The Blue Ridge foothills of Western North Carolina are a breathtaking backdrop for our arts and history. Caldwell County offers a remarkable variety of cultural, artistic and historical amenities, including museums, galleries, live music, dance and theatrical performances, community festivals and street fairs.
A stroll through downtown Lenoir is an art lover's dream — the Smithsonian recognizes Caldwell County’s permanent public outdoor sculpture collection as the largest per capita in the nation. The Caldwell Arts Council sponsors their annual Sculpture Celebration on the first Saturday after Labor Day in Lenoir’s gorgeous 20-acre Broyhill Walking Park. The nationally celebrated event — the largest gathering of professional sculptures in the South — is free to the public. Thousands of people come to enjoy the beautiful grounds filled with sculptures, live music and food trucks.
The historic Patterson School Foundation property provides an idyllic location for the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center. Nestled in Historic Happy Valley, a quiet mountain valley between Lenoir and Blowing Rock filled with history and events, the Foundation paves the way for a new millennium. It is continuing a 100-year legacy dedicated to education and agriculture, including expanding the Patterson School Incubator Farm Program.
From Patterson to the Wilkesboro Reservoir, this rural route follows NC 268 along the upper Yadkin River from the mountains to the gently rolling foothills of the piedmont. Historically a farming region, today the traveler will see acres of horticultural nurseries and turf farms alongside more traditional crops. This road twists and turns through a river valley dotted with historic homes and old barns.
Located in beautiful Happy Valley outside of Lenoir, NC the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center aims to offer engaging and robust arts programming to the surrounding community.
The Patterson School Foundation property is nestled in Historic Happy Valley, a quiet mountain valley between Lenoir, and Blowing Rock. The school rests on the former Palmyra Plantation which belonged to Samuel Legerwood Patterson and Mary Senseman Patterson. General William Lenoir, great-grandfather of Mr. Patterson, was a Revolutionary War hero who once owned much of the Yadkin Valley where the property is located. The legacy of the Lenoirs and the Pattersons is woven tightly into the history of North Carolina and our nation. Samuel Patterson himself served North Carolina in many ways, including being a member of the NC Senate, NC House of Representatives, a Trustee of UNC at Chapel Hill, and the state’s first elected Commissioner of Agriculture. In 1887 Samuel and Mary bequeathed 1500 beautiful acres, running from the top of Ripshin Mountain down to the confluence of Buffalo Creek and the Yadkin River, to the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina for the purposes of an agricultural and industrial school for the “fine minds of mountain boys.”
We’re located in the Hudson Arts Center, a former schoolhouse where #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jan Karon, attended grades 1-7.
Discover how a little country girl from the then-cotton mill town of Hudson wrote her first book at age ten—and later wrote twenty-four bestsellers, including 14 beloved Mitford novels. See a hat and a rabbit that inspired two of Jan’s bestselling books for children. Learn what makes teachers live on in the hearts of students. Open the drawers of Jan’s writing desk to find personal letters, notes, and mementos. Hear her tell us how to write a book (you can do it!).
The Hub Station: Arts and Businesses working Creatively Together to Inspire and Collaborate a Co-Working community for artists, small businesses, start-up companies and entrepreneurs.
When the Caldwell Arts Council held its first Sculpture Celebration in 1985, few could have imagined that it would continue today. Held annually on the Saturday after Labor Day at the Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, NC, the nationally recognized event draws sculptors, mostly who live east of the Mississippi, in competition for cash awards and potential sales. The event is free to the public and opens to thousands of people who come to take in the beautiful grounds studded with sculpture. The event is held rain or shine and includes live music, on-site food trucks, and free shuttle service to and from off-site parking.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s J.E. Broyhill Civic Center is the Foothills’ premier performing arts and conference center. The facility, named in honor of Broyhill Furniture founder Ed Broyhill, features a 1,000-seat auditorium, ballroom, and multiple conference spaces.
Drawing on the rich musical heritage of Caldwell County and the surrounding area, the James C. Harper School of Performing Arts provides high quality musical and performing arts instruction that fosters the creative instincts of its students. Through individual and group classes, rehearsals, recitals, concerts and workshops, the school offers a nurturing environment for students of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and financial circumstances.
Commonly referred to as the "Walking Park," T.H. Broyhill Walking Park covers 20 acres and features a paved walking loop, a lake, a nature sanctuary, and botanical gardens.
Welcome to the Granite Falls History and Transportation Museum. Once slated for destruction by its previous owner, the building is the second oldest home in Caldwell County. It dates back to the 1790s when Andrew Baird built it for his family next to the successful iron works he established at the granite falls on Gunpowder Creek. After the forge closed, the village he had built for his workers continued to grow. Known by different names over the years - Baird's Forge, Catawba View, Summerville, Lovelady, Granite - the village became the Town of Granite Falls on May 1, 1899.
Fort Defiance, near Lenoir, is a historic home built by a Revolutionary War hero in 1792 that has been restored to its 18th and 19th century splendor.
The house features over 300 pieces of original furnishings and historic artifacts. The five-acre property includes fine beech and hybrid chestnut trees, a 200-year old boxwood garden, and a family cemetery. Visitors can take guided tours and have a picnic on the grounds.
Nestled in the Catskill mountains, in the highly accessible university city of Oneonta, Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center is a not-for-profit entertainment and civic center that serves the cultural, educational, and community needs of the Otsego, Delaware, and Chenango region.
Whether you are looking for an idyllic vacation location or a place to call home, visit Lenoir & the NC foothills, and you will never forget it. Tucked away at the foot of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, our small southern county has more to offer than you might imagine at first glance. Not only is this a great place to catch your breath and enjoy nature, but there is also plenty to see and do, so you are guaranteed a memorable experience.
The Chapel of Rest is situated on a grassy knoll overlooking the Yadkin River in Happy Valley, in the foothills of western North Carolina.
The Chapel of Rest is situated on a grassy knoll overlooking the Yadkin River in Happy Valley, in the foothills of western North Carolina.
Caldwell Arts Council’s mission is to encourage and maintain an awareness, appreciation, and celebration of art in all its forms.
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CaldWELL CULTURED
Explore scenic vistas, historical sites, art, breweries, wineries, eateries and more along this world famous route.
The Blue Ridge foothills, Pisgah National Forest and Wilson Creek are our playgrounds for biking, off-roading, watersports, hiking, hunting, fishing and camping.
Explore the Caldwell County Itinerary for food, shopping, highlights, lodging and adventures! We invite locals and visitors to delight in the journey and the destination.
Life in Caldwell County can be full of adventure. Spend the day exploring parks, mountains, whitewater rafting, kayaking, hiking and biking.
Whether we’re celebrating art, butterflies, blackberries, BBQ or wine, the calendar is full of Southern charm.
Caldwell County has the most extensive collection of permanent public outdoor sculptures per capita in the U.S. Our annual Sculpture Celebration is the largest in the South.
