Force of nature: WNC bluegrass star shines bright in Music City

This past spring, guitarist Seth Taylor and his band, longtime bluegrass staple Mountain Heart, once again took the stage under the bright lights at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. 

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Pouring a cup of community

Coffee shop becomes Canton staple Like many recent businesses opening in downtown Canton, it’s usually a story of someone deciding to take a chance on a quiet town — a community full of potential that many have either disregarded or overlooked. 

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Crabtree couple invites the public to field of blooms

Ricardo Fernandez Battini and his wife Suzanne Fernandez spent a stormy night in September 2004 holed up in their home along the Pigeon River in Crabtree, listening.

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Pint of passion: WNC brewery sparks camaraderie

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Greg Wasik saw firsthand that trademark sense of community at neighborhood taverns around the Motor City.

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Notes from a plant nerd: Trilliums, Trilliums, Trilliums

Trilliums are some of the most beautiful and iconic wildflowers in the world, and the Southern Appalachian mountains are filled with many different trillium species.

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Bringing history, culture and lore to life: Smoky Mountain Heritage Center

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.

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Obstacles are opportunities: Yonder Community Market

With a hot sun falling behind the mountains, rock legend Tommy Stinson strapped on his Gibson acoustic guitar and stood behind a microphone on the side lawn of Yonder Community Market in Franklin. 

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Smoky Mountain Sk8way & Fun Zone: Offering Memories for a Lifetime

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. 

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Launching a legacy: Chestnut Mountain

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. 

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Cashiers: Worth the winding drive

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.

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