Our State

SPONSORED BY The first glimpse of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse comes slowly. Pull into Historic Corolla Park, and the top of the brick-and-iron beacon rises above the live oaks lining the lane. Even as you draw closer, pines hide much of its 162-foot frame until you’re standing in the courtyard beneath it, looking up. A lot has changed since 1875, when the lighthouse first warned sailors away from the shifting shoals off the Outer Banks.

SPONSORED BY You’ll smell the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival before you find it. Wood smoke hangs in the September air, weaving between the needles of longleaf pines and white picket fences built in Pinehurst’s sandy ground. Somewhere nearby, someone tends a fire that’s been burning long before sunrise. Coolers rattle over sidewalks. Strangers compare notes on brisket and pork shoulders.

SPONSORED BY Finding Home in Moore County: From pitmasters and distillers to entrepreneurs and artists, Moore County draws talented individuals to its towns and communities, inviting them to find their place and passion in the Sandhills. Long before Ashley Sheppard and his mom, Janie, would open a beloved barbecue destination, Janie had one request of her son as he prepared to leave for Johnson & Wales University: Study anything but hospitality management.

SPONSORED BY Yield: 1 pitcher. 4 cups watermelon juice 1 cup pink lemonade 2 ounces grenadine Ice Soda water (for serving) Watermelon wedges (for garnish) In a large pitcher, combine watermelon juice, lemonade, and grenadine and stir. To serve, pour into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a watermelon wedge.

Spend the weekend at the NC Folk Festival as a VIP. While the festival is free for everyone to enjoy, one winner will receive two VIP weekend passes for themselves and a guest for September 18 to 20, 2026. The passes include access to VIP viewing areas at each festival stage, along with complimentary food and beverages in each VIP area throughout the weekend. Enjoy performances from more than 50 artists, including headliners St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The Roots, and Molly Tuttle.

In the Blue Ridge Foothills, Valdese is an easy stop off Interstate 40 with a story unlike any other in North Carolina. It’s a town shaped by its heritage and traditions, instilled by Waldensian settlers who founded the town in 1893 after fleeing religious persecution in northern Italy. Today, this heritage is woven into daily life: It appears in stone buildings and public art, flavors local dishes, is heard in music, and felt in annual festivals and gatherings.

SPONSORED BY Find Home in Moore County: From pitmasters and distillers to entrepreneurs, Moore County welcomes talented individuals to its towns and communities, inviting them to embrace their passion and make a home in the Sandhills.

Many North Carolinians believe Mooresville begins and ends with racing. That’s understandable. More than 60 motorsports organizations call this Lake Norman town home, earning it the nickname “Race City USA.” But race shops are only one stop on the itinerary. On the shores of North Carolina’s largest manmade lake, paddleboarders, kayakers, and boaters spend long afternoons on the water. Downtown, historic storefronts are filled with locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, and boutiques.

School Days: The bell is ringing. Take your seat to learn about the folks who’ve shaped — and been shaped by — a North Carolina education. See related articles here. One night while watching a YouTube video about drywall repair, Larry Presnell dozed off. He woke up to a different video of a woman in her kitchen making peanut butter.

School Days: The bell is ringing. Take your seat to learn about the folks who’ve shaped — and been shaped by — a North Carolina education. See related articles here. The snap and pop of percussion reverberate across the stadium. A drum major in all white, baton in hand, leads the marching band along the edge of the football field and out onto the grass.