Authentic North Carolina Adventures
From the mountains to the sea, let the N.C. Arts Council be your guide to experiencing authentic North Carolina! Pull up a lawn chair to hear homegrown Blue Ridge musicians fiddle and strum. Stand in awe of the breathtaking vistas and historic places revered by the Cherokee. Soak up the hometowns and hangouts of a notable North Carolina writers. Our state is a performing arts innovator -- there's a front row seat for an outdoor drama, opera or community symphony waiting for you! Witness craft artisans honoring centuries-old traditions -- or pushing them in creative new directions. Go off the beaten path to find small-town folk artists, or explore rural countrysides where you can pick your own strawberries, ride an antique tractor or savor home made ice cream. Find statewide seasonal events, unique itineraries, and links to North Carolina visitors bureaus and more at our Web sites below.
Blue Ridge Music Trail
Traditional old-time and bluegrass music have deep roots in North Carolina, none deeper than in the communities surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now you can discover 160 venues, festivals and events within 25 miles of this scenic roadway that will get you up close and personal with practitioners of bluegrass and string band music, ballad singing, fiddling, shape-note singing, gospel music, clogging and other traditional forms of music and dance unique to the region. These aren't venues you'll find on a typical map. They're genuine community gathering spots that bring together local players and listeners of all ages who are dedicated to keeping these musical traditions alive. Become a part of this vital North Carolina heritage -- stop by for a visit or in some cases, sing or play along! A companion book, Blue Ridge Music Trails: Finding a Place in the Circle, was written by Fred C. Fussell.
Celebrate North Carolina Craft
From functional Native American pottery to high-end contemporary jewelry, craft has been at the center of North Carolina life for centuries. Today, more than 6,000 craft artisans across the state innovate in clay, glass, metals, fibers, wood and other disciplines, incorporating the past while they look toward the future. Celebrate North Carolina Craft puts you face-to-face with our state's finest craft artisans and shows you how to experience their work in museums, galleries, workshops and open studio tours . Get a unique perspective on our state's craft heritage and the creative new techniques being used today by visiting Celebrate North Carolina Craft.
Cherokee Heritage Trails
With centuries of history and a profound sense of place, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians constitutes the largest Native American population in North Carolina. Through the voices of the Cherokee people, Cherokee Heritage Trails shows you how to experience, understand and reverence the sacred places, community ties, storytelling and folk arts that define authentic Cherokee heritage. Let Cherokee Heritage Trails be your guide to exploring this cultural authenticity, whether expressed in the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Qualla Arts and Crafts, or an updated version of the long-running outdoor drama, Unto These Hills. The companion Cherokee Heritage Trails Guidebook was written by Barbara R. Duncan and Brett H. Riggs.
HomegrownHandmade
Looking for the perfect excuse for an escape to the country? Get off the beaten path and encounter authentic folk artisans, farmers and creative entrepreneurs rooted in our state's rural countryside! HomegrownHandmade is a collection of 16 self-directed driving tours through 76 Piedmont and eastern North Carolina Counties. Discover unique hands-on farm experiences, u-pick organic produce, art galleries, artists' studios, live music, handcrafts, vineyards and wineries, historic sites and picturesque bed-and-breakfasts. Whatever the season, experience North Carolina's arts and agriculture in a fresh new way with HomegrownHandmade. A brand-new companion book, HomegrownHandmade: Art Roads and Farm Trails, will be released in May, 2008.
Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains
How many literary legends have made their homes in North Carolina? From writers of poetry and fiction, to creative nonfiction and plays, the answer will surprise you! Our 18 day or half-day tours of the Western mountains put you in the middle of the hometowns, hangouts and a bevy of local hot spots that have inspired North Carolina writers. Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains features 170 of our state's most notable writers -- whether 19th century naturalists, poet laureates, authors of paranormal police thrillers, or affectionate observers of southern characters and humor. The guide takes you along the William Bartram Trail followed by Inman, the protagonist of Charles Frazier's novel Cold Mountain. It takes you to the Toe River Lodge in Plumtree, where the film version of John Ehle's novel, The Winter People, starring Kurt Russell and Kelly McGills, was shot. And don't forget Asheville, where the literary legacy of Thomas Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald lives on! Each tour includes excerpts of the authors'writing as well as information about libraries, museums, colleges, bookstores and other public venues where writers present their work or are featured in exhibits, events, performances and festivals. A companion book, Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains, was written by Georgann Eubanks.
Performing Arts in North Carolina
This site is coming soon.
When it comes to the performing arts, North Carolina is a state of historic "firsts." From the first outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, to the first state-supported symphony, from historic theaters to history-making performers like John Coltrane, Doc Watson, Nina Simone and James Taylor, our roots run deep. Whether you love music, dance or theater, Performing Arts in North Carolina is your ticket to our state's most talented artists, longest-running productions and most authentic performing arts experiences -- from the internationally-celebrated American Dance Festival in Durham, to the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, to the 70 year-old Brevard Music Festival in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and more! Search a statewide calendar of performing arts events. Sign up for performing arts series, or take your family and friends to summer performing arts events. Whether you're looking for jazz, blues or bluegrass...classical music or opera...ethnic dance or ballet...or community or professional theater, Performing Arts in North Carolina makes it easy for you to get the best seat in the house!