June SouthPark 2024

FROM THE EDITOR

What’s one of my happiest days of the year? Summer solstice. No, I don’t celebrate with a bonfire or some other ancient solstice tradition. But I was a summer baby, and I’m most content in shorts and sandals, waking up to a chorus of songbirds, spending mornings on the screened porch to avoid the freezing AC in the house, and going for long walks at dusk as the mercury in the thermometer eases down.

I don’t even mind the cicadas. It’s part of the soundtrack of summer, and their singing (or screaming — depends on who you ask) reminds me of playing outside all day when I was little, discovering their abandoned exoskeletons clinging to tree trunks and nearly everywhere else.

It seems like every couple of years, there’s talk about some long-dormant brood of these little creatures emerging — an impending cicada-pocalypse, we are led to believe. This year was a double whammy, with the spring dual emergence of both a 13-year brood and a 17-year brood. And all that before the annual summer cicadas crawl out of their underground burrows to serenade us with their great (or grating) chorus!

I’m really not into bugs, but what a fascinating phenomenon. What if humans emerged every 17 years, then retreated again for a long underground sleep? Seventeen years ago, in 2007, the first iPhone had just been released. Prince delivered an epic Super Bowl halftime show. American Idol was in its heyday. Political polarization was at its peak, or so we thought (little did we know).

But these days, the world moves fast. If we vanished for 17 years and reemerged, would our 2024 selves recognize the 2041 world? Will we all get around in self-driving cars? Will AI-powered robots have taken over? Will people still read magazines?

Cicadas have been around for millions of years. Whether you love, hate or merely tolerate them, their familiar summer hum, to me, is a comforting reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. SP

IN THIS ISSUE:

1 – Closet crushing on Alessandra Ball James (page 20)

2 – A modern farmhouse by House of Drennan (page 70)

3 – Brunch at Euphoria Greenville (page 78)

4 – Style Editor Whitley Adkins at Moo, Brew & ’Que Music Fest (page 62)

CATHY MARTIN

ALLEN TATE REALTORS ® SOUTHPARK

June

BLVD.

20 | style

Closet crush: Alessandra Ball James

26 | design

Natalie Papier designs a midcentury-inspired pool house with Palm Springs vibes.

30 | retail

DeAnna Allen’s South End boutique houses more than 20 Charlotte women- and minority-owned brands under one roof.

34 | authors

Kathy Izard’s newest book — and a companion book for kids — encourages listening to those inner nudges calling us to action.

38 | around town

What’s new and coming soon in the Queen City

40 | happenings June calendar of events

DEPARTMENTS

43 | sports Pinehurst No. 2 prepares to test the best.

49 | gardening

Create a pollinator buffet in your backyard.

55 | books Notable new releases

57 | simple life When losing is winning

87 | swirl Parties, fundraisers and events around Charlotte

96 | gallery

A new vision plan for SouthPark

ABOUT THE COVER:

Photograph of BrightFire Music & Arts Festival in April 2024 by Olly Yung

FEATURES

62 | Feeling groovy produced by Whitley Adkins photographs by Richard Israel and Olly Yung Photo album: Charlotte showed up and showed off at spring music festivals.

70 | Classic, curated and colorful! by Andrea Nordstrom Caughey photographs by Christina Hussey Rock Hill designer Rebecca Bridges helps a young family blend styles and embrace a bolder palette.

TRAVEL

78 | Summer getaways by Jay Ahuja, Krisha Chachra, Vanessa Infanzon and Cathy Martin 10 places to steal away this season

TRAVEL READY STYLE

1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-523-6987 southparkmagazine.com

Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com

Cathy Martin Editor editor@southparkmagazine.com

Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com

Andie Rose Creative Director

Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Miranda Glyder Graphic Designer

Whitley Adkins Style Editor

Contributing Editors

David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender

Contributing Writers

Jay Ahuja, Michelle Boudin, Andrea Nordstrom Caughey, Krisha Chachra, Jim Dodson, Vanessa Infanzon, Ebony Morman, Lee Pace, Jay Sifford, Michael J. Solender

Contributing Photographers

Daniel Coston, Megan Easterday, Christina Hussey, Richard Israel, Amy Kolo, Poprock Photography, Olly Yung

Contributing Illustrator Gerry O’Neill

ADVERTISING

Jane Rodewald Sales Manager 704-621-9198

jane@southparkmagazine.com

Cindy Poovey Account Executive 704-497-2220 cindy@southparkmagazine.com

Scott Leonard Audience Development Specialist 704-996-6426

Sarah Fligel Marketing Specialist sarah@southparkmagazine.com

Brad Beard Graphic Designer

Letters to the editorial staff: editor@southparkmagazine.com

Instagram: southparkmagazine

Facebook: southparkmagazine X: SouthParkMag

Owners

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff in memoriam Frank Daniels Jr. David Woronoff President david@thepilot.com

Published by Old North State Magazines LLC.

Photo by Ambe J. Williams

Photo by Justin Sission

blvd.

people, places, things

STRIKE UP THE BAND

Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops at Symphony Park is an enduring summer tradition. This month, the series kicks off with Sonidos Latinos: Latin Sounds on June 9, followed by A Juneteenth Celebration on June 16. Music from the Movies on June 23 promises fun for the whole family, and Celebrate America! rounds out the series on June 30 with a fireworks finale. Adult tickets are $15-18 in advance and $20-25 at the gate; youth 13-18 are $5-7; and children 12 and under are free, but tickets are required. Subscriptions are available in pods of two. charlottesymphony.org SP

CLOSET

CRUSH Alessandra Ball James

by Whitley Adkins | photographs by Amy Kolo

Upon graduating from high school, Atlanta native Alessandra Ball James told her parents she wanted to be a professional dancer. With her family’s support, James, known to many as Alex, left for Denver, where she first danced professionally for The Colorado Ballet. After one season, she moved to Charlotte and joined the North Carolina Dance Theater, now known as Charlotte Ballet.

After a year in Madrid, she returned to the Queen City, where she met her future husband. “We fell in love and got married with an intimate wedding and reception held at Pewter Rose. My dress was a beautiful Romona Keveza gown — it was structural and one shoulder. I wore it again, without the bridal train, when I performed at The Kennedy Center for the Obamas at The Kennedy Center Honors [in 2014].”

Living in Charlotte on and off since 2002 with her husband and son, Charlie, James danced professionally with The Charlotte Ballet for 15 seasons until she retired in 2020.

“I knew during lockdown that I enjoyed being home. I knew a lot of things were going to change, at least for the short term. And I just saw that as an opportunity to kind of bow out at that moment. That’s the beauty of life. Just the same as getting dressed — sometimes you change your mind at the last moment.”

While retiring from dance was a big adjustment, James has no regrets. “I found a way to express myself through my style, projects at home, through being fully present at home as a mom, a wife and a friend, and it’s been fun.” She’s also teaching private lessons again. “It’s been a real and amazing journey reinventing myself, and with that, I think my style has also shifted a bit, too.”

James’ dance career has influenced her fashion choices. “I don’t like to have pictures of myself dancing throughout the house, so the closet is a place where I can put up pictures of myself dancing and have special memories and a little inspiration.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

Classic and delicious, and I’ll tell you why. My best friend Sarah James and I went to Miami together. Someone reached out to her on Instagram and asked if we were sisters. My Instagram name is @burritojames. The person that messaged said, “Oh my gosh, Burrito’s your sister, and your name is Sarah? Your mom named you Burrito and Sarah… That’s Classic and Delicious!”… I’m a Gemini… sometimes I’m classic, and sometimes I’m wild.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS?

Mara Hoffman, Alaia, Loeffler Randall, Self-Portrait. And the classics — Chanel, Dior. My mom raised me to buy pieces for special occasions. She was so stylish. The way she would shop, I would say, is the way I shop now: Looking for fun, unique, colorful pieces. Always wearing something just a little bit different. My Alaia shoes are probably my favorite thing in my closet. I love them so much.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE OCCASION FOR WHICH TO DRESS?

I love getting dressed for my husband’s work events and our date nights. I enjoy being around fun, festive people who want to have a good time. I never listen to the dress code. I always kind of dress over the dress code. I dress for me, I dress to feel good, I dress to express myself.

DO YOU HAVE ANY STYLE ICONS?

My mom… She loves to dress super colorfully and beautifully. And, of course, you. I see a picture of you and it

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THIS OR THAT

Pattern or solid: Pattern, for sure

Texture or sleek: Texture

Tweed or floral: Sequins and feathers!

Ready-to-wear or couture: Of course, my kneejerk is couture, but ready-to-wear

Winter or summer: Dressing for a fabulous vacation in St. Barth’s!

Kitten heel or stiletto: Platforms

Sunglasses or lipstick: Sunglasses

Runway or street style: Street style

Work or retirement: Retirement, for sure, but I’m always hustling.

Full price or clearance: Probably thrifted. I love a good sale.

Purse or clutch: Clutch, but my little asterisk is it has to have an optional over-the-shoulder chain. I want something small, but it has to fit my phone.

sparks an idea. It’s nice to have people in the community that you see pictures of, talk to, and can ping off of and get ideas. My best friend, Sarah James. Also, being a ballet dancer for so long, that molded the way I view fashion, what I like to wear and how I like to express myself through fashion.

DOES ANYTHING ELSE INSPIRE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

My Panamanian roots. My mom is from Panama. It’s very colorful and shows a lot of movement. Sometimes, a little ugly is good, too. A little ugly is important in order to keep it interesting.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DECADE OR GENRE?

No, but I love the blend of everything. It is really cool to see how fashion always cycles back and we’re always inspired by ourselves. That’s what style is to me, blending it all together. The high and the low, the decades and the eras.

STYLE PHILOSOPHY AND FORMULA:

Style is not having to wear head-to-toe designer labels… It’s not how much you spend on it. It’s how you put it together and express yourself. I don’t have any formula at all… I’m driven by a little bit of inspiration and a little bit of impulsivity. I like to be a little classic and delicious, a little wild and a little tame, a little pretty and a little ugly. It’s all about the balance of finding things that are interesting, funky and fun. We only live once, so it’s OK to have fun with what we put on our bodies and not take it too seriously.

WHERE DO YOU SHOP?

Moda Operandi, Net-a-Porter, Revolve, Farfetch and Showroom. I shop online a lot because it’s fun to scroll through the sites. I do want to invest in pieces that I can wear often. Also Amazon. I love a high-fashion, really unique piece, but you can’t shop like that all the time. It’s not real, it’s not practical. SP

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Splash pad

DESIGNER NATALIE PAPIER CONVERTS HER GARAGE INTO A MARVELOUS MIDCENTURY-INSPIRED POOL HOUSE WITH PALM SPRINGS VIBES.

by Cathy Martin | photographs by Megan Easterday

Walking into Natalie Papier’s pool house, a former garage in her south Charlotte home, hits with a big dose of nostalgia. The mood-lifting space, completed in late 2023, evokes an era when sunscreen was optional, kids played outside till dusk, and popsicles were plentiful. But there’s a sophistication here, too, making the vivid, airy space equally inviting for adults and kids alike.

The Home Ec. founder and co-star of Artfully Designed, the home-design show filmed in the Queen City and streaming on Max, created the indoor-outdoor space with entertaining in mind but also as a place for her family to “hang, eat and chill” without worrying about wet swimsuits in the house. In the cooler months, it’s where the family of four gathers to watch football or movies and get together with friends.

Always eager to promote other creatives, Papier commissioned Buddy Norton and Shelby Lowe — the California husband-and-wife duo behind Canned Pineapple — to create the punchy, graphic murals. Their bold artwork brings retro energy, while pops of color via orange and teal accents complement the midcentury silhouettes and otherwise earthy color scheme.

In the kitchenette, custom walnut shelves were designed by Ferney Mercado, a Charlotte firefighter-turned-wood artisan who does business as Char’d Urban Woodworks. Propped on one shelf is a painting by local artist Bailey Schmidt. Light streams in through a large round window on the adjacent wall, added to soften the angles of the otherwise boxy space.

Several years ago, Papier purchased the wooden bathroom cabinet at Randolph Street Market in Chicago, a steal at $250. “I fell for the design detail of the backsplash with the touches of copper and vintage beauty of the piece,” Papier says. “It had been collecting dust until I knew exactly what its purpose should be.”

The space was built for maximum functionality, too. The kitchenette with a wide pass-through window provides ample storage for snacks, drinks and other provisions and is a convenient prep space for entertaining. Checkerboard painted concrete floors have grit added for a non-slip texture. And the indoor-outdoor seating by Loll Designs is both comfortable and water-resistant. SP

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One-stop shop

DEANNA ALLEN’S SOUTH END BOUTIQUE HOUSES MORE THAN 20 WOMEN- AND MINORITY-OWNED BRANDS UNDER ONE ROOF.

by Ebony L. Morman | photographs by Poprock Photography

One of the first things you notice when you walk into The Brown Sugar Collab is an oversized image of four melanated women. Framed in gold, they match the cozy South End shop’s neutral aesthetic, along with gold-trimmed furnishings and brown suede chairs. When the weather is nice and the garage door is raised, it’s easy to spot shoppers perusing the shelves, which are lined with everything from body butters and oils to incense and candles.

It’s a welcoming environment, which was part of DeAnna Allen’s vision when she opened the storefront in fall 2020. She wanted to provide a luxe experience for people to shop local brands and women-led small businesses. “It makes more sense to put multiple brands under one roof,” she says. “This way, you can shop over 20 different BIPOC brands. You don’t have to shop at just one.”

When guests patronize The Brown Sugar Collab, they aren’t limited to a single brand’s vision. They can purchase body butters from Bee Rich Butters and Nafeesa’s Organics, then add candles from Bèl Flame Candles and White Island Studio to their baskets. Within minutes, they’ve supported four women-owned small businesses that are more than likely local, as 75% of the shop’s products

are Charlotte-area brands. “If I can support local businesswomen and put money directly into their pockets, and say, ‘I’m investing in you, I believe in you, I want you in my store,’ that’s a direct impact,” Allen says.

For Allen, impact is key. Through her business, she aims to elevate demographics who are underrepresented, especially in retail. This passion was amplified following the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020, the same year Allen opened The Brown Sugar Collab. At the time, there was an influx of support for Black businesses, but many of those businesses didn’t have storefronts. Most sold their products via e-commerce or through pop-up markets, Allen says. A one-stop shop such as hers, especially in South End, was rare.

Her business aims to bridge that gap. While there is an application process for vendors and an emphasis on quality control and product compatibility, Allen focuses more on cultivating relationships and mentoring creators. This is where Allen, who has a degree in educational leadership and administration, leverages her experience: She’s able to offer insights and suggestions to suppliers with the goal of helping them grow their businesses.

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Her own journey can also serve as motivation. Prior to opening The Brown Sugar Collab, Allen took a break from entrepreneurship to work for Delta Air Lines. Before that, she owned a kids’ party-planning business and a women’s-only fitness studio.

Allen’s proclivity for unity is apparent. In an effort to drive traffic to both her shop and the neighboring businesses, in 2020 she organized a pop-up market, Bop Around the Block. Since then, she’s held multiple markets to extend her shop’s mission of promoting other businesses to a larger clientele.

In all of her ventures, Allen takes a handson approach, and her personal touch is what keeps people coming back. After the third visit, she aims to greet you by name, and she takes the time to craft handwritten thank-you notes for customers, even for online shoppers.

“I want everyone to feel like they’re important,” she says. “I want them to feel like they’re VIPs.” She relates the experience to having a personal shopper at a high-end department store. “We do the exact same thing.” SP

Brown Sugar Collab sells jewelry, candles, personal-care products and more.

Quiet callings

KATHY IZARD’S NEWEST BOOK — AND A COMPANION BOOK FOR KIDS — ENCOURAGES LISTENING TO THOSE INNER NUDGES CALLING US TO ACTION.

by Michelle Boudin

Kathy Izard just wants everyone to trust the whisper — that nagging voice we hear or the flurries in our gut, telling us there’s something we should probably be doing. The author and philanthropist is so passionate about the topic, she wrote a book about it.

“I think whispers come big and small — sometimes it’s a simple nudge to talk to somebody,” Izard explains. Or sometimes, she admits, it can be a full-blown push that prompts someone to start a nonprofit, write a book or adopt a child.

Izard’s own whisper 17 years ago resulted in her helping bring Moore Place — Charlotte’s first permanent housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness — to life. She’d been volunteering at a soup kitchen with her kids when she realized the men they were helping feed had no place to sleep. Despite a career as a graphic designer and limited experience in fundraising or philanthropy, something told her she could help make it happen. Izard spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the 120-unit apartment building, and Moore Place opened in 2012. She documented the journey in her first book, The Hundred Story Home. Since then, Izard says she’s heard from dozens of people who heard their own whispers — and not only listened, but acted on them.

“The nudges are all sorts of things, but the big thing is that they weren’t serendipitous — it wasn’t coincidence, or chance, it really was the idea of a whisper — some-

thing coming from our soul that points us to what we should be doing and who we’re meant to become.”

Her latest book, Trust The Whisper: How Answering Quiet Callings Inspires Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Grace, recounts some of the stories people around the country have shared with her. The book will be released June 11, but it’s been in the works for years.

“I started writing in 2017. I was about 11 chapters in and I realized I had to stop, because it was only going to be a good book if the people actually did what the whisper was suggesting. I didn’t know if people would forget about it, if things were going to get too hard.” She came back to the book two years ago when she learned that, in fact, there were many stories of people following through on their “whispers.”

This past spring, Izard also published a children’s book, Grace Heard a Whisper, encouraging kids to listen to the whisper, too. Izard envisions parents and grandparents reading the adult version while also reading the children’s book to the kids in their lives.

“I realize when I’m writing, a lot of times I’m writing for women in their 40s and 50s who are looking to try a different path in life. These are the same women who have no time to read — some are raising kids, juggling families — they may read a book to their kids but don’t necessarily have time to read a book

Ju Lik Drink In Our History T o a s t to Y o u r Future

We Didn’t Invent Happy Hour

If history has taught us anything it’s that time is precious. Good thing W inston- S alem u n de r stood ł he a ss ig n m en t Join us—and spend the day sampling our epic breweries, distilleries and wine bars. Enjoying international festivals, concerts and theatre. Or savoring a summer meal on a patio so inspiring you’ll forget you’re in the heart of the city. So grab your keys. Reserve your favorite hotel. And enjoy the magic of time well spent.

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS

International Black Theatre Festival

HISTORY COMES ALIVE

ME SDA , S EC CA, Reynolda and Old Salem Museums

COCKTAILS + CULTURE

Wineries, Vineyards and a Walkable Craft Draft Crawl

North Carolina

themselves. I’m also a mom of four and grandmother of two, and I think there’s a lot of power in intergenerational reading.”

Izard says Grace Heard A Whisper is about finding meaning in life — the same message as Trust the Whisper, but condensed for kids. The idea came to her, naturally, with a whisper.

“I woke up one day with the idea that it’s about one little girl who hears a whisper and the adults are too busy to listen — and she realizes her whisper is to remind people to listen. I hope grandmothers read it with their grandchildren, and I hope it makes those grandmas and moms reconsider what their whisper is, and what their purpose is.”

Now that the book is finished, Izard isn’t done telling stories of people who listened to their whispers. She is planning a limited-edition podcast and will continue to chronicle what she hears in a new Substack, “What’s Your Whisper?”

“I love being a storyteller for other people’s stories. I’m really trying to take these stories that I hear and put them out into the world to encourage people that they can do whatever they’re feeling.” SP

eat + drink

Chef Majid Amoorpour, who led Bistro La Bon on Central Avenue from 2010-16, opened the second Everyday Market at 3541 Dewitt Ln. in LoSo. The market offers fresh-baked breads and pastries, sandwiches, a coffee bar, wine, and gourmet groceries. The first location of Everyday Market opened in 2019 in downtown Belmont.  Maiz Agua Sal opened in the Lower Tuck development in west Charlotte. The all-day restaurant and agave bar serves made-from-scratch Mexican fare (tacos, flautas de tinga, huarache) from Chef Jonathan Olvera, previously of Peppervine, Bardo, Leah & Louise and Dot Dot Dot. Amanda Britton leads the cocktail program.  Halal Street Food opened a permanent food stall at Camp North End. It’s the second brick-andmortar location for the restaurant, an offshoot of the uptown food cart from husband-and-wife duo Khuram and Damaris Bashir. The first opened in MoRA in 2022. The menu reflects the family’s Dominican-Pakistani culture with traditional Halal dishes such as chicken and lamb over rice, kabobs, gyros and hummus, plus new items like falafel and salads.  Flower Child and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery opened at the Bowl at Ballantyne.

Tipsy Pickle entertainment complex plans to open this fall at Camp North End. With 26,000 square feet of indoor space and another 10,000 square feet outdoors, the venue will have six pickleball courts, two

golf simulators, pool tables, arcade games, a Tex-Mex restaurant and three bars. The concept is a joint venture between Charlotte entrepreneurs Mike Salzarulo, co-founder of Protagonist Beer, and Tanner Brooks.

Shop

Schumacher opened a boutique and showroom at 301 East Blvd. While the to-the-trade showroom will serve interior designers, the boutique will sell antiques, home accessories and gifts. Barrie Benson designed the 3,500-square-foot space.  Amodernary furniture store opened at Apex SouthPark. The 9,000-square-foot store features modern European furniture and lighting.  Porcelanosa, a Spanish tile manufacturer, opened a showroom in Dilworth. The showroom offers tiles and mosaics plus kitchen and bathroom hardware, countertops and equipment. The store is located at 1235 East Blvd., Ste. 130.  Wegmans Food Markets will open its first Charlotte store in Ballantyne in 2026.

Wegmans Food Markets

The Everyday Market

Maiz Agua Sal

Maiz Agua Sal

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June HAPPENINGS

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS

And Sew it Seems at TFA Gallery + Advisory through June 20

Curated by Alexandra Jane, this exhibition features textile works by Black multidisciplinary artists including Beverly Y. Smith, Asa Jackson, Malaika Temba and Christopher Myers. The exhibition showcases Black craftsmanship by blending traditional techniques with afro-futurist storytelling. tfa-advisory.com

New North State at SOCO Gallery through Aug. 7

This group exhibition curated by Marshall N. Price of Duke University’s Nasher Museum features works by Kennedi Carter, Stephen Hayes, Damian Stamer and others with North Carolina ties. The artists “articulate a South that reckons with its past and looks ahead to an aspirational future.” socogallery.com

Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay through Aug. 11

These intricate clay creatures — a fusion of mammals, fish, birds, insects and the artist’s own fantastical creations — are mesmerizing in person. The collection at Mint Museum Randolph marks the Japanese contemporary artist’s first traveling solo exhibition in the U.S. mintmuseum.org

The Hard Edge & The Soft Line: A Retrospective of Maud Gatewood

June 28 - Sept. 5

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum presents approximately 40 works by Maud Gatewood, a Yanceyville native who was one of North Carolina’s most significant and influential artists. Gatewood was the founding

head of the art department at UNC Charlotte. Admission is free. blowingrockmuseum.org

EVENTS + ACTIVITIES

Bites on Seventh

June 1

This all-ages celebration of Black food and culture brings food and live music to uptown’s First Ward. Charlotte native and “clean” comedian Tim Shropshire emcees the block-party style event from Eat Black Charlotte, with an appearance by local 5-year-old TikTok star “VanVan” McConneaughey. Free to attend; food and drinks are available to purchase. bitesfoodfestival.com

Robert Earl Keen

June 3

The prolific country singer-songwriter returns to Neighborhood Theatre to sing cuts from his new album, Western Chill, and perform two other albums (1998’s Picnic and 2003’s Farm Fresh Onions). Tickets are $7595. neighborhoodtheatre.com

Ben Folds: Paper Airplane Request Tour

June 4

One of the major music influencers of his generation, Folds tours as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Belk Theater; tickets start at $30.50. blumenthalarts.org

Charlotte Squawks 19

June 5-29

Booth Playhouse fills with side-splitting laughter during this annual tradition, a musical variety show that pokes lighthearted fun at all things Charlotte. Tickets start at $24.50. blumenthalarts.org

SUMMER CONCERTS

Summer Pops at Symphony Park, weekly concerts at Anne Springs Close Greenway, River Jam at Whitewater Center and more: For details on local summer concert series, scan the QR code:

Taste of Charlotte

June 7-9

This three-day food festival in uptown spans three entertainment stages and features samples from three dozen restaurants. It’s free to attend, but festivalgoers must purchase coins to enjoy the tastings along Tryon Street. tasteofcharlotte.com

The Speakeasy, presented by Discovery Place Science

June 15

Take a deep dive into the alchemy of alcohol and the artistry of master mixology while exploring drinks of the Prohibition Era and Roaring ’20s. Tickets are $34-64; adults only. discoveryplace.org

Mamma Mia!

June 18-23

This tale of love and identity is told through the hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter searching for her father brings three men back to the Greek island where they knew her mother decades ago. Belk Theater; tickets start at $30. blumenthalarts.org

Outlaw Music Festival

June 22

Willie Nelson brings his family and friends back to PNC Music Pavilion for this night of music memories. Headliners include Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Celisse. livenation.com SP

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to view our online events calendar — updated weekly — at southparkmagazine.com.

Maud Gatewood, After Rain, 1990, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 72 in. (91.4 x 182.9 cm).

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, Gift of Frances M. and William R. Roberson, Jr., 98.4.8

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Wild and wonderful

ADecember day in 1935. A man approaches the house at 120 Midland Rd. in Pinehurst, notices the Scottish-style stonework and arches of Dornoch Cottage and rings the bell. Donald Ross opens the door and greets A.W. Tillinghast.

What a meeting of the minds in the early days of golf course architecture.

Ross, 63, was the son of a Scottish stonemason, apprentice in his 20s to legendary pro Old Tom Morris at St Andrews, an immigrant to the United States who set up shop in Pinehurst in 1900 and designed notable courses across the eastern United States — from Seminole Golf Club in Florida to Inverness Club in Ohio to Oak Hill Country Club in upstate New York. His tour de force, Pinehurst No. 2, sits just behind his house.

And Tillinghast, 59, was the son of a wealthy rubber-goods magnate in Philadelphia who grew up playing cricket and fell under the spell of golf on a visit to St Andrews in 1896, where he established a mentor-mentee relationship with Morris. Tillinghast’s design acumen

was on display across the land as well — from San Francisco Golf Club on the West Coast to Winged Foot Golf Club and Baltusrol Golf Club in the shadows of New York City skyscrapers.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall, to hear these friends and sometimes competitors talk about their shared experiences — their formative years at St Andrews, their design philosophies, the challenges of maintaining businesses and servicing clients when travel was by train and communication by post.

Surely Tillinghast espoused, to some degree, his belief that, “A round of golf should present 18 inspirations, not necessarily 18 thrills.”

And no doubt Ross would have looked at the 72-hole facility at Pinehurst Country Club and talked about how it had become the epicenter of golf in America. “I wholeheartedly believe in golf,” Ross once said. “A country which gets golf-minded need not worry about the honor, the integrity and the honesty of its people.”

Tillinghast’s visit came at the behest of the PGA of America and his role as a consultant with the organization, which in 11

PINEHURST NO. 2 PREPARES TO TEST THE BEST. by Lee Pace

The ninth hole of Pinehurst No. 2

Copyright USGA//Fred Vuich

The Barclay at SouthPark

months would conduct its flagship competition, the 1936 PGA Championship, on Pinehurst No. 2. They carried their golf clubs past Ross’ masterful rose garden in the backyard, through the wroughtiron gates and onto the third green.

Ross showed his guest the green complexes that he had just converted, with the help of green superintendent Frank Maples, from their previous flattish sand-clay structure to undulating Bermuda grass, shaping the sandy soil around them into a cacophony of dips and swales. He noted the roll-offs around the greens, how they penalized shots even slightly mishit and propelled balls into the hollows nearby.

They felt the taut turf under their feet, reveling in how the drainage qualities of the sandy loam made for the ideal golf playing surface. As they went, Ross explained the choices golfers had off the tee — on the par-4 second, for example, showing his friend what a lovely view it was into the green from the left side of the fairway but pointed to the gnarly bunker complex a player had to flirt with to get there. Ross nodded to the native wiregrass that grew in profusion along the fairways and how it reminded him of the whins of his native Scotland.

“Without any doubt Ross regards this as his greatest achievement, which is saying a great deal,” Tillinghast said after touring the course. “Every touch is Donald’s own, and I doubt if a single contour was fashioned unless he stood hard by with a critical eye. As we stood on hole after hole, the great architect proudly called my attention to each subtle feature, certain that my appreciation of his artistry must be greater than that taken in by a less practiced eye. Nothing was lost on me, and after our round together, I told him with all honesty that his course was magnificent, without a single weakness, and one which must rank with the truly great courses in the world today.”

And, 89 years later, the show goes on when the U.S. Open returns for the fourth time June 13-16.

Pinehurst No. 2 would be the site of the North & South Open on the PGA Tour through 1951, with Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Ross himself among the winners. It would host the 1936 PGA (won by Denny Shute) and the 1951 Ryder Cup (won by the Americans, 9.5 to 2.5, over the team from Great Britain and Ireland). But it wasn’t yet in the mix to host a U.S. Open.

Through the 1970s, that union was simply impossible because Pinehurst shut down for the summer (the founding Tufts family and the staff went to Linville or Roaring Gap in North Carolina or traveled north to Maine), and the American national championship was played in June.

When the resort went to air conditioning and a year-round operating calendar, the idea was still problematic because of the USGA’s preference for playing courses with firm and fast greens, a challenging task on Southern courses during hot-weather months. The U.S. Open was not played in the muggy Southeast until venturing to Atlanta Athletic Club in 1975 (though it had flirted with warm waters in St. Louis, Tulsa, Fort Worth and Houston). About that time, officials at Pinehurst Country Club began floating the idea of an Open for No. 2. The Diamondhead Corporation was five years into its ownership of Pinehurst after purchasing it in 1970 from the Tufts family, whose patriarch, James W. Tufts, launched the town and resort in 1895 as a refuge from the cold winters of New England. It took two more decades to figure out how to bring the National Open to Pinehurst.

First, there was the dodgy financial bona fides of the resort and club, which eventually went bankrupt and was taken over by eight banks for two years beginning in March 1982. Robert Dedman Sr. and his Club Corporation of America bought the facility in 1984 and provided what has turned into four decades of stability, innovation

Donald Ross

A.W. Tillinghast

and financial security, with Robert Dedman Jr. taking the baton after his father died in 2002.

Second, there was the issue of the playing surfaces, how to find the best variety of bent or Bermuda grass to give No. 2 a smooth and consistent putting surface year round that could still play sturdy and quick for an elite competition.

By the early 1990s, the USGA and Pinehurst officials agreed that advances in grass technology and green foundation construction would allow them to rebuild the greens and have them stand up to the world’s best players on a 90-degree day in June. The USGA announced in June 1993 that it would conduct the 1999 Open at Pinehurst. The competition was a rousing success from the perspective of ticket sales, corporate support, traffic ebb and flow, housing and, certainly, the golf course itself.

“It’s the most draining course I’ve played in a long time,” said European Ryder Cup team member Lee Westwood.

“People sometimes ask what’s the hardest course I’ve ever played,” said two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen. “Now I know.”

The Open was contested on No. 2 twice more, and the course has played as a par-70 for each championship. The scores validate that what Ross completed in 1935 stands in fine fettle in the next century. Only two golfers in those three Opens broke par for 72 holes — Payne Stewart at 1-under in 1999 and Martin Kaymer at 9-under in 2014.

The 2024 Open at Pinehurst will be the first played on the Champion Bermuda greens installed after the 2014 Open and the second of the Coore & Crenshaw restoration era. Bill Coore, a native of Davidson County who played No. 2 often during his boyhood summers, and Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters champion, coordinated an extensive makeover in 2010-11 that included stripping out hundreds of acres of Bermuda rough, recontouring fairways and bunkers to Ross’ design, and rebuilding the perimeters with firm

hardpan sand dotted with wiregrass, pine needles and whatever natural vegetation and debris might accumulate.

“In the early days, this golf course was disheveled and brown, and the ball rolled and rolled and rolled,” Coore says. “That’s what gave it its character. There was width here, the ability to work your ball to get the best angles. Over time, that was lost. It was too green and too organized.”

“Bowling alley fairways,” Crenshaw adds. “Straight and narrow, just like a bowling alley.”

Don Padgett II was the Pinehurst president and chief operating officer from 2004-14 and the man who convinced Dedman that hiring Coore & Crenshaw and taking No. 2 back to its “golden age” from 1935 through the 1960s was the correct move.

One March afternoon a decade into his retirement, Padgett sits in a rocking chair on the porch overlooking the 18th green of No. 2. It was sunny and 55 degrees, and the tee sheet on No. 2 was full.

“I think this is what the Tufts envisioned,” Padgett says. “If you’re from Boston, this is balmy. My dad used to say if you’re in the golf business, stand here because everyone will come to see you.”

The world of golf is coming to Pinehurst this month, and the game’s top players will find the 18 holes that so impressed A.W. Tillinghast in 1935 and will vex them in 2024.

“I think the golf course today probably presents itself as the best it ever has,” Padgett says. “It’s Ross’ concepts with modern maintenance behind it. I think he would look at this golf course and say, ‘Wow, I wish I’d had the ability to grow grass like this.’ These are his concepts with modern turf. It’s not distorted, it’s enhanced. I think he would bless it.”

SP

Chapel Hill-based writer Lee Pace has authored four books about golf in Pinehurst, including The Golden Age of Pinehurst: The Story of the Rebirth of No. 2. Follow him @LeePaceTweet

2014 U.S. Open

Photograph by Joann Dost

BETH LEWIS

BETH PARKER

DAWN FRANCHINA

HEATHER MACKEY

JENNIFER

JOHANA TROUTMAN

CAROLINE GRARD

KATHRYN

BRIAN HOSEY

LINDSEY MYERS

CHRISTINA PROVETT JANE ANNE MCDERMOTT

NICOLE LOPEZ

JENNIFER LEE

LISA ZEDERBAUM

KERRY DRUMMOND

KERRY CONWAY

BRITNEY TALLMAN

HEATHER HOLLAND GAIL CRAVEN

HEATHER NESBITT

DEBBIE ROSE

SHARON CASKEY LORI CAUTHEN

Bees, please

CREATE A POLLINATOR BUFFET IN YOUR BACKYARD. words and photographs by Jay Sifford

“Where are the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds? It seems like there used to be many more.” It’s a sentiment that I hear more than I’d like. While habitat destruction and infill construction have certainly taken their toll on pollinators, the good news is that we can reverse this trend. With a bit of forward thinking and planning, average homeowners can create pollinator buffets that seamlessly blend into typical home landscaping. Putting popular dogma aside, a blend of native and non-native plants will both feed pollinators and create beauty for us to enjoy.

LATE WINTER

In creating this pollinator buffet, it helps to think seasonally. Have you taken a walk on an uncharacteristically warm February day and noticed some awakening bees out searching for food? We can do them a huge favor by planting winter-blooming shrubs and perennials. Native witch hazels bloom late fall into early winter, but many of the readily available hybrids bloom in late winter. Hellebores, commonly known as Lenten roses, and edgeworthias, also called the Chinese paper bush, bloom mid- to late winter and provide food for early foraging bees. Even crocus and daffodils, bulbs I remember from my childhood, are excellent food sources for bees on those warm late winter days. Squirrels also enjoy crocus bulbs, so soaking them in a natural repellent prior to planting is advised. Lastly, spirea is a readily available shrub that blooms in very late winter and early spring.

EARLY SPRING

When warmer weather arrives, we head out, and so do the pollinators. Butterflies and hummingbirds travel north from their winter homes. The spring garden is animated with their frolicking. Fortunately, a variety of plants meet the challenge head-on. Baptisia, a larger mounding native, puts forth lupine-like spires of generally blue to purple flowers. Salvias in tones of blue, purple and pink begin their show. The taller ‘Black and Blue’ salvia is especially attractive to hummingbirds. Alliums, with their spherical heads of hundreds of tiny flowers, add whimsy and punctuation to the spring garden. And native tickseed or coreopsis begins to bloom, most commonly in shades of yellow.

SPRING

By early May, an entirely new pollinator menu comes online. Gaura, or wandflower, is native to the lower South and is quite attractive to bees and butterflies. Penstemon, another native, pushes spikes of white or pink flowers toward the sky in a celebratory manner. Certain cultivars of penstemon sport burgundy foliage, an added bonus. Russian sage, monarda, catmint and veronicas begin to bloom. Carolina allspice, known botanically as Calycanthus, is a shrub that sports burgundy flowers in late spring. The pink tubular flowers of weigela attract hummingbirds. However, the plant that I anxiously await is Verbena bonariensis, also known as tall verbena. This tall, wiry perennial sports 2-inch, button-shaped heads of light purple flowers from May until frost. It is

Echinacea

A field of coreopsis

Liatris spicata

hands down my favorite perennial. It attracts butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and, if you let it go to seed (which I would), it will attract flocks of gold finches. If happy, it does seed around the garden, but it’s easy to remove where you don’t want it.

SUMMER

Summer brings a new course of flowering shrubs and perennials to the table. Coneflowers, or echinacea, is a native that naturally blooms pink but is available in cultivars ranging from white to yellow to orange. Be aware that some of the newer “double coneflowers” are generally useless to pollinators as they are difficult to extract pollen from. Echinacea also provides a food source in the way of seed for birds after the weather turns cold.

To me, native Liatris spicata, or Blazing Star, is truly the star of the summer garden. Three-foot-tall spikes of purple or sometimes white flowers put on a monthlong show. Pollinators absolutely love this perennial. Plant it in mass for a dazzling display, accentuated if the flowers are backlit by the morning or afternoon sun. I also use it for

rhythm and punctuation throughout the garden due to its extremely vertical habit. Liatris seeds freely, so it’s not for the tentative gardener.

Agastache, or giant hyssop, is a summer pollinator staple. Historically in shades of blue, cultivars are now available in everything from raspberry to tangerine-orange. Black-eyed Susans, also called rudbeckia, are both showy and good food sources.

The one native perennial that probably attracts the most bees is mountain mint. A mass planting of pycnanthemum muticum, its botanical name, literally undulates with bee activity in late summer. At this same time, the Joe Pye begins to bloom. This tall to very tall native perennial is the host for the swallowtail butterfly. It generally blooms in softer shades of pink, though white varieties are available. Interestingly enough, I’ve never seen pollinators on the white varieties. Both of these plants can be a bit thuggish and need corralling on occasion.

Not to be outdone by summer-blooming perennials, clethra, a shrub also known as summersweet, begins to bloom with the most

Verbena bonariensis

Black-eyed Susans

Liatris spicata

wonderful fragrance. Itea, or sweetspire, also puts on a show in shades of white. An interesting but little-known fact is that evergreen conifers, particularly cedars and spruces, harbor harmless mites that are a protein source for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds need some protein for a healthy diet. FALL

Nothing is lost when moving into fall. In autumn, we experience the beauty of ironweed (Vernonia), goldenrod (Solidago), bluebeard (Caryopteris) sedums, and asters. These plants provide one last smorgasbord of food for soonto-migrate or hibernate pollinators. Solidago is frequently maligned as a fall allergen, but the culprit is in fact ragweed, not goldenrod, so plant without guilt.

I believe that gardens by definition are stylized versions of nature, designed to appeal to our minds. But the good news is that diverse gardens incorporating some of the plants highlighted here also allow wildlife to become the willing beneficiaries of our efforts. That is both a privilege and a responsibility. SP

Jay Sifford is a Charlotte-based landscape designer. His work has been featured in Southern Living Country Gardens and

A butterfly on Joe Pye blooms Crocus

June books

NOTABLE NEW RELEASES

compiled by Sally Brewster

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges — Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another. A missing-person mystery, a serial-killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible — for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time. She is tasked with working as a “bridge” living with, assisting and monitoring the expat known as “1847,” or Commander Graham Gore. Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as washing machines, Spotify and the collapse of the British Empire. But, he soon adjusts. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined.

Southern Man by Greg Iles

Fifteen years after the events of the Natchez Burning trilogy, Penn Cage is alone. Nearly all his loved ones are dead, his old allies gone, and he carries a mortal secret that separates him from the world. But Penn’s exile comes to an end when a

brawl at a Mississippi rap festival triggers a bloody mass shooting — one that nearly takes the life of his daughter Annie. As the stunned cities of Natchez and Bienville reel, antebellum plantation homes continue to burn and the deadly attacks are claimed by a Black radical group as historic acts of justice. Panic sweeps through the tourist communities, driving them inexorably toward a race war. Robert E. Lee White, a Southern war hero, seizes the public imagination as a third-party candidate for president. Dubbed “the Tik-Tok Man,” and funded by an eccentric Mississippi billionaire, White rides the glory of his Special Forces record to an unprecedented run at the White House. To triumph over the national party machines, “Bobby” evolves a plan of unimaginable daring. One fateful autumn weekend, with White set to declare his candidacy in all 50 states, the forces polarizing America line up against one another.

The Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari

In January 2023, Johann Hari started to inject himself once a week with Ozempic, one of the new drugs that produces significant weight loss. While around 80% of diets fail, someone taking one of the new drugs will lose up to a quarter of their body weight in six months. To the drugs’ defenders, here is a moment of liberation from a condition that massively increases your chances of diabetes, cancer and an early death. Still, Hari was wildly conflicted. Can these drugs really be as good as they sound? Are they a magic solution — or a magic trick? Finding the answer to this high-stakes question led him on a journey to interview the leading experts in the world. He found that along with the drug’s massive benefits come 12 significant potential risks. He also found that these drugs radically challenge what we think we know about shame, willpower and healing. What psychological issues begin to emerge when our eating patterns are suddenly disrupted? Are the drugs a liberation or a further symptom of our deeply dysfunctional relationship with food? SP

Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, 4139 Park Rd., parkroadbooks.com.

When losing is winning

SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH MISSING GLASSES

by Jim Dodson

“Oh, I have been to Ludlow Fair. And left my necktie God knows where.” – A.E. Housman

The other day, I lost another pair of eyeglasses. Sadly, I seem to lose my spectacles on a regular basis. My wife, Wendy, jokes that she keeps a running account with Warby Parker.

Just for fun, I made a rough count of eyeglasses I’ve lost over the past 30 years of our marriage. I gave up the count after six, which happens to be this year’s total alone. At least one of those pairs of specs was never found. It vanished into the magical Land of Lost Things without a trace. Of the remaining missing five, Wendy found two pairs in the pockets of old work shirts and a third in a sports coat I haven’t worn since Christmas. The fourth pair turned up in a rose bush where I was doing some early spring pruning. The fifth missing pair — my hip, whiskey-hued tortoise-

shell sunglasses — finally revealed themselves in my golf bag, where I left them two weeks ago.

Dame Wendy’s theory to explain my penchant for losing my glasses is that I have so much on my mind — i.e. deadlines, books to read, garden stuff, my aging golf swing, the general state of the world, etc. In short, there’s little room remaining to remember where I leave things that I don’t particularly deem essential.

My explanation for this perpetual problem comes from my being nearsighted and only needing glasses to see objects in the distance, including, but not limited to, golf balls, birds at the feeder in the yard, street numbers, the fine print on billboards, UFOs and interesting cloud formations. When I’m reading, writing or examining something up close, I typically remove them and — apparently — forget where I put them down. Out of sight, out of mind.

Dr. Shane Mackey

All of this invariably has me pondering lost things in this world, including people.

We Americans are obsessed with winning and losing. The worlds of politics and sports are the most obvious examples. One presidential candidate calls people “losers” and insists that America will cease to exist if he isn’t reelected commander in chief in November, while his opponent declares that democracy is doomed if he somehow wins. Meanwhile, billions of dollars from wealthy supporters flood our college sports teams, where winning is the only name of the game.

Up on Wall Street, meanwhile, where predicting winners and losers is the holy writ of American commerce, we watch the record Dow rise as if we’re running with the bulls, staying one step ahead with the nettlesome awareness that what goes up inevitably comes down. As the gap between the haves and havenots ever widens, we associate wealth with winning and poverty as a stubborn inconvenient truth. Jesus, after all, said the poor will always be with us. He also asked what profit it is for a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?

Sometimes being lost or losing is the best thing that can happen to you.

Last year, I lost 40 pounds and have never felt physically better. I’ve even managed to give up (mostly) my gifted baker wife’s unearthly delicious cookies, pies and cakes, though I draw the line at giving up her lemon-ginger scones and a daily large chai tea latte.

More than once I have been lost on America’s country back roads and in some of the most beautiful cities in the world, only to discover wonderful people, places and things I never would have encountered otherwise. One of the sad truths of our GPSequipped smartphones is that we can never truly be lost anywhere in the world these days unless the juice runs out.

Losing one’s fear of those who don’t share our opinions, tastes, gender, lifestyle, religion, race or brand of politics can be a courageous and very healthy thing, quite possibly the first step toward regaining the kind of social civility that could heal this divided county and bring us all a step closer together as Americans.

Many years ago, due to my work and strengthening faith, I even lost my fear of dying by choosing to believe that each day is actually a reason to feel grateful for being alive — even on so-

called “bad” days when nothing seems to go right.

Losing a loved one to disease or tragedy, on the other hand, exists in a category all its own, though the passage of time and memories can often be an unexpected path to healing and awakening. I lost both of my parents more than two decades ago, yet today I seem to hear their wonderful voices and wise words clearer than ever.

My mom was the one who stressed the importance of losing one’s fear and judgment of others in a multi-hued world where everyone is different, a value system I saw her live every day of her life. It’s something I aspire to but admittedly still struggle with at times. Forever a work in progress, I suppose.

My dad was a fine baseball player in his youth and, later in life, became a terrific golfer. Following in his wake, I was something of a hotheaded kid who hated to lose at either of those games. It was he, however, who pointed out that my boyhood sports hero, the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, said he never learned anything from winning a golf tournament.

In truth, it took me many years — and no shortage of lost games and golf matches — to appreciate my old man’s belief that being a good loser is, in fact, the road to someday being a gracious winner. When I was about 10 years old, he placed a famed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” on my bedroom wall. I can still recite my favorite passages by memory.

And I don’t even need glasses to see the timeless vision of these words.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son! SP

Jim Dodson is a writer in Greensboro.

CHEERS on rooftop bars Mizu, Cordial, and RH

RIDE your bike or take a walk on the Backlot Trail ATTEND Charlotte Symphony’s Summer Pops series

SHOP at open air retail destinations

OFF with a double scoop from Golden Cow Creamery

SIP on beers from Suffolk Punch and Legion Brewing

CHALLENGE your friends to weekly trivia at Rhino Market LEARN + PLAY at SouthPark Regional Library

COOL

Feeling groovy Feeling groovy

CHARLOTTE SHOWED UP — AND SHOWED OFF HER MOST STYLISH SIDE — AT SPRING MUSIC FESTIVALS. CHARLOTTE SHOWED UP — AND SHOWED OFF HER MOST STYLISH SIDE — AT SPRING MUSIC FESTIVALS.

There was no shortage of westerncore staples like denim and cowgirl boots at spring music fests in and around the Queen City. But we also saw sundresses, tulle, leather and lace as we made the rounds at Moo, Brew & ’Que Music Fest, BrightFire Music & Arts Festival, and Charlotte’s new mega-festival, Lovin’ Life. From Stevie Nicks’ heartfelt tribute in the rain to an Avett Brothers homecoming, this new blockbuster event was the place to be the first weekend in May. Mark your calendars for May 2-5, 2025, when the festival returns in what’s sure to become hotly anticipated new Charlotte tradition. And let these styles serve as inspiration for the upcoming summer festivals and concerts to come.

produced by Whitley Adkins | Lovin’ Life photographs by Richard Israel BrightFire and Moo, Brew & ’Que photographs by Olly Yung

Taylor Thomson at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Lexi Vitale & Lauren Bailey at Lovin’ Life

Rachel Yoder & Christian Woodworth at BrightFire

Juliette Rabins at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Whitley Adkins at Lovin’ Life

Sarah Rollins & Phoebe Dinga at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Priscilla Israel & Ferris Israel Edwards at Lovin’ Life

Kaylan Bailey at BrightFire

Jaden Evans with her mother, Maranatha Cripe, at Lovin’ Life BrightFire Festival

Megan Orrell at Lovin’ Life

Jerrett Gore & Austin Worley at Lovin’ Life

Tiffany Donovan at Lovin’ Life

Anna London & Emily Wall at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Jeremy Bost & Victoria Jane at BrightFire

Marianna Shaver at Lovin’ Life

Ellen Roberts at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Lovin’ Life

Kristin Hayes & Chantal DePraeter at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Tavie Flowers & Lauren Hoffman at Lovin’ Life

Front: Krystal Neely & Maddy Frankow

Back: Beth McDade, Beth Ghazi & Tammy Gibson

Charlotte Spears at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Cammie Cooke at Moo, Brew & ‘Que

Melissa Herriott & Brandy Greenthal at Lovin’ Life

(Lovin’ Life)

Claire Olson, Ronni Fuller, Kendall Peak, Gabby Curry, Brynn Debrabant at Lovin’ Life

The rug in the family room is a performance broadloom carpet cut to size and bound from Britton Flooring in Rock Hill. Soft goods were custom made by a local workroom, Martha & Ash.

CLASSIC, CURATED, COLORFUL!

ROCK HILL DESIGNER REBECCA BRIDGES HELPS A YOUNG FAMILY BLEND STYLES AND EMBRACE A BOLDER PALETTE.

by Andrea Nordstrom Caughey photographs by Christina Hussey

SSometimes a single element — a rug, pillow, accessory or, in this case, a piece of art — drives inspiration for an entire home. Such was the spark for a new build in Rock Hill, S.C., where a painting the homeowners had purchased for the fireplace, along with green kitchen cabinetry, “ignited the entire palette,” explains interior designer Rebecca Bridges, founder of House of Drennan.

While Amanda and Seth Hanford initially hired Bridges to help review blueprints, make initial selections and provide elevations for their new home, the couple later tasked her with decorating the interiors, too. “This home is essentially a modern twist on a typical farmhouse, but accented with a graceful Caribbean-inspired arched entryway,” says Bridges, prompting lively splashes of teal and orange throughout.

A“Amanda and Seth have differing design tastes. Amanda likes traditional styles, floral patterns, soft touches. Seth leans toward modern, sleek, minimalist design. In melding these differing aesthetics, we incorporated heirlooms from both families,” Bridges says.

“Sentimental pieces make spaces sing,” Bridges adds. “The quirkier, especially with great backstories, the better. People often take decorating and ‘matching’ too seriously. Have fun with it all — art, textiles, decorative objects. Embrace unique pieces that speak to you personally. ‘Forever’ pieces stand the test of time.”

Pivoting was a big part of the Hanfords’ design experience, especially as the home was built during the pandemic and they encountered various supply-chain issues. “Also, the Hanfords found out midway through that they were expecting another child, so we ensured that the shared children’s bathroom was gender-neutral and family-room rugs were conducive to crawling,” says Bridges.

W“While any house can be a home, for us this entire process was deeply rooted in our community, too, a neighborhood we had fallen in love with for over a decade,” Amanda says. “Our front yard and porch were targeted as gathering places for friends and neighbors. Folding glass walls, multipurpose seating and visual separations allow privacy or togetherness.”

The couple also sought a design that was functional as well as artistic. “As parents of two spanning 14 and 3 years, we had to suit every stage,” Amanda adds. “The open plan accommodates our family’s passion for cooking, versatile dining options for family or groups, and socializing over a breakfast nook, game table and expandable living room.” The folding-glass wall transitions to the sunroom and creates an open entertaining space.

His and her workspaces were also key. A full-time remote worker, Seth needed both functional and relaxation space. Amanda sought a retreat flooded

Hand-painted lampshades by artist Katie MacGregor brighten a console table.

SOURCES:

Interior Designer: House of Drennan

Architect: Vinyet Architecture

Builder: Southern Builders of York County

with natural light for painting, where supplies could be left undisturbed. Their primary suite was designed for seclusion, with an elegant bathroom plus a second-floor balcony sitting area. The girls’ playroom was designed for multitasking — a space for homework, art, music, reading or entertaining friends.

Throughout, the “mix” is what makes this home fun, comfortable and even playful. “I chose a blend of pieces from hip retailers like West Elm and local vintage shops, as well as great art and unusual lighting from Visual Comfort,” Bridges says.

Amanda agrees. “Rebecca helped us to explore local artists, commissioning a painter to create hand painted lampshades, and an artist in Charleston who had painted a pair of girls on the beach that could have easily been our own kids. She also found creative ways to blend our styles and nudge us into color palettes and design choices that seemed alien to us. It was freeing and inspiring to hear, ‘If you love it and will enjoy it, then it works!’” SP

Summer getaways

10 PLACES TO STEAL AWAY THIS SEASON

Wondering where to head now that school’s out, temps are heating up, and we’re all ready for a summer slowdown? We’ve rounded up 10 destinations fit for family vacations, weekend escapes, even day trips. Pack your bags, and go!

by Jay Ahuja, Krisha Chachra, Vanessa Infanzon and Cathy Martin

1GIDDY-UP AND GO

Cataloochee Ranch, Maggie Valley

GETTING THERE: Just under a 3-hour drive from Charlotte

If you’re looking for a western ranch experience that’s closer to home, this is it. Just three hours west of Charlotte is Cataloochee Ranch, a 91-year-old resort that’s undergone a luxe refresh, reopening in March.

The sprawling property atop Fie Top Mountain was purchased in 2020 by David and Annie Colquitt, who also own The Swag in nearby Waynesville. They’ve spent the last four years renovating it, and they’re not done yet.

There’s a strong western vibe — if you didn’t know better, you might wonder if you’re in Montana or Wyoming instead of North Carolina. And while the main campus seems compact, there are nearly 700 acres to explore. Activities include horseback riding, archery, fly-fishing, axe-throwing, arts and crafts, and an adventure course. A mercantile, pool and spa are coming soon. In the meantime, guests at Cataloochee Ranch can visit The Still spa at The

Swag for massages, facials or a detoxifying mud wrap — the ranch offers valet service between the two resorts.

After the day’s adventures, settle into the green Adirondack chairs by the lake or sprinkled about the hilly property dotted with white pines. For a pre-dinner libation, head to The Forge, the resort’s open-air patio bar, or the Tack Room, a cozy cocktail lounge.

A former sheep barn now houses the bars, along with Switchback, the resort’s all-day restaurant led by Chef Jeb Aldrich. Here, soaring ceilings with rustic wood beams are punctuated with oversized lanterns encased in mesh screens evoking a cozy backporch vibe. Leather banquettes and midcentury chairs lend a modern feel, and wide glass barn-style doors open onto a wraparound terrace with unobstructed views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Aldrich’s menu is updated daily to reflect what’s in season. Bread service comes with a homemade beeswax butter, lit tableside. There are steaks, of course, plus several seafood dishes, a dry-aged Rohan duck (a chef’s specialty, I’m told), and mouthwatering woodfired pizzas for a more casual meal. Dishes from Asheville’s East Fork Pottery and Frette linens make each meal feel a little special.

Cataloochee Ranch, Maggie Valley

The Relais & Chateaux property caters to both couples and families, and several rooms accommodate four to eight guests for multigenerational family stays. There are 12 uniquely designed cabins, and a six-room lodge is expected to open later this year. I stayed in Verlin, a charming cabin designed for couples or solo travelers nestled under a massive Norway spruce. With a vaulted ceiling, plush king bed, stone fireplace, wide front porch with rockers, and large bathroom with heated floors and a soaking tub, it was everything I needed and more.

No details are overlooked, and accommodations are equipped with everything you might possibly need — lanterns for strolling after dark, umbrellas for a passing shower, coolers for picnics on the lawn, botanical-infused soaps and lotions from Waynesville’s Hazelwood Soap Co.

We each have a different definition of luxury. Warm, personalized service, impeccable design and thoughtful touches at every turn make me feel special (great food and spotlessness are a given). Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley has it all, making the $600-and-up nightly rate seem justified. Go, soon… before the secret is out.

GOOD TO KNOW: While the resort completes the buildout of the lodge and spa, Cataloochee Ranch is open ThursdayMonday. It will eventually be open seven days a week. Switchback is open to the public as well as resort guests — reservations can be made at resy.com. During your stay, sign up for a guided hike with Steven Reinhold, a Haywood County native and experienced guide, to learn more about the area’s history. — Cathy Martin

2

CLIMB A MOUNTAIN

Mount LeConte, Sevierville, Tenn. GETTING THERE: just under a 4-hour drive

At an elevation of 6,400 feet, just below the summit of Mount LeConte in eastern Tennessee, LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains this year celebrates its 100th season. Owned by a local hospitality group and operated as a concession of the National Park system, the lodge is open March to November. But getting there is no easy task: The lodge is accessible only on foot, via one of six hiking trails ranging from 5 to 9.1 miles.

Even if you’re not an overnight guest, you can still enjoy a day hike to the lodge. It’s a full-day outing and a strenuous workout, but once you’ve arrived you can purchase a sack lunch to refuel and take a break from the steep climb — or simply take in the spectacular mountain views.

Overnight reservations fill up early each year, however last-minute cancellations do occur and interested parties are encouraged to call and check for openings. lecontelodge.com C.M.

Photos this page: Cataloochee Ranch

3SERENITY AT THE SPA

Rock Barn Spa, Conover GETTING THERE: about a 1-hour drive

Drive a little over an hour north from Charlotte to Catawba County and you’ll uncover a rare find — an oasis of relaxation and respite. The Spa at Rock Barn, often referred to as a hidden gem by those who work there, can curate and customize your next girls’ getaway, couples date or personal self-care day.

Day visitors can indulge in a European-style hydrotherapy circuit, including the saltwater main pool with tranquil underwater music. Soothe your tired muscles in the waterfalls or jacuzzis, and restore ailing joints in the salt cave, sauna and steam rooms. Massages, body and beauty treatments are also available. After dining on a nourishing poolside lunch, guests may build up the courage to brave the cold plunge pool.

“We have all the amenities to create a memorable day-spa experience, complete with services that promote health and wellness,” says spa director Flame Deal. “But it is our staff and customer service that will keep you coming back.” Deal has worked with the spa for 11 years after moving from New York City, where she managed restaurants and ran her own events company. Born in Tanzania, she later moved to Statesville with her American father and half-Chinese, half-Vietnamese mother. She believes her cultural background and upbringing helps her relate to people from all over the world. “Everyone has a story, and I try to connect with them and learn how we can meet their needs.”

At a recent birthday bash at the spa, Deal and her staff gathered detailed information about the guests ahead of time. When the party arrived at the spa, proper sized robes and slippers were awaiting each woman in their individual lockers, along with birthday crowns and sashes. After the spa treatments, the women indulged in some pool time with floating baskets of Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and cheesecake.

Spa attendants regularly make the rounds, offering samples of their refreshing fruit smoothies and snack mix. Patrons can also order drinks and food from the Spa Café. Most packages include a session in the Himalayan salt cave, where guests can inhale mineral-rich salt air known for its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects while relaxing in zero-gravity chairs.

Beyond the spa, Rock Barn Country Club is home to two award winning golf courses. The 18hole Jackson course is open to the public.

“Our goal is that guests — whether golfing or spa-going — leave with an elevated sense of self, rejuvenated body and nourished soul.” Deal says.

This season, The Spa at Rock Barn offers a summer-escape special on weekdays: For $595, two people can choose either a 50-minute Swedish or a deep tissue massage or a signature facial. The price includes lunch, two adult beverages, chocolate-covered strawberries, access to pools and amenities, and a 45-minute Himalayan salt cave experience. In addition, educators, first responders and healthcare workers receive 20% off a la carte massages and facials through the end of July and special pricing on spa day passes. rockbarn.com/spa — Krisha Chachra

4

RIVER RUSH

The Hemlocks at Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City

GETTING THERE: 3 hour and 15 minute drive

The Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City gets a lodging upgrade this summer with the debut of eight new bungalow-style cabins in July. The Hemlocks, built on a natural slope along the ridgeline, offer views of the NOC’s 500-acre campus, the Nantahala River and the surrounding mountains.

Spend the day in nature and return to the comfort of The Hemlocks. Each cabin sleeps four to six people, depending on the unit. A kitchen, a private deck, one or two king bedrooms, and one or two bathrooms are included. Dogs are welcome for an additional fee. Make s’mores at the community fire pit or enjoy a quiet evening inside in front of the cabin’s gas fireplace. Watch your favorite movie on TV, or sit on the deck and listen to the river flow. Two of the cabins are ADA-accessible. Guests can sign up for whitewater-rafting trips or kayaking and paddleboarding on Fontana Lake. Rent bicycles to tour the Tsali Trail or hike the Appalachian Trail — the AT crosses the NOC campus, with access steps away from The Hemlocks.

River’s End Restaurant and Big Wesser Riverside Pub offer barbecue, burgers, salads and desserts to refuel, plus beer, wine and cocktails to settle the adrenaline after an adventure-filled day. Slow Joe’s Riverside Food Truck and Switchback Taps are open seasonally. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment and events by the Nantahala River from May through September. noc.com — Vanessa Infanzon

The Spa at Rock Barn pool

LOWCOUNTRY LEISURE

The George Hotel, Georgetown, S.C. GETTING THERE: 3.5-hour drive

The Indigo Road restaurant group (O-Ku, Mizu, OAK Steakhouse) made its first foray into the hotel business with the reimagined Skyline Lodge in Highlands in 2021. In March, it debuted The George Hotel, a boutique inn along the Sampit River in historic Georgetown, S.C., near Pawleys Island. Forty-two of the 56 rooms and suites have water views, and the hotel offers convenient marina access for boaters. There’s a waterfront bar, Eliza’s, and a seafood-focused restaurant, The Independent, led by Executive Chef Thomas Vance. If his name sounds familiar, Vance was a mainstay on Charlotte’s food and drink scene, with previous roles at Little Mama’s, Carpe Diem and George’s Brasserie. On the menu: a raw bar, steaks and elevated takes on southern classics like shrimp and grits, skillet cornbread and blackened flounder. thegeorgehotelsc.com — C.M.

The George Hotel double room

The George Hotel

SPHERE AND NOW

The Sphere, Las Vegas GETTING THERE: 4.5-hour nonstop flight from CLT

Las Vegas wasn’t at the top of our list of places to visit until friends reported back from U2’s Achtung Baby Live residency at The Sphere. The Irish rockers were the first to play at the new entertainment venue, which opened last September. My wife, Karen, and I went for Valentine’s Day, and our concert tickets were packaged with a stay at the adjacent Venetian hotel.

We got a lay of the land on Day 1 by attending Postcard From Earth, Darren Aronofsky’s 55-minute film that is part of The Sphere’s interactive experience. Inside the giant lobby, we interacted with AI robots that demonstrated the venue’s high-tech features. One showed how sound can be beamed so individual instruments are heard within a song — depending on where you stand, you can hear just the guitar or the drums or the bass.

Our 300-level seats for the movie were almost dead center. Inside the enormous domed structure, equipped with 167,000 speakers and a 160,000-square-foot, 180-degree screen, the views are stunning. Seats rumble, wind blows, scents come and go, and the sound is all-encompassing. For us, reconnaissance value alone made this a worthwhile visit.

The U2 concert far exceeded the hype. During the rest of our stay, we dined on extraordinary Greek seafood at estiatorio Milos at The Venetian and upscale Mexican fare at Casa Playa at the Wynn. We saw The Beatles LOVE, a Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage (running through July 6) that blends mind-blowing acrobatics and

ISLAND TIME

Aruba

GETTING THERE: 4-hour nonstop flight from CLT July through August is considered a shoulder season in Aruba, when temps are slightly warmer and crowds thinner. And unlike most Caribbean destinations, Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, meaning it’s less likely to experience severe summer storms.

At just 75 square miles, Aruba was economically reliant on a large oil refinery until the 1980s, when it became an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and pivoted to tourism as its main industry. Consequently, the island nation is a bit more developed than other tropical locales in terms of infrastructure and visitor amenities. Getting around is a cinch, all the beaches are public, and nearly everyone speaks English, along with Dutch and Papiamento, the Portuguese-based national language.

STAY: Most hotels and resorts on Aruba are concentrated at Eagle Beach — where you’ll find the famously photographed Fofoti tree with its twisted trunk and slanted profile — and Palm Beach, where neat rows of palapas line the beaches and a paved linear footpath runs all the way to the north end of the island.

At the center of Palm Beach’s hospitality district is the

classic Fab Four songs — another highlight of our trip. Regretfully, we weren’t able to visit The Laundry Room, an intimate speakeasy tucked inside Commonwealth and one of our favorite stops on a previous visit.

I never cared much for the Vegas of old, where everything seemed fake and the casinos reeked of smoke and felt gloomy. After our recent trip, if the right act is booked, we would absolutely return. The restaurants, shows and, most importantly, concert at The Sphere, were that remarkable.

Through mid-July, Dead & Company is in residency at The Sphere. For upcoming events, visit thespherevegas.com. — Jay Ahuja

The Sphere, Las Vegas

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino PHOTOGRAPH

359-room Hyatt Regency, where a gentle sea breeze greets guests in the hotel’s open air lobby. With multiple pools and dining options, the hotel is ideal for families and multigenerational gatherings — in fact, many families return year after year, according to Avery Shipley, the hotel’s resort experience manager who’s worked there for 18 years. The recent addition of the adults-only Trankilo pool, with its private cabanas and ocean-facing infinity edge, an on-site casino, and the newly renovated ZoiA spa make it a nice fit for couples, as well.

PLAY: Diving, snorkeling, sunset sails and more can be booked through Red Sail Sports, which has a convenient outpost at Hyatt Regency. The resort also offers morning fitness classes, including aerial yoga on the beach. The guided, gentle practice for all skill levels combines yoga with aerial arts.

To explore the island on your own, you can rent a car or jeep through Top Drive, which has an on-site location at the hotel. Cruise around Noord, the island’s northernmost region, and visit the California Lighthouse, named for a sunken steamship, for 360-degree views. Faro Blanco, an Italian restaurant next to the lighthouse, offers oceanside patio dining.

Explore Arikok National Park, with its caves and craggy rock formations. Or head south to San Nicolas, a small town known for its colorful public art. Before the day heats up, go for a sunrise hike on the Alta Vista Trail. Arrive before dawn at Alta Vista Chapel, built in 1750 by a Spanish missionary and surrounded by a cacti forest. Along the trail, rolling desertlike terrain gives way to large boulders and the island’s rocky western coastline. It’s a stark contrast to the white sandy beaches on the eastern side of the island, and the sunrise view is breathtaking.

For shopping and some of Aruba’s top-rated restaurants, spend some time in Oranjestad, where rows of brightly colored historic buildings in the Dutch colonial style now mostly house luxury retailers catering to cruise passengers. The city sees one or two ships a day in high season; pay attention to the schedule to avoid large crowds if you’re heading into town.

EAT: At Azar, servers in panama hats dart between tables at this lively Palm Beach eatery, a sibling to the popular Lima Bistro in the capital of Oranjestad. Azar is known for open-fire cooking, but don’t skip the appetizers: The roasted feta with saffron peach jam and spicy za’atar is a must-order, along with the shrimp “al ajillo” with chilis and “burned” corn. Entrees range from grilled steaks and seafood to simpler items like the Azar burger with bacon jam and Cambozola cheese and a firewood rotisserie chicken.

For a casual meal in a waterfront, open-air setting, head to The West Deck in Oranjestad. Fresh seafood like coconut shrimp and pan-fried grouper are on the menu, along with keshi-yena — the national dish of shredded chicken, prunes, cashews and spices wrapped in Dutch Gouda with a garlic-basil sauce. Pair your meal with one of their generous margaritas or rum cocktails or a mango pale ale from the local Balashi Brewery.

Ruinas del Mar, tucked downstairs at the Hyatt Regency, offers a tranquil setting overlooking a giant koi pond with stellar cocktails and a seafood-focused menu with Caribbean and Mediterranean influences. The theme is a nod to the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins on Aruba’s north shore. Start with a house specialty Palomita — Casamigos tequila, Gran Marnier, fresh lime and grapefruit juices, agave, and red bell pepper — and the lobster bisque or burrata with avocado, caperberries and tomatoes. For entrees, try the Linguini Frutti Di Mare — large prawns, octopus, squid and scallops in a pomodoro sauce — or a miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with coconut basmati rice.

Then, settle in for a nightcap at the resort’s Alfresco Bar as the sun sinks into the horizon. — C.M.

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino

California Lighthouse

TRY TULUM

Tulum, Mexico

GETTING THERE: 3-hour flight from CLT

Getting to this popular Mexico destination got easier in March, when American Airlines debuted nonstop service to the new Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. Tulum-bound travelers previously had to fly into Cancun, adding 2 hours to the trip. This month, CLT also debuts seasonal direct flights to Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Bozeman, Mont.; Spokane, Wash.; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

A FOODIE FEAST

Euphoria, Greenville, S.C., Sept. 19-22

GETTING THERE: 1.5-hour drive

Close out the summer at Euphoria, a food and drink extravaganza that brings together chefs, food artisans, beverage experts and musicians from across the Southeast.

Just past first base on Fluor Field in downtown Greenville, S.C., renowned North Carolina pitmaster Matthew Register plates fried oysters over grits while guests sip on Tito’s watermelon-cucumber cocktails to stave off the late-summer heat. Up on the concourse, Charlotte Chef Chris Coleman is hunched over a grill, cranking out wings with Alabama white barbecue sauce as Steel Toe Stiletto warms up for their evening set, which covers everything from Jimmy Buffett to Earth Wind & Fire to Beyonce.

A line has formed at one of the food stations, and the hungry crowd is getting restless. While there are plenty of other vendors on hand, there’s been a quiet chatter about Chef T’s jerk oxtail birria tacos with sweet plantains, and everybody wants one. The charismatic Hell’s Kitchen alum and executive chef at Union 41 in Bristol, Va., suddenly emerges, passing out handfuls of chocolate-chip

MARSH MAGIC

The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, Johns Island, S.C.

GETTING THERE: 3.5-hour drive

Opening Aug. 1 and now accepting reservations, this new Lowcountry resort nestled in the Kiawah River community is sure to become a favorite getaway for Charlotteans. Set on 2,000 acres with 20 miles of waterfront and scenic trails, The Dunlin will boast 72 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants, a poolside cocktail bar, a spa, and a chic coastal design by Amanda Lindroth when it opens later this summer. aubergeresorts.com/the-dunlin

cookies, reminding everyone that it’s OK to have dessert first. The gesture, and Chef T’s calm-but-authoritative demeanor, settles the crowd, reminding us why we’re here: to relax, have fun and enjoy some really good food.

Party in the Park is one of the marquee events at Euphoria, founded in 2006 by musician Edwin McCain, who grew up in Greenville, and a local restaurateur. This year, the festival comprises 66 events — including chef dinners, culinary classes, wine and mixology sessions, and more — and brings a palpable energy to this upstate city with a flourishing arts and culinary scene.

Highlights at last year’s festival included Chef’s Table, where guests gathered at a local kitchenware store as chefs prepared dishes with out-of-the-ordinary ingredients like fried frog mousse and bluefin bone marrow shooters (not for the faint of heart). In another session called Palmetto Provisions, Rob Masone from Kounter in Rock Hill, S.C., demonstrated how to make compressed watermelon with herbed goat cheese, honey lavender, fig and pistachios. Afterward, the group strolled a few doors down to Six & Twenty Distillery for torched “Bonfire” bourbon cocktails and a distillery tour.

At Papi’s Tacos, a cozy, family-owned Mexican spot overlooking Falls Park, Euphoria guests were treated to a multicourse brunch with the added bonus of guest pastry chef Tania Cienfuegos Harris

The Dunlin

The Dunlin

— a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist who works at Topsoil Kitchen in nearby Traveler’s Rest. Maria Jose Lehman, a tequila “ambassador” known across South Carolina as Tequila Maria, revved up the small crowd — the music played, the tequila flowed and the meal ended with an impromptu dance party among strangers.

From local up-and-comers to James Beard-recognized chefs, Euphoria showcases a broad array of talent, which typically includes one high-profile chef. This year, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse will team with his son E.J. Lagasse and Michelin-starred DC chef Ryan Ratino on a multicourse dinner (sold out at press time).

Indulge a little, or indulge a lot. With so many options, the choices are plentiful.

WHERE TO STAY:  Grand Bohemian Lodge is a showstopper, situated right by the gushing falls of the Reedy River. Spirit & Bower, the hotel’s bustling cocktail bar, spills right out into Falls Park, and the lodge is in walking distance to many Euphoria events.  AC Hotel on Camperdown Plaza has a clean-lined aesthetic, a lively street-level cocktail bar, Paloma, and a greenhouse-inspired rooftop bar, Juniper, with magnificent sunset views. It’s also a short walk to Fluor Field, ideal if you’re planning to attend any of Euphoria’s large tasting events like Feast by the Field or Party in the Park, and just across the street from a snazzy new O-Ku and Indaco. For a low-key vibe and break from the action, check out The Press Room, the hotel’s reservation-only speakeasy.  Hotel Hartness, about 20 miles from downtown, offers a quieter stay on a large former family estate with a stylish restaurant, Patterson, and a tranquil spa to decompress after all the festivities.

NOTE: Many events sell out quickly — view the schedule at euphoriagreenville.com and purchase tickets early if you plan to go. — C.M. SP

Party in the Park

BECKY MCGRATH TEAM

LEIGH C. CORSO

LUCY BUTLER GROUP

CAY CRAIG

CHRISTIE HANSEN

LAURIE HALT TEAM

JOE HUNEYCUTT

CHIP JETTON

HEATHER MONTGOMERY

KALIE KOIVISTO

MARY HOLLAND THE HUNEYCUTT TEAM

LINDA HENLEY

SARA ROCHE TEAM

LINDSAY REDFERN

CINDI HASTINGS TEAM

TREY SULLIVAN

LISA WARREN

TUCK TEAM

LISA RUPP

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Fire & Ice Bechtler Museum Gala

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art April 19

This year’s hosts, Liz Hilliard and Lee Kennelly, brought the fun with a Nordic vibe inspired by Icelandic artist Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, whose show at the museum concludes this month. From fire jugglers to dancers and snake charmers, this black-tie affair was fire.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Robert and Clary Gray

Morgan Shields and Windy O’Connor Neely and Michael Verano

Mary-Margaret Porter Bob Lilien and Andreas Bechtler

Noy Vang and Irina Toshkova

Jonathan and Natalie Stewart

Liz Hilliard and Lee Kennelly Hunter and Joy Widener

Ingrid Vandebosch Gordon

Isabelle and Bill Griesmyer

Daniel Gonzalez and Renata Gasparian

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Levine Children’s Gala

benefiting Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital Bank of America Stadium

April 6

A surprise performance by Flo Rida capped off a great evening of dinner, fun on the field and record-breaking fundraising, with Sandra Levine raising a paddle to donate an unprecedented $3 million.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Russ and Natalie Hutchinson

Rob and Greta Hord

Manuel and Ana Rey

Daryl and Radmila Hollnagel

Mike and Carly Levine

Callie and Andrew Dobbins

J.J. Jansen, Dave Canales, Andy Dalton, Greg Olsen

Amanda and Brandon Lanier, Josh and Rhonda Patt T.J. and Weslie Woodley

Sandra Levine and Amy Dawson

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Charlotte Hope Gala

benefiting JDRF

April 20

JDRF North Carolina brought their annual gala to the Revelry at Camp North End for an evening of fun, all with the aim of curing type 1 diabetes.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Speakeasy Soirée

benefiting The Isabella Santos Foundation Feb. 28

It was a record-breaking night to remember. With the support of 500 guests, ISF’s signature gala raised more than $500,000 to support rare pediatric cancer care and research. .

photographs by SnapHappy Photos

Christi and Carl Armato

Serena and Kieth Cockrell

Erin Santos-Primis and Grant Santos

Wyn and Neville Bilbrey

Debbie and Pat Phillips

Biff and Alice Ourso

Erica and Steve Stawick Firas Kassab and Alia Nassri

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Women of Distinction Fashion Show

presented by the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte Women’s Auxiliary

April 11

Five local boutiques showcased the best of spring and summer on the runway at Quail Hollow Club. The luncheon raised money for scholarships and programs, while also honoring the work of Judy Seldin-Cohen, Deronda Metz and Brooke Higgins.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Spring Symposium

benefiting the Mint Museum Auxiliary Charlotte Country Club

April 10

Husband-and-wife interior-design team Jessie Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company headlined this year’s luncheon.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Rebekah Alpert, Kristin Kracke, Stephanie Fountaine

Victoria Snee Debbie Laity and Susan Jones

Tom Fisher, River Williams and Felipe Edmiston

Heather Gwaltney and Karen Cotchett

Ashley Flynn and Kirsten Pittman

Tara Douglass, Betsy Wilder and Kimberly Mize

Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller

Anna Glass

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

HoopTee Charities Legends Dinner

Steak 48

March 18

Founder Fred Whitfield hosted this red carpet event, which brought together legends from sports, entertainment and business to support programs for underserved youth.

photographs by Billow Media

Jason and Kelly Cipriani

Fred Whitfield, Heather King, Jeffrey Mastro

Bubba and Amanda Wallace

TEAM SOUTHPARK

IT’S GO-TIME FOR SOUTHPARK COMMUNITY PARTNERS AFTER RELEASING A 10-YEAR VISION PLAN FOR THE SHOPPING, BUSINESS AND DINING HUB. WITH A PLAYBOOK IN PLACE, WHAT’S NEXT?

by Sharon Smith

Thanks to the SouthPark vision-plan renderings, I can’t help but drive down Carnegie Boulevard and picture it: an inviting streetscape with ample space to host festivals. Why yes, that would work there.

Same with the tree-lined sidewalk by the mall on Fairview Road. The vision plan adds a linear park with benches and a meandering walkway. OK, that would fit well.

A revamped Symphony Park? Yes, please.

The SouthPark Forward 2035 Vision Plan aims to make all that and more a reality for people living, working and coming through SouthPark over the next 10 years. The $250 million plan has more than 60 projects designed around three themes: places, connections and mobility.

SouthPark Community Partners, which manages the area’s 1-mile municipal service district, based the plan on more than a year of community feedback.

“Here’s a menu of things we want to accomplish over the next decade,” says SCP President and CEO Adam Rhew. “We’re going to need everybody to lean in.” By everybody, he means public, private and nonprofit partners, as well as neighbors.

So far, Rhew says the response is very positive, with neighbors and business leaders asking how to help. ”We have this playbook, and now we’re asking people to find themselves and find their role on this team,” he says.

This summer, SCP will work with urban designers and landscape architects to drill down on details and cost. Rhew says there’s good momentum to deliver a couple of projects sooner than later, including a free shuttle service. With neighbor support, there’s also early potential to connect dead-end streets in adjacent neighborhoods to SouthPark’s core for better walkability.

No single project matters most. It’s the layering effect that leads to transformation — pairing a new Symphony Park with Carnegie Boulevard’s festival street, both of which visitors can access via The Loop trail or shuttles.

“It’s a 10-year plan, and I think we’ll use every day of those 10 years to be able to accomplish all 64 projects and programs,” Rhew says, betting on Team SouthPark. SP

Scan the QR code to see more renderings.

A rendering depicting a gathering space along Carnegie Boulevard in SouthPark