Whizzing around a rink on wheels conjures feelings of nostalgia for many people. This favorite American pastime has been enjoyed since 1902 when the first public skating rink opened its doors in Chicago to a whopping crowd of 7,000 patrons. Even before that, rinks were popular in Europe. 

As Earth Day 2022 bloomed under one of spring’s sunniest skies yet, more than 150 people gathered on a concrete bridge spanning Hominy Creek just outside Canton to celebrate what Mayor Zeb Smathers termed a “gift of genesis” — the long-awaited opening of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. 

I recently spent the day frolicking around Cashiers alongside Ashlie Mitchell-Lanning, executive director of The Village Green, and Thomas Taulbee with the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce.

Amid the evening whirlwind of friendly faces and hearty banter at Boojum Brewing in downtown Waynesville, John Duncan sips a craft ale, pauses momentarily, and ponders just what it means to be a conduit for the sacred traditions of Southern Appalachian music in the 21st Century — it’s preservation and, ultimately, it’s perpetuation.

In an effort to preserve and perpetuate the heritage arts and lore of the Great Smoky Mountains and greater Southern Appalachia, the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center has now come to fruition at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. 

Growing up on a family farm just outside of Greensboro, Jean Osborne was surrounded by hundreds of cows and thousands of acres — a place where she roamed freely and in her own time on her horse. 

It’s early Thursday afternoon, and the two-story taproom of Mountain Layers Brewing in downtown Bryson City is buzzing. 

September Burton and Taylor Miller opened The Chef & The Baker in Maggie Valley in January 2022. They are a talented couple boasting a multitude of culinary skills. We sat down with September for a Q&A where she shared a little about their lives and the story of their new business. 

Serendipity is a word Makyia Blair has been using a lot lately. “I’m a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason,” Blair said. “And, so far, everything that’s happened has been serendipitous — it’s just worked out that way.”

Although the 5 o’clock dinner rush is still a few hours away, Chef Kanlaya Supachana is zipping around the kitchen of Dalaya, preparing several signature northern Thai dishes with such meticulous and precise care — no small detail overlooked, whether for presentation or palate.