This is a turnoff from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was impressed that the commitment was made to the…read moremusic of the mountains. There are daily small-scale performances in an open section of the visitor center, which I stopped to listen to for a bit. An outdoor amphitheater offers larger scale performance opportunities, which I wish I'd found the occasion to come down for. Additionally, there are a couple of miles of trails on the site which run through bucolic hilly territory and offer a variety of sights and sounds. There is no charge to visit the site, and an abundance of reasons to be driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Note that the musical performances are seasonal.

This was a great place to stop while I rode through the Blue Ridge Parkway on my motorcycle. I…read moreneeded to take a break, and as somebody who likes to play the guitar (calling myself a musician might be a bit of a stretch) I couldn't pass this one by. They have a wonderful little museum on the history and development of Appalachian music and instruments. Some of it is interactive as well. I was there on a Saturday and they had local musicians playing some of the old Appalachian music outside in a little covered area, sponsored by the BLM I am assuming. In a smaller building they have a whole section pertaining to the old moonshiners of the region, explaining their craft and their inevitable run-ins with the revenuers. I didn't make too many stops along the way but I am very glad this was one of them as it was totally worth it!

Drove from Asheboro to buy strawberries and one of their cute strawberry t-shirts. Even though they…read morewere out of the t-shirts in my size, staff is going to contact me when the new order comes in. They are adorable! I bought a gallon bucket of their strawberries and they are hands down THE BEST strawberries I have ever had. So sweet and juicy!! Staff informed me they sell all kinds of produce as it comes in season and raved on their melons and blackberries. I've been telling people to go up and take their kids because they have so many fun activities for the entire family along with selling cooked food items. The gallon bucket of strawberries were under $20 and for that price they are a good deal. I've been to some other berry farms in my area and they are charging more for berries half as good. I can't wait to go back

We brought our toddler here for the corn maze and a pumpkin. She had a WHOLE tantrum when it was…read moretime to leave. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. This is THE place for family "fall" activities! We picked a pumpkin from the patch, we picked fresh apples, we did the slides and swings and saw animals. We did the corn maze. We rode a "train" pulled by a tractor, played in the dirt, on the various playgrounds, played in a little barn... the list goes on. This place is a child's dream for a day of NC fall fun - and we all had a blast! Going forward, this will be a yearly fall destination!

Over the years we have watched this place really up their game. Then music has always been a big…read moredraw but it's also a great place to grab lunch or a sweet treat, and next door there is a soda shop type place as well! Barrels of candy, locally made items for purchase, including gorgeous cutting boards. Clean restrooms too, which is always a plus!

The Floyd Country store is a go to for lunch. They have a variety of menu options from sandwiches…read moreto hummus salad plates. You order at a counter and seat yourself with a number for your food to be dropped off swiftly. The sweet tea is excellent and there are a variety of delicious baked goods that change week to week. If you go on a Saturday at 12 you will be pleasantly surprised by live music as a part of their Americana Afternoons program which features local musicians from folk to bluegrass and blues. The atmosphere is super laid back, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Make sure you tip the band and support their musicians-life is better with music! As they say.

How I managed to live in North Carolina this long and not know we had a Cheerwine Festival is mind…read moreboggling to me. This was my first year attending the event. It was advertised that you could take a train to Salisbury, NC and then the festival was in walking distance. If you drove, you'd have to look for parking in the area and walk to the event. My friend and I arrived around noon. This. Was a good time, but in the fire I'd ago In my opinion they spaced out the different vendors well so it wasn't too crowded. You were able to move through the areas easily. At times, you would have to wait for people to move, but this is expected with any festival. I liked that their website listed the vendor participating and if the vendor created a Cheerwine themed item/dish. I believe it would've ben helpful it their website also included a map of where each vendor was so you could head to the vendor you wanted immediately. There was a main location at the festival that sold Cheerwine merchandise such as: beach towels, stickers, hats, t-shirts, and displays. They had a cash and card line. Some vendors took cash, but not all so it is good to have both on you. There were live performances occurring in their center city park. I was not prepared well for the event as I literally decided to go day of. In the future I'll make sure to pack a lawn towel or small chair to sit in the park and come earlier in the day when the event first starts so it's not as hot outside.

Bottom line: The Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury is a busy and popular street festival to celebrate…read morethe regional soft drink favorite. Saw lots of Cheerwine merch/logos everywhere but not Cheerwine itself. This festival is extremely crowded and there are long lines for absolutely everything, do know that going into this one. Bring cash, you'll need it. The Deets: My friends and I made plans to hit the The Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury, NC this year. Cheerwine is a local/regional soft drink favorite, a black cherry flavored soda. Cheerwine has been made since 1917 and has been produced by the same family in North Carolina for all those years (big accomplishment in the food/beverage industry). I've been a Cheerwine fan since childhood so I was up for going to a festival bearing its name. We went down and back on Amtrak as there is a train station near to the downtown area the festival is held. I recommend going by train if possible as finding parking is not that easy for this event. Salisbury is not a huge town so you would expect that to be so. If you are not a fan of big crowds and long lines, then this festival is not for you. This festival is very "people-y" and there are long lines for EVERYTHING...food, beer/beverages, merchandise, craft/art/novelty items, cash machines (bring cash, most things here are not cheap)...everything. Of course the sound stage had a crowd around it as well. We even ducked into a local bottle shop to find some peace (see my prior review for this business) which we indeed found. My pics I took are from a pocket of peace I found outside of the crowded area. Of note, I did see that there were plenty of port-a-potties everywhere, even down alleys between buildings. While I saw Cheerwine logos and merchandise a-plenty at the festival, I really can't recall seeing any actual Cheerwine itself. Sad face. Lots of beer opportunities...not Cheerwine though. If you love those crowded street festivals, this event is your golden ticket. I found it was great to visit and experience but I'm not sure I would go out of my way to come back again.

This was the first time this event has been held and I will say they did a pretty good job. They…read morehad an information stand and maps available for visitors. Considering this was also our first time to Rocky Mount the map was very helpful. The reason for only giving a 3 star rating was because of the lack of actual moonshine. Though I have never been to a moonshine festival before I had hoped that there would be actual moonshine to purchase to take home and moonshine distillers to talk with. This was not the case. The only place that had moonshine available at the festival during the day was at the Bootleggers Cafe. You could purchase a flight of 4 moonshine cocktails for $8. There was a night time ticketed event called Shine and Dine that we did not attend where according to the website you could "Enjoy an enchanted evening with a moonshine and local foods tasting under the stars. Sample fantastic "shines" in several flavors from local and state distilleries along with a selection of foods and delicious desserts prepared by local chefs". I just wish this option was also available during the day. The good: 1) Pretty well organized 2) The event is free (free entertainment and displays) 3) They provided shuttle service & ample parking lots around town 4) They had a kids zone (not sure whats in there since we don't have kids) So what could make this a 5 star event you ask? Here are a few ideas: 1) Blocking the street off to traffic 2) Having a distillers/tasting area during the daytime 3) Getting more vendor booths...specifically Virginia artists/crafts men - especially the Franklin County Moonshine distillers (not sure what the ABC laws are regarding this) Though this event was not quite what I had imagined, it was not all that far off. It just needs times for the word to spread and for it to grow into the larger, bolder event it was meant to be.

I recently attended the 15th annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival this month for a friend'a birthday…read more Located the Elkin Municipal Park, good directions were provided for the event. Handicapped parking was available. We got there a bit early. Lines were already formed. The longest line was the general will call. Whoa! We bought on site since that's the only way you can get military discount. $20. Advance tickets were $22. On site regular tickets were $30. VIP were $102. Crazy!!!! Included extras were VIP parking, festival Tshirt, and access the VIP tent. Not worth it in my opinion. Plenty of wine to try out. Over 25 vendors. You got free tastings (of various sizes) and could buy glasses. If you purchased bottles, you could have them held at will call until the end of the event. I'm not a big wine person but I bought the most out of my group. There were a number of fruity, sweet wines- my fave. :-) Music, food, and other vendors were available. I heard a bit of the Elvis music. And we all grabbed some small bites. Food wasn't too exciting but good enough to tide me over. Definitely bring chairs if you wanna hang out for a while. I felt like a noob without one. But luckily we found some open seats at some benches. Overall, a fun day!

Starting with one man's passion for holiday decor in the 80's, going all the way through his Clark…read moreGriswold phase, and with several venue changes over the years, the High Country Lights is one of the largest displays of its kind in southern Virginia, boasting over a quarter million lights. But the amazing part is this: Unlike every other light show you know if, this one is free! This is my first year attending, and we were lucky enough to come on the night that Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist AirCare flew in Santa Claus for a visit. That was a huge spectacle and it was really something listening to a huge crowd of children gasp with awe as they saw the aircraft land and Santa emerge. The light show itself is bright, synchronized with broadcasted music, and not hard to access. Traffic wasn't bad even on the weekend after Thanksgiving, and there was parking and bathrooms. There were also food trucks and multiple vendors and booths you could visit. I really appreciated that this was a walking event, not a "sit in your car for 2 hours" event like some of the bigger (and expensive) holiday light shows. The layout was a bit unclear, and I wasn't sure if this was a drive-through, a "park and watch", or a walking event at first. The best I could gather, it was a "park and watch" with music being broadcast over FM radio, then we got out and visited some of the various other things to see like the fire and EMS vehicles, Santa's workshop, and an ornament making station. It's not the most extravagant show you'll ever see, but I've got to say that I love the story behind it, and you can't beat a free Christmas light show. We're adding this one to the holiday traditions!

What a wonderful festival hosted here in Greensboro. For 2025, I enjoyed it as a listener and…read morevolunteer. It is certainly worth going to all weekend if able. It's a free festival featuring a very walkable downtown Greensboro. During the event, the whole place felt like a massive city. All sorts of food can be found, and the festival tents sell drinks as well. However, more options can be found at all the participating establishments and local breweries. The music of course was amazing. With 6 major stages, and a few other smaller spots, a listener is bound to find what they like. Music was a 5/5 and the vibes too!

The NC Folk fest is always so much fun! This free event is every fall in Greensboro, NC. This year…read morewe found the BEST kettle corn. The butter kettle corn and caramel kettle corn were sooo good! The kettle corn vendor is St. Popperville Kettle Corn. 10/10 recommend.

Great relaxing place. winery and craft beer tap bar..love it !…read more They let you bring your own food if you want to, nice because a lot of wineries are cracking down on that which is disappointing. Their view is beautiful and peaceful and the staff is very friendly. Their wines are okay, but they're draft beers on tap are delicious and worth the visit.

As many wineries in NC that we have been to, we were surprised we had missed Round Peak, so we…read morestopped by recently to try some wines and ciders. Wines: Tart Cherry - definitely tart, way too tart for me. Euphoria - this was not good at all. Peach and Orange Spritzer - this tasted like sparkling water to me, and not enjoyable. Blueberry Mango Spritzer - this also tasted like sparkling water to me, and not enjoyable. Cherry Heaven - thick wine, but it was okay. Indulgence Red Dessert Wine - just okay. Ciders: Blueberry - very tart. Strawberry Rhubarb - strong on the rhubarb, it was fine. Apple - I was not a fan of this one, but my husband thought it was fine. Peach Cider - not a fan Peach Mead Spritzer - not a fan As much as this place had to offer, I was left disappointed in the selection. None of these were for me. Beautiful setting for the winery, but just not one I would come back to. They are however, dog friendly, which we appreciated!

This was my first time going to the Greek Festival and the only thing I'm so upset about is why…read morehaven't I been before!! The Greek festival took place at the Greek church in Winston they had a variety of foods and activities all throughout the area! I got the Greek pizza, Loukoumades, spanikopita and potato wedges! The place was pretty packed as today was opening day. Parking is all the way down right by the church just follow the signs. I will say I got lucky with mine and there's a couple parking spots before you really start getting towards the church. Under the tent area is where you can find the entrees, and in the gymnasium area it's the lunch specials and Greek pastries and some dessert options too.

This year's festival was busier than ever but well organized. Parking was extremely difficult and…read moreinconvenient but it's outside their control, just be prepared. The lines for food appeared long but moved quickly. Gyros were superior to those served at the Greensboro Greek Fest. The market had so many gorgeous products and fantastic foods, including a buffet of flavored olives oils. I am deaf and the speaker volume was too intense even for me, but I'm sure they were trying to compensate for crowd noise. It was a miserable hit and humid day but the cold Greek beers and baklava ice cream kept us going to enjoy the festivities.