The Legend of Tsali: A True Tale of Timeless Sacrifice
by Burt Dellinger The Tsali Challenge and Tsali Recreation Area take their names from a real-life Cherokee hero named Tsali, whose legend is re-enacted every summer as part of the Cherokee outdoor drama "Unto These Hills." Tsali was a farmer...
Missing Lincoln: Examining the persistent rumors behind Abraham Lincoln’s Alleged Lost NC Heritage
by Heather Peterson “Have you heard the rumors…Do you think it’s true?” You’ve heard that rumors spread like wild fire and can “ruin” a reputation. Well, it may not have ruined his prestigious presidential reputation, but the rumors of Abraham...
Crossing Cultures: Exploring the Spiritual and Geological Origins of Fairy Crosses
by Jamie Noland Is it a St. Andrew’s cross? A Roman cross? A Maltese cross? Like beauty, how the natural phenomena of the stones known as fairy crosses are interpreted is in the eye of the beholder. These unique, cross-shaped...
The Real Cold Mountain
By now many of you will have either read Charles Frazier’s best-selling novel "Cold Mountain" or have seen the Oscar-winning movie by the same name starring Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Renee Zellweger. But did you know that there really...
Passion for Pumpkins
Every October, when the mountains are awash in brilliant reds and oranges, Elkin, NC, hosts the Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, which brings an estimated 20,000 people to the area. Historic downtown Main Street transforms into a pumpkin patch overflowing with...
Amazing Maze
Farmer Eddie Barnhardt jokingly says, "If you build it, they will come," referring to the maze shape like a team of horses that has been cut into his seven-acre cornfield. Barnhardt and his partners, Jerry and Linda Connell of Indian...
Reflecting On 15 Years of “Mayberry Days”
2004's 15th annual Mayberry Days celebrated the 44th anniversary of “The Andy Griffith Show” and included an appearance by Andy Griffith, who unveiled a bronze statue of himself as Sheriff Andy Taylor with his son Opie, as played by Ron...
Happy Hunting Near Huntsville: Shallowford Popcorn Farm
A popcorn factory that makes tasty chocolate popcorn, a quaint restaurant serving homemade delicacies like chicken and dumplings and roast beef, and a cabin selling handmade silver jewelry -- all within 10 miles of each other? It's waiting for you...
The Biggest & Best Vegetable Contest
Every August the finest fruits and vegetables grown in Iredell and adjacent counties compete for the title of The Biggest and Best Vegetable in judging hosted by the Evening Farmer's Market in Statesville, N.C. The vegetable contest began four years...
Calling all Clans: The Loch Norman Highland Games celebrates Scottish Heritage and Family Togetherness
The origin of the Scottish Highland Games more than a millennium ago is rooted in war: the best athletes on the playing field proved the best warriors on the battlefield. The Highland Games are steeped in legend and respect for...
The First Annual Crossroads Pumpkin Fest
A new fall festival is coming to the Foothills, bring fun and excitement back to downtown Statesville. The Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce has created the First Annual Crossroads Pumpkin Fest, to be held on November 1. Open to the...
Halloween by the Lake
When the air becomes crisp and the leaves change color, residents of Lake Lure’s Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Gorge anticipate annual fall celebrations. Sponsored in part by the Chamber of Commerce, “spook”-tacular events promise frightful fun for all ages....
Lore & Legends
