Hickory, NC WITH A WORLD-FAMOUS RACING SHORT TRACK, PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGIATE FACILITIES AND A GREAT HISTORY AND HERITAGE, HICKORY’S ROOTS RUN DEEP IN NORTH CAROLINA SPORTING LORE
PLANNER PERSPECTIVE
“Everybody loves it here, it’s beautiful. It (Lake Hickory) is the perfect size for a competition such as this one. It offers a variety of fishing experiences depending on how the anglers prefer to fish.”
Hickory Metro Convention Center
— Secret York, Co-founder of LBAA
Henry Fork Regional Recreation Park
Hickory is conveniently located off Interstate 40, which connects Knoxville to the west with Raleigh to the east. If you’re flying in, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is around 42 miles away in Charlotte.
POPULAR ACTIVITIES
▶ Immerse yourself in the interactive opportunities presented at the SALT Block, which encompasses an entire city block filled with Science, Arts & Literature Together.
▶ Downtown Hickory yields a fantastic communal feel as you explore a bevy of local retail shops, locally owned restaurants and breweries, entertainment options, theatrical pursuits and more. 22
Sports Planning Guide
FACILITY SPOTLIGHT
Hickory Metro Convention Center
Lake Hickory (Catawba River)
As one of the premier trade show and meeting locations in the Southeast, the Hickory Metro Convention Center features more than 76,000 square feet of meeting space, making it ideal for tournament planners looking to host fantastic indoor events. This facility has been the home to a variety of indoor sports including: Bull riding, soccer clinics, martial arts, wrestling, gymnastics, dance and more. The center hosted the XCEL Regional Gymnastics Competition in May 2019, which drew in more than 1,500 gymnasts.
Take in the magisterial beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains when you plan an outdoor tournament on Lake Hickory. Fishing tournaments are popular here during the summer months, when the lake has an abundance of largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie and channel catfish. Lake Hickory hosted a Lady Bass Angles Association Pro Tour event in late March 2019 and an episode of “Fishing University” in 2018. the Lady Bass Anglers Association will be returning to Lake Hickory Spring 2021.
Multipurpose indoor
Henry Fork Regional Recreation Park Canoeing, running, soccer
With eight soccer fields, an 8,000-square-foot picnic shelter, picnic tables and grills, an alpine tower ropes course, two playgrounds, a concession stand, walking trail, canoe launch and horseshoe pits, this multiuse park is ideal for soccer, lacrosse, rugby and other sports.
Boating, fishing, swimming
VISIT HICKORY METRO Sarah Davis, CMP Director of Sales & Marketing 828-322-1335 sarah@hickorymetro.com www.visithickorymetro.com @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG
