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| Hickory |
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estled close to the Blue Ridge Mountains and about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte, Hickory is appropriately named for the Hickory Tavern that once presided here as a popular respite for weary travelers.
Known as the furniture manufacturing capital of the world, approximately 60 percent of the nation’s furniture is made within a 200-mile radius of the Hickory Metro area.
The Catawba Furniture Mall contains 350,000 square feet of furniture stores, and the Hickory Furniture Mart is 20 acres of 100 showrooms, carrying more than 1,000 famous lines. Each year, more than a half-million visitors come to the area to browse and shop at the numerous furniture outlets.
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ndeed, Catawba County is rich in scenic beauty with Lake Hickory, the Catawba River, and a stunning silhouette of the Blue Ridge Mountains against the western sky. Because of its picturesque landscape and its convenience to so many nearby attractions, many artists call Hickory their home. The Catawba Valley has the second-largest concentration of potters in North Carolina. Their work is showcased annually at a festival in March.
According to Millie Barbee, CEO of the Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Center, Hickory has launched a determined effort to revitalize its downtown Main Street area. Located within the cleverly-named SALT Block, an acronym for Science, Arts, Literature Together, is a complex of buildings housing the Hickory Public Library, Hickory Museum of Art, Catawba Science Center, Western Piedmont Symphony, Hickory Choral Society, a public school and the Catawba County Council for Arts.
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Hickory is such a wonderful place to raise a family and the activities for both adults and children are abundant.
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For sports lovers, baseball fans will enjoy watching the Hickory Crawdads. The Hickory Motor Speedway has been providing heart-stopping entertainment for 50-plus years, and contains the roots of three NASCAR champions – Dale and Ned Jarrett and Bobby Isaac – as well as the late Dale Earnhardt.
Originally from Wisconsin, Barbara and Michael Dugan moved here 13 years ago. Although the move was work-related (he’s in the furniture business), they have found the area to be a delight. “In addition to the climate, location and natural beauty of its surroundings, Hickory has some intangibles that really intrigued us,” Mrs. Dugan explained. “This area has a variety of cultural activities as well as a diversity of people who live here. It’s a vibrant, welcoming community.”
Have some fun. Get some expert feedback. Post your Hickory questions,
comments and experiences on the "Carolinas
Message Board."
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Charles Heatherly is a former North Carolina Director of Tourism, retired N.C. Deputy State Treasurer, freelance writer, and author.
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