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Carolina BalloonFest In Statesville, NC
To air is human, especially at the annual Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville. The event has been held since 1974, making it the second-oldest balloon rally in the nation. The three-day festival in October occurs at Statesville Regional Airport with more than 50 hot air balloons and 50,000 spectators in attendance. Highlights of the weekend include a 50-balloon mass ascension, a nighttime balloon glow and hot air balloon rides. Besides ballooning, attractions include live music, a kids zone,... Read More »
Rec Center Brings New Leisure Options to Town
It’s been a long wait. But let the fun and games begin.
“We’ve been talking about this for more than 20 years,” says John Bullard of a new $8.4 million recreation center gearing up to open in fall of 2008. “It gives Statesville residents an opportunity to participate in all kinds of new activities.
It will not only offer entertainment but fitness options.”
The 36,000-square-foot facility has a large gymnasium, five multipurpose rooms for day camps and after-school programs, a climbing wall, a... Read More »
Tempting Flavors Make Gluttons Fare Hard to Resist
Forget bland diets. Your taste buds will thank you for treating them to the succulent ribs, steaks, seafood and chicken that are the specialties of the house at Gluttons Restaurant and Bar.
Laurie Ann Walsh – along with her sister, Melanie Shippee, and mother Annie Laurie Walsh – opened the restaurant on July 4, 1984. While kicking around ideas for the new restaurant, one family member said, “I hope the food will be so good, it will make gluttons out of the customers.”
This inspired comment led... Read More »
Farmhouse Bakery Warmed by Family Tradition
As a child‚ Scott Childress spent countless hours in his grandmother’s country kitchen helping create memorable meals filled with love. Today‚ Childress is keeping the spirit of her kitchen alive at Farmhouse Bakery in downtown Statesville.
“Baking has been such a big tradition for our family‚ so it just seemed natural that we would open a family business‚” says Childress‚ who began designing wedding cakes and catering parties more than 14 years ago and opened Farmhouse Bakery five years ago.... Read More »
Festival Celebrates Hot Air
The longest running balloon festival on the East Coast takes place in Statesville.
The 34th annual festival‚ now known as the Carolina Balloon Fest‚ is set for Oct. 26-28‚ 2007‚ at Statesville Regional Airport. The weekend extravaganza is a family-oriented event. Highlights include the sight of 50 colorful balloons floating through the air.
There’s also a wine festival‚ live musical entertainment‚ children’s fun zone and NASCAR pit-crew challenges. Admission is $5.00‚ and parking is free. Read More »
Love Valley Loves Horses
The Wild West has headed east.
Love Valley is an unincorporated rural community near Statesville that is ideal for horse lovers. That’s because Love Valley Stables is located here‚ catering to horse enthusiasts through its rental stables and country store.
The town is a dream come true for founder Andy Baker‚ whose two dreams as a young man were to build a Christian community while living life as a cowboy. As a result‚ rustic Love Valley has a saloon‚ general store‚ hitching post‚ rodeos – and... Read More »
Fort Dobbs Pre-dates Revolutionary War
Fort Dobbs was built in 1756 – at the height of the French and Indian War.
It served as a North Carolina frontier headquarters and had only one attack against it during the famous war that lasted from 1754-1763. The attack occurred in February 1760 when the fort’s garrison repelled a Cherokee raiding party.
Fort Dobbs sat in ruins after the war, but a nonprofit group called the Fort Dobbs Alliance has set a goal of reconstructing the wooden fort by 2009. A North Carolina State University report... Read More »
Arts Community Adds Spice to Life at Iredell Museum
Karen Parker, a painter for nearly 30 years, sees the arts not just as a diversion some people enjoy in their leisure time. For her, they’re the lifeblood of a community that seeks to grow.
“If any city wants to draw new people into the area, they have to have the arts,” says Parker, who was born and raised in Statesville, where she now lives with her sculptor husband, Walter McGervey. “It’s the basis of life. You can move anywhere for a job, but if there’s a cultural base there, that’s where... Read More »
