local

The scoop on WNC’s latest dining destinations

Enjoy sips and swirls at regional tasting events

After a century of state parks, Western North Carolina’s are more popular than ever

A new play based on a historic Burke County true crime case premieres in Burnsville

For Lenoir artist Charlie Frye, community fuels the creative spirit

New Belgium welcomes beer lovers to its East Coast outpost in Asheville

Rare antique finds and contemporary design commingle in a remarkable North Wilkesboro loft

In preparation for the 50th National Dahlia Show, three enthusiastic gardeners share their passion and pointers for growing the empress of blooming beauties

A new history of Asheville’s Jewish community

Weather the cold with a bourbon cocktail from Aloft’s W XYZ bar

Martin Luther King Jr. visited WNC at two turning points that shaped the civil rights struggle

Relish fresh renditions of old Appalachian standards

It’s gone to the birds at Duck Dance Farm, a waterfowl conservation venture in Burnsville

At Hart Square in Catawba County, a man with a passion for historic structures keeps the past alive

Fill up on apple cider doughnuts fresh out of Hendersonville

A Madison County program brings advanced literacy skills to rural girls

Throughout Western North Carolina sit dozens of public schools abandoned by time, consolidation, and changing demographics. In their heyday, they were community epicenters and veritable second homes for thousands of students. Today, some are boarded up, while others await imminent demolition and replacement by new state-of-the-art facilities. But there are also a handful of old schoolhouses tucked away in various corners of the mountains that have found new purpose as community centers, concert venues, historical beacons, and artists’ studios. Here’s a look at the past and present of eight of them.