Good News Friday: NC has one of the best Christmas towns in America

Our weekly roundup of good news in NC gets into the holiday spirit. We’re always going star-gazing, in more ways than one.

Happy Friday everyone!

It’s time for Good News Friday! And as we draw closer to the end of the year, we’re talking about cozy NC towns, a wrap-up of our roving food series “Leah Tries,” and wishing on stars all the way up until Christmas Eve.

Let’s get going:

Geminids until Christmas 

Experienced stargazers and curious watchers alike will be happy to know that they can still see the best meteor shower of the year!

The Geminid meteor shower, characterized by slow-moving, green-hued meteors, began on Nov. 29 and peaked on Wednesday. However, night-sky lovers have the chance to wish upon a star (or a Geminid meteor) until Dec. 24, when the shower comes to an end. 

Space.com recommends looking for the meteors close to constellations like Orion, Cancer, and Taurus. 

@chasingthemilk

Huge fireball caught during last nights stream. Hopefully more tonight. #geminids #meteorshower2023 #astronomy #stargazing

♬ Last Hope (Slowed + Reverb) – Steve Ralph

Azalea Festival Headliners: T-Pain and Chase Rice

Grammy award-winning rapper and singer, T-Pain, and platinum-selling country singer, Chase Rice—an Asheville, NC, native—are performing at the 2024 Azalea Festival, an annual spring bash in Wilmington!

The Port City’s festival has previously hosted big-name artists like Billy Currington, Ludacris, Duran Duran, and Jason Derulo.

Tickets for both shows go on sale Monday, Dec. 18 at 10 a.m., starting at $55.

T-Pain will perform on Thursday, Apr. 4, and Rice on Friday, Apr. 5. 

 

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A post shared by CHASE RICE (@chaserice)

Top 5 “Leah Tries”  

If you’ve been following “Leah Tries,” my search for the best NC dishes, thanks! If not, now’s as good a time as any to hop on board. 

With the year coming to an end, I made my picks for the best food I tried in 2023. Watch out for a crazy hot pimento cheese, and an amazing Latin street food spot.

Watch the video here for more on my favorites:

@cardinalandpine

Results are in!! These are Leah?s favorite North Carolina foodie stops of 2023. ? Let us know what we should try next and follow for more @cardinalandpine! @fatboys_bbq-nc @banditoburritotruck @quevivagrill @mustencrutchfield @cafesoulcups #ncfoodies #nc #nceats #northcarolina #ncfoodie #ncfood #northcarolinalife

♬ original sound – Cardinal & Pine

Blowing Rock is a national favorite

Blowing Rock is the place to see this winter, getting shout-outs from HGTV, Southern Living, and snatching a spot in New York Travel Guides’ top 100 “coziest winter towns” in America.

Coming in at 92nd, Blowing Rock was in some serious competition with 575 other small towns. They made the list because of their “cozy” weather (chilly but great for cozying up by a fire), popularity with locals and tourists, and feel-good winter activities. 

The town also made HGTV’s list of “best towns to visit for Christmas,” shouting out Tweetsie Railroad, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and general holiday attitude.

@blowingrocknc

Blowing Rock is the place to shop this holiday season! 🛍 – – – #blowingrocknc #blackfriday #holidayshopping

♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic