SMALL IN is

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

The Southeast is full of quaint small towns that roll out the red carpet for meeting groups. Here are five places with walkable downtowns, unique history and full-service amenities that give groups the convenience of larger destinations.

ANNISTON, ALABAMA

Anniston, Alabama, started out as a private company town in 1872, founded by the Woodstock Iron Company. It wasn’t until 1883 that the city officially incorporated. The area is known for its walkable communities, the outdoors and mom-and-pop shops. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, biking and horseback riding along trails on the former U.S. Army base Fort McClellan. The Chief Ladiga Trail, a paved pedestrian path through Anniston, will soon connect to the Silver Comet Trail coming from Georgia, creating the longest paved pedestrian pathway in the U.S.

The city also figured prominently in the fight for desegregation in the 1960s after a mob of white residents attacked and then firebombed a Greyhound bus full of African American Freedom Riders trying to call attention to the problem of segregation. Visitors to the city can take a self-guided driving tour of the Anniston Civil Rights Heritage Trail, which includes the Freedom Riders National Monument where the bus burning happened in 1961, as well as a mural of the bus on a wall facing the bus depot alleyway.

Anniston Meeting Center is the largest event center in the city, with the 13,000-square-foot Anniston Hall, three conference spaces that can each seat 100 to 150 people and the Victoria Room for executive meetings. Anniston Museums and Gardens, home to Anniston Museum of Natural History, Berman Museum and Longleaf Botanical Gardens, also offers several meeting spaces for rent, from auditoriums and classrooms to museum exhibit halls and the Longleaf Event Center.

Hotel Finial on the city’s main boulevard has 61 rooms, breathtaking architecture and ample room for meetings or events up to 200 people.

visitcalhouncounty.com

NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA

The second-oldest city in North Carolina, New Bern has a beautiful downtown district surrounded by water. Its biggest claim to fame is the Tryon Palace State Historic Site, which was the first capitol of North Carolina. Visitors to New Bern can take advantage of the quaint independently owned shops, restaurants and galleries in town while enjoying the waterfront views. Groups can take trolley tours of the area or enjoy the Croatan National Forest for hiking and biking.

New Bern’s 40,000-square-foot Riverfront Convention Center is the top meeting spot in the city. It underwent a full renovation in 2019, so everything is state of the art. There are 170 hotel rooms attached to the convention center, divided between a Doubletree by Hilton and a Tapestry by Hilton, which is set to open in April. The Courtyard by Marriott offers an additional 100 guest rooms about a block from the convention center.

The Doubletree and Tapestry offers an additional 16,000 square feet of meeting space, which is undergoing complete upgrades with digital reader boards, infrastructure, and an updated food and beverage program.

New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi, and groups can visit the store and pharmacy that started it all. The facility also can be utilized for dessert and cocktail socials. Several art galleries in town can double as event spaces, as well as the New Bern Firemen’s Museum. In their downtime, groups can take guided boat tours or ghost tours in town. visitnewbern.com

CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina’s oldest inland city, Camden is known as the steeplechase capital of the world, with the National Steeplechase Museum and the 60-acre South Carolina Equine Park, which plays host to the Carolina Cup every year. Camden is also the site of the Battle of Camden, a Revolutionary War battle that took place in August 1780, where the British Army under Lt. General Charles Cornwallis defeated the Continental Army.

Meeting planners can tap into that history by organizing events at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center, which can host groups up to 240. The center tells the story of the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War and South Carolina’s part in turning the tide when all seemed lost.