[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend," join us from Blowing Rock because here come the holidays.

We'll marvel at the wonders of gingerbread in Asheville, pick the perfect Christmas tree in Apex, and raise the curtain at Temple Theater in Sanford.

Coming up next.

- [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300-miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[bright lively upbeat music] [bright lively upbeat music continues] [bright lively upbeat music continues] - Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and this week, we are celebrating the holidays around the state.

Right now, I'm in Blowing Rock, because I heard the holiday lights are just so festive, and they are.

We'll see more of these lights throughout the show.

But, first, let's head to The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville where gingerbread meets creativity at the National Gingerbread House Competition.

[bright festive orchestral music] - The National Gingerbread House Competition began over 30 years ago, and it was really small.

It was a small group of individuals that got together to just celebrate the holidays.

And over 35 years, it's grown from this small group to over 235 entries in 25 states in an age range from five years old through adults.

It's amazing.

[bright festive orchestral music] - This is a time of year where a group of people who enjoy making gingerbread houses get to actually come together and meet each other again.

People come up with the most amazing pieces of art every year.

It's just excitement every year.

[bright festive orchestral music] - I think that the Omni Grove Park Inn is such an amazing place to hold this competition, because it's such a blend of history and memories.

[bright festive orchestral music] - We have over 80 illuminated Christmas trees throughout the property, we have a giant great gingerbread house in the lobby, and it really just feels like you're stepping into a magical wonderland when you walk through our doors into the Great Hall.

[bright festive orchestral music] - And so, you have this beautiful historic inn layered with this competition that has really grown over the years, and you have that kind of combination of people who have been competing for over 20 years, and then you have our newest competitors that are coming for the first time.

So it's that blend of old and new together, and then layered in with the holiday season and the beautiful fireplaces and the beautiful trees.

It just creates such wonderful memories for our visitors.

[bright festive orchestral music] [lively orchestral festive music] - I've been judging gingerbread for about nine and a half years now, this is my ninth year, and this is probably honestly the best year I've ever seen since I've been here.

They really brought it, the competitors were the most we've ever seen, so many new competitors, I think that's just amazing, and it's great for our community, it's great for the gingerbread.

And to see their best foot forward was what we wanted to see, and they really put it out there, just amazing pieces, cleanliness, and structure, and new ideas.

It was very impressive.

[lively festive orchestral music] - It's fun and exciting, and the best part about it, it doesn't feel like you're competing against everybody, it feels like you're celebrating with everybody, celebrating their piece, them celebrating your piece.

And whether you win lose, it doesn't make any difference, we're just happy that everyone's here.

[lively festive orchestral music] - The community is so great.

I mean, all these ladies, you saw us all hugging each other, because we're all friends and we share ideas, and, you know, boost each other up, and it's just fun even if you don't win.

But when you win, it's really cool.

[chuckles] [lively festive orchestral music] - So anybody that comes to see them, the top 10 pieces in all of the categories are all on one floor, and you can just walk from the beginning of the hallway and around, and you just marvel, and then you come down to this lower level, ballroom and below, and that's where all the rest of them are.

And it's just amazing to see the artistry, the creativity, the difference, because there is no theme, everybody gets to do whatever they wanna do.

[lively festive orchestral music] - I think what's so interesting about working here at the Omni Grove Park Inn is that, over time, the National Gingerbread House Competition has really become a part of the identity of the end.

And it's really talked about all throughout the year, it doesn't matter if we're in July, or if we're in October, or if we're in December, people remember coming here to see the gingerbread houses, and they ask about when they're coming no matter when they visit, and that's really special to me.

- The National Gingerbread House Competition will be on display at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville through January 4th, 2026.

The Omni Grove Park Inn is at 290 Macon Avenue in Asheville.

To find out more, give them a call at 800-438-5800, or go online to omnihotels.com.

It's that time of year when people love going to the theater, especially Christmas shows.

And in Sanford, there's a historic theater that's been entertaining audiences for generations; it's called the Temple Theater, and we sent May Proctor there to bring us their story.

[audience applauding] [tense orchestral music] - The Temple Theater is celebrating its centennial this year, so we've been in Historic Downtown Sanford for the last 100 years.

We are professional, regional theater, and about a third of our efforts also go into our youth programs.

- The Temple Theater is the thing people know most about Sanford, North Carolina.

People come to visit Sanford, they're coming usually to the Temple Theater.

For the people who live in Sanford, it's a gathering place, it's a place for us to enjoy the arts, it's a place that our children can learn.

- You know, I spent my whole life at the Temple, so I always love coming back and being able to sit in the audience and enjoy the shows.

- That's a place that brings people together, both within our community, but also from outside.

So we have tons of people from around the state that come to Temple to see the shows here.

And I think it's great for our little downtown, it's great, you know, for the city of Sanford.

And so, it's a gem in the community.

- The Temple Theater opened on March 2nd, 1925, as a vaudeville house, and its proximity to the railroad allowed all of these traveling road shows to come in from the train.

It remained a vaudeville house until 1938 where it then became a full-time movie theater, and it remained a full-time movie theater until 1965 before it closed its doors.

The tin ceiling is original to the building, and it provides excellent acoustics.

I heard a story one time that in 1980 when they were considering whether or not to knock down the building, they brought a sound engineer in, and he stood on the stage and just talked, and he said he would let them tear down this theater over his dead body.

♪ Oh, we're the lion that splits the sheep ♪ - But the biggest event in Temple Theater's history that happened was when Peggy Taphorn got hired in 2007, 'cause this theater was on the brink, and she pulled it out, and it is today the regional playhouse for Central North Carolina.

Peggy is a force of nature, we really are lucky that she's here in Downtown Sanford.

She does incredible work.

Someone of her caliber and experience and talent being in a town like Sanford is huge for this organization, working with her is phenomenal.

- I was in six Broadway shows, I did about a dozen national tours, I moved from being an actor, actress, singer-dancer into management roles, I was the dance captain and a standby.

And, in fact, I left the national tour of "Sweet Charity" starring Molly Ringwald to helm the Temple Theater, and I just started my 19th season here in Sanford.

We've seen tremendous growth in the last 19 years.

When I got here in 2007, it was just a different time, Sanford was a different community, and the theater needed a lot of work.

So I set about that task right away.

We started using more union performers, we not only cast local performers, but we started bringing in performers from New York, from LA, from Chicago, and really added to the professionalism of the overall quality of the programs.

Started our Temple Teen Ensemble, which now is a touring troop that does events throughout the community and throughout the region, really.

- Temple Theater's a great place, and more than that, it's a great place for children and teens to learn and to grow.

I think one of the things to remember in particular is how much it benefits them, not just as artists, but as people.

- I come from a private school with little to no theater education, any theater education, I had to find on my own.

And so, Temple Theater has been my like lifeline.

I have been in several main stage productions, mostly as an ensemble member.

But most recently, I was given the opportunity to play one of the brothers, Naphtali, in the production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

And that was probably one of the best educational experiences I've gotten in a long time, being able to work alongside Temple staff and Temple actors as an equal, it was really great.

And they were also talented and so kind and so supporting, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

It's just a community where you feel loved and you feel uplifted and you feel like you're given the opportunity to express yourself.

- Temple Theater is like my second home.

Temple has given me so many different opportunities to explore my craft; one of the biggest being Temple Teens, and that's taught me a lot of life skills and allowed me to be at Temple every week, which is really great.

- The theater is the heart of our community.

It's our hidden jewel in Downtown Sanford.

And it doesn't matter if it's a educational show with children in it, or one of their six performances throughout the year, they're all fantastic, and we don't miss any of 'em.

[audience cheering and applauding] - The Temple Theater is at 120 Carthage Street in Sanford.

Their production of "A Christmas Carol" runs through December 22nd, but they have productions all year.

For more information, give them a call at 919-774-4155, or go online to templeshows.org.

[bright lively festive orchestral music] I'm with Shane Fox, Town Manager of Blowing Rock.

Shane, tell me, how does Blowing Rock celebrate the holidays?

- Yeah, Deborah.

So the Friday after Thanksgiving annually we have the lighting of the town, the beautiful lights you see behind us here.

And then the following day on Saturday after Thanksgiving, we have an annual Christmas parade that's attended by, you know, 10,000 or so people that come up and just want to experience the small town nature that is Blowing Rock and the beauty that is and the lights that are before you.

[bright festive orchestral music] - [Deborah] Shane, what is Winterfest?

- Yeah, Deborah.

So Winterfest is in its 28th year this year, it's the last weekend in January, and it's a chance for us to bring folks here to town, typically in the past, before Winterfest.

You know, it was an off season for us with the winter, we do have winter sports and skiing, so it's an opportunity for us to kinda show off the town.

[bright festive orchestral music] - [Deborah] And tell me about the Polar Plunge.

- Yeah.

- What's that?

- [Shane] The Polar Plunge is something special.

So, again, 28 years of the Polar Plunge, Chetola Resort here locally has been a host for the Polar Plunge.

It's an opportunity to come through and have a chance to jump in truly the lake.

So, typically, it's the- - Oh my God.

- Winter months, so, obviously, with the cold weather, we have to break the ice most of the years to do that.

So it's a chance for those that are brave enough to jump into the freezing cold water.

It's an experience you have to do if you're here during that time.

- Well- - Yeah.

- [Deborah] Maybe I won't be here then.

[Shane and Deborah laughing] I'm just kidding, just kidding.

Tell me about some of the other activities that week.

- [Shane] Certainly, yeah.

We have a number of activities here in the park for kids and families to experience.

We have snow making that's typically here, we have Winterfest activities throughout the town, ice-sculpting here in the town as well here in the park.

So a number of things just to try to let the families and folks that are here enjoy it.

- Is it?

- Yeah.

So Blowing Rock is known for its beauty, you know, in the summertime we're known for our flowers and our beauty, and these lights that you see behind us are just another aspect of trying to bring that beauty through in the winter months.

But outside of what you have here in town, fine-dining, a lot of activities throughout the town itself, we have winter sports, we have a number of ski resorts within the area, Appalachian Ski, Sugar Mountain, Beach Mountain, et cetera, there are a number of places for folks to be able to have activities, you know, in the wintertime.

So the vibe is a beauty vibe, it's a laid-back, relaxing vibe, winter sport vibe.

Yeah.

- And very charming.

I definitely look forward to visiting every single time.

- [Shane] Yeah.

- To plan your visit to Blowing Rock, visit their website at blowingrock.com.

Ski season is here, and one of the newest ski destinations in the state is one of the oldest: Hatley Pointe.

It used to be called Wolf Laurel, but it's been rebranded and refreshed, and it's a lot of fun.

[bright lively orchestral music] - [Jeff] With Hatley Pointe, and kind of one of the great things location-wise is no matter if you're coming for one of, you know, our sports, if you're mountain biking or skiing, or if you just want to come and relax and just experience Western North Carolina and just get back to being outside in this part of the country, this is a great place to home base from.

[bright orchestral music] - The history dates back to 1970 when Wolf Laurel Resort first opened up.

So it got renamed to Wolf Ridge in 2005 when our predecessor Orville English had purchased it.

We met Orville, and we immediately made friends with him, and he started to give us this crazy, whimsical idea of purchasing a ski resort.

Well, the idea started to come around, we started to really fall in love with all the property around it.

And so, the ski industry and the operations seemed a lot more foreign to us, but we decided to bite the bullet in 2023.

We were like, "Well, we've got our work cut out for us," and we started going.

[bright intriguing orchestral music] - I think it's important for people to know that when they step through those doors, they're going to have an experience, and that experience is going to be family and elegance and just awesomeness in general.

[bright intriguing orchestral music] [groovy upbeat music] - I feel like we have really shifted the paradigm for a general-known ski resort landscape.

The lodge interiors have been built to make people feel comfortable and to feel at home.

They're still very, very humble, still very approaching, and then ultimately just getting incredible food and incredible hospitality.

You know, this isn't just a transaction, we wanna be able to be a part of that, but in other ways of not just being, you know, a moment that they had going down the mountain, but also some really great food and beverage moments, really great conversation, you know, around a fire, and just accentuating that whole entire opportunity and experience.

[groovy upbeat music] - It's a southern hospitality mixed with the people that are here.

It's unlike going to another ski resort, because you actually feel super welcome, and they make it like home, or, you know, being in a loved one's house, and then skiing out the back door, and then having great food at the end of the day.

[groovy orchestral upbeat music] - And we are focused completely on the guest experience, and we have this amazing mountain to showcase and with the projects that have been implemented this off season, brand new snowmaking, so that is just top of the line, state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment.

So we're gonna make sure that the ski experience, the snowboard experience on this mountain is just top-notch.

[groovy upbeat music] A really fun thing to launch this year when we transition away from the snow and into mountain biking, you know, all these brand new curated trails top to bottom, whether you're just starting out and trying to learn, being able to take lessons, rent a bike, rent a helmet, do all the stuff that you need if you wanna come out and give mountain biking a shot.

And the terrain is set up, the trails were built specifically to cater to people of all skill levels.

[groovy upbeat music] - So when you come to Hatley Pointe, you can expect a true experience of a 5-star boutique ski resort.

We have multiple outlets to serve and accommodate people from everything from our coffee bar, Steeps, to South Knit, our clothing department, to our guest services, to our sanctuary for our VIP guests, to the grandparents' lounge, to the viewer's lounge, where you can see all the views of the beautiful mountain and all the infrastructure and hard work that's been put in the development of this place.

And, obviously, in my opinion, the crown jewel, which is Smoke and Timber, our beautiful restaurant.

[groovy upbeat music] Some of the iconic dishes that we serve at Smoke and Timber, probably our crown jewel, is the 22-ounce espresso-rubbed ribeye, that one is probably one of our top sellers, as well as my dish, which is a braised short rib ragu.

[groovy upbeat music] I would say that our cuisine is a modern American cuisine with a heavy influence in Italian and Hispanic culture with a little bit of an Appalachian flair.

[groovy upbeat music] - I think the Blue Ridge Mountains, they're known all around the world, and I think that we have a great opportunity to be able to bring people to Madison County and to really shine a light on such a hidden gem.

- Hatley Pointe Mountain Resort is at 578 Valley View Circle in Mars Hill.

To plan your visit, give them a call at 828-689-4111, or visit their website at hatleypointe.com.

All of the ornaments on this Christmas tree here at Memorial Park were crafted by school children here in Blowing Rock.

And, you know, it is that time to get that Christmas tree, if you haven't gotten started, you had better.

And if you live in the Piedmont area, producer Rob Holliday found a family-owned farm that makes shopping for a Christmas tree part of a grand holiday experience.

[bright country music] - [Rob] Less than a mile from the waters that lure folks all summer long is a place that has its busiest season when the weather's cold.

- It's the best way to get into the Christmas spirit.

The environment, everybody's in the holiday spirit.

- We have a unique place, 'cause we also are an active farm.

We are a true, legit farm growing Christmas trees.

- [Rob] For more than three decades now, and these days with three different varieties of trees; Leland cypress's, Carolina sapphires, and Virginia pines.

- I love that we can kind of just walk around, kind of be in nature, choose our own Christmas tree.

- This one fills all the characteristics, it's got a nice tall top.

- You still get a fresh tree, you get to look around, see how it looks in the light, you know, it's freshly cut, 'cause it gets cut when you want it to be cut down.

[chainsaw buzzing] - [Rob] But if you have your heart set on the tree that fills a lot of living rooms these days, you're in luck.

- The other option, which is probably the more popular tree, is the Fraser fir, which comes from the mountains.

And these are pre-cut trees that we bring in from the North Carolina mountains, very popular, just, you know, great Christmas trees.

- [Rob] That are particular about where they can be successfully grown.

[water splashing] That's why they aren't available in the ground here like other varieties.

- It's really hard to grow a Fraser fir here just because of the heat.

They also need freeze time before they are cut.

- [Rob] But they're still widely available at Jordan Lake Farms in all shapes and sizes, six-seven included, and even taller.

- The Fraser, that's my favorite.

We usually do eight-foot Fraser trees every year.

So we don't like the fake Christmas trees, we like the real ones.

- [Rob] The real holiday greenery doesn't stop with the trees here.

- We're using materials from the trees that we bring in and wreaths that we're making from all of those materials, we bring in garland that's made in the mountains.

- We kind of stumbled upon it one year, and we really like the trees here, good selection, friendly people.

They have good service, they're really quick in getting you in and out, even if it's crowded.

- [Rob] While you certainly can find a tree and be on your way quickly at Jordan Lake Farms, this is a place designed for folks to stick around for a while.

- One of our biggest focus is to really make that experience something that is a tradition for all families.

Most people, they'll come, they'll pick out a Fraser fir, but they definitely wanna walk the farm.

- I think that's what we encourage people to do, is take your time, have some fun, take advantage of what we have.

- Part of the atmosphere of this place that makes it so special is it is a traditional farm.

So you get the atmosphere, like, you come in and it feels like a farm, you can get your hot spice cider- - Uh-huh.

- Your hot chocolate, like your donuts.

- The mini donuts have been very popular.

[oil sizzling] [bright orchestral music] We've upgraded three times as far as the capacity of the machine because we have so many donuts that we're putting out.

- So you come, pick the tree out, and then from the tree, we go and get our donuts and hot chocolate.

And then from there, we go to the gift shop and we look around.

- There's something extra special about being around all these trees, and that's why for many people, the Jordan Lake Farm has become an annual tradition.

- We've been coming here every year for about, you know, five years.

- We've been coming out for three years.

- This is our eighth year.

- About 10 years ago we were looking for a tree farm, and we found Jordan Lake Christmas Farm, and that's how we came here.

It's like an every year thing that you look forward to with your family.

- [Rob] Byron and Diana May were city folks also looking for a farm more than 30 years ago when they found their perfect spot, and when it already happened to have Christmas trees growing on it, they took up the pursuit and never looked back.

They've even started large flower growing operations during warmer months.

- We really enjoy people.

They come out and we want them to enjoy themselves, enjoy the farm, have a good time, and make a tradition out of it, so they come back year after year and have that same experience.

[tractor rumbling] We have so many repeat customers that love coming out to the farm.

It makes it wonderful to us, 'cause we see kids grow up.

- I think we'll just keep coming back.

You know, once we have kids, bring them back here, I'm sure they'll love to run around.

- I feel like it's really coming out and doing things like this, like getting a tree- - Yep.

- Putting it up, just starts to get us in the holiday spirit.

[bright festive orchestral music] - Jordan Lake Christmas Tree Farm is at 2170 Marthas Chapel Road in Apex, and they're open daily through the holiday season.

They have lots of activities and a big crowd, so plan your visit by giving them a call at 919-362-6300, or go online to jordanlakefarms.com.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We have had a wonderful time here in Blowing Rock as they celebrate the holidays.

The lights and the decorations just add so much sparkle and joy, and I especially love that they keep them up through February to continue the festivity through the winter.

Now, if you've missed anything in tonight's show, remember, you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org, and you can find all of our stories on our YouTube channel.

Have a great North Carolina weekend everyone.

[lively orchestral upbeat music] [lively orchestral upbeat music continues] [lively orchestral upbeat music continues] [lively orchestral upbeat music continues] - [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300-miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[piano outro]