapped out for a project called Homegrown Handmade. These trails meander through foothills, across the piedmont and around the coastal regions, allowing visitors to visit wineries, organic farms and dairies, art studios and sidewalk cafes in charming little towns.

14. Cosmopolitan Charlotte and the Sporting Life

From bustling Lake Norman and its posh golf courses and sailboat regattas through the home of NASCAR in “Race City USA” Mooresville, tothe Bank of America Stadium uptown to see NC’s Panthers play professional football, the Charlotte area boasts some of the finest sports tourism opportunities available anywhere. And while you’re there, do check out the busy Charlotte nightlife at famous regional brewhouses and musical venues offering a variety of musicians and styles.

15. Pinehurst – Home of American Golf

Farther to the east between Charlotte and Fayetteville in the rolling Sandhill region, Pinehurst offers golfers the largest collection of Donald Ross golf courses anywhere, and enjoys the distinction of being the “Home of American Golf.” In addition to 10 of the top 20 NC golf courses, the area’s resorts also offer world class tennis courts, spa facilities, exquisite dining and luxurious accommodations. While golf is a regular way of life here, there are also arts, history, botanical gardens, festivals and unique shopping on the smorgasbord of offerings.

Posts to This Series:
Part 1: Reasons 1 – 5
Part 2: Reasons 6 – 10
Part 3: Reasons 11 – 15
Part 4: Reasons 16 – 25

There is much more to North Carolina’s agritourism movement than just what was reported in Green Dreams, Green Schemes. There is also an alliance between the North Carolina Arts Council and the NC Cooperative Extension service called HomegrownHandmade that has mapped out “Art Roads” and “Farm Trails” in the foothills, piedmont and coastal regions that allow visitors to travel along back roads, sample fresh goat cheese and scuppernong wines, visit artists’ studios and sidewalk cafes in charming little towns. Each trail is unique, so check the links below of some HomegrownHandmade trails (their titles sort of describe the gist of what’s to see and do), and then explore at the pace you like best!

In the foothills:
Foothills, Vineyards & Old-Time Music
Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties. Travel through the “heart” of North Carolina’s wine industry, stop off in rural communities like Skull Camp or Beulah for some old fashioned fiddle, guitar and banjo bluegrass, or explore Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain state parks..

In the Piedmont:
Potter’s Wheels & Organic Fields
Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Guilford, Lee, Orange, Randolph and Wake Counties. the Seagrove area attracts visitors from everywhere with its many talented potters who for generations have practiced salt-glazing to produce functional yet masterful works of art. There are two major pottery festivals in the region every year, and many working artist studios that welcome visitors. The rich earth that produces such fine clays also holds the largest concentration of organic farms in North Carolina. You can visit many of these and sample tasty goat cheese, herb breads and fresh-picked fruits and vegetables while learning all about the benefits of sustainable organic agriculture.

Pictures from the Piedmont
Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln Counties. The rich fields, covered bridges and fertile orchards of historic wagon road byways offer great opportunities around every bend for those who treasure the American landscape nearly unchanged since German and Scots-Irish settlers put down roots. Here you can tour farms, textile mills, historic parks, and the 450-acre Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. There are festivals, community theaters and regional museums as well, so take your time!

Scenes of the Sandhills
Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties. Golfers will love this trail, which includes the Pinehurst Resort, one of the most prestigious golfing destinations in the world. It also highlights the importance of North Carolina’s pottery tradition, where the fine clays of the piedmont are turned into useful things and works of art. There are studios to visit, workshops to attend, and peaches to eat!

Crossroads, PatriArts, and Native Ways
Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston and Robeson Counties. Here in the agricultural heartland of North Carolina farmers grow some of the world’s best strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, cantaloupes, melons and squash. Visitors can buy while visiting the farms or shop at produce stands and farmers markets in all five of these counties. You’ll also find some of America’s tastiest cured hams – smoked, honey glazed, even wine glazed! In addition to the Scots-Irish settlers, this area was home to freed blacks and runaway slaves as well as still being home to the Lumbee, Tuscarora and Waccamaw Siouan tribes of Native Americans.

On the Coast:
Lights… Waves… Action!
Columbus, Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. This trail offers shimmering ocean views, picturesque lighthouses, sun-dappled pathways through graceful live oak trees, fragrant fields of flowers and herbs, and some really cool seafaring craft. There are riverboats, battleships, shrimp and fishing fleets as well as farms producing fruits, veggies and wines. Don’t forget to take in a NASpig race while you’re there…

There are so far 16 different Art Road & Farm Trails trails mapped out for your touring pleasure by the HomegrownHandmade agritourism alliance, each offering a fine, well thought-out mix of places to go, people to meet and things to do. Just pick some that sound good to you, and your family will be richly rewarded season after season with memorable experiences, historic knowledge and a new appreciation for the art and agriculture that makes North Carolina such a great and beautiful state!

Links:

HomegrownHandmade Criteria

HomegrownHandmade Trail Home

Foothills, Vineyards & Old-Time Music

Pictures from the Piedmont

Potter’s Wheels & Organic Fields

Crossroads, PatriArts, and Native Ways

Lights… Waves… Action!

Visitors to North Carolina’s capital city of Raleigh, or to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle have a number of excellent museums to explore. Whether your family’s interests tend toward great works of art, natural science, wildlife and ecology or history, the area has institutions that offer just what you want to see or know.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh is free to the public and offers a unique view of the world through the lens of North Carolina’s diverse geography, geology, plants and animals. Beginning on October 27and running through March 2, 2008, the museum will be hosting an innovative dinosaur exhibit featuring a 60-food model of an apatosaurus, a full-sized T. Rex skeleton as well as a robotic version that boasts of being the most accurate three-dimensional representation of a dinosaur in motion ever created.

There will also be one of the largest re-creations of a prehistoric environment ever built, and the museum is planning to offer a wide range of lectures, hands-on workshops and other programs for adults, families and children throughout the duration of the exhibit. The museum’s Prairie Ridge Ecostation in west Raleigh offers a stroll-through lowland arboretum that showcases every single wetland tree species in the state, a working exhibit of green architecture and a display of wildlife friendly landscaping.

The North Carolina Museum of Art boasts a permanent collection of masterworks that span a 5,000 year history, from ancient Egypt to modern artists. There are examples of Egyptian funerary art, sculptures and painted vases from the Greek and Roman periods, and important european works from Botticellii, Raphael, van Dyck, Rubens and Monet. There are galleries dedicated to African, ancient American and Oceanic art as well as Jewish ceremonial artworks.

Like the Natural Sciences museum, the NC Museum of Art offers daily guided tours and is free to the public. There are usually concerts, lectures, book signings, films, workshops and special exhibits going on as well, so check out the calendar of events when planning your visit.

Another treasure of free knowledge and fascinating facts is the North Carolina Museum of History, also in Raleigh. With artifacts and exhibits covering North Carolina’s native American prehistory and every century between then and now, there are also special events, exhibits, films, lectures and child-parent activities offered on a regular basis. The museum also houses the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Indian dance, basket weaving, mountain music, folk artists, even organized field trips make this museum a regular part of family life for residents of the tri-cities area and a popular attraction for visitors.

The Exploris IMAX theater offers the only 3D IMAX experience in North Carolina, so families will want to have tickets in hand when they arrive in the Raleigh area. There are other wonderful places to visit in the tri-cities area that would fill a family week up to the brim. Duke Gardens occupies 55 acres of the Duke University campus and is recognized as one of the premier public gardens in the U.S.

Just down the road at Chapel Hill’s UNC campus is the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Offering tours, classes, lectures and special events, the Garden also runs a self-service plant sale on a daily basis from April through October for everyone interested in gardening. While your family is at the UNC-CH campus you will want to visit the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, where you can meet some real scientists and view the heavens both at the planetarium shows and through the lenses of the observatory’s telescopes.

There’s always something going on for kids and families to do. Plenty of things to learn and fun adventures to be had at any of the fine museums, gardens and educational attractions in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.

Links:

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Prairie Ridge Ecostation

North Carolina Museum of Art

North Carolina Museum of History

Exploris IMAX theater

Duke Gardens

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center