At Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock, Tim Parks and Lance Hiatt have always blended vision with hospitality, built on a deep-rooted belief in the potential of North Carolina wine. With the opening of their new event and production space they’ve christened “Skyward”, Tim and Lance have taken a bold step toward reimagining what a vineyard experience can be in the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA.

Flat Rock documentary filmmaker David Weintraub will debut his latest film, Color Beyond the Lines, on June 21 at Blue Ridge Community College. The world premiere commemorates the 60th anniversary of the integration of public schools in Henderson County.  

The presentation also marks the culmination of three years of research and filmmaking, focused on the largely untold story of segregated Black schools in Henderson County  - and the generations of students, teachers, and families whose lives were shaped by them.

When the final chords of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical rang out after a spectacular opening performance on Friday night, few in the audience that roared its approval could have guessed just how much went into that triumphant moment. Behind the remarkable set design, dazzling stage lights, breathtaking costumes, and soaring harmonies were months of preparation, problem-solving, creative risk, and above all, the enterprising resilience that has defined Flat Rock Playhouse for nearly 75 years.

From soulful food to inclusive art and compassionate self-care, new ventures are rising where empty storefronts once stood, rekindling East Flat Rock’s legacy as a place of growth and gathering. At the heart of this quiet renaissance are three new enterprises—828 Take & Bake, The Man Cave, and Studio 116—each of which is planting something hopeful, heartfelt, and entirely their own in this historic community.

Something new is stirring in Flat Rock—and it’s not just the breeze off Highland Lake. With the joyful debut of Treska’s Tuesday Market, the Lindsey family has added another bright thread to the fabric of our vibrant community.

In the heart of Flat Rock, North Carolina, nestled among a cluster of charming businesses known as Little Rainbow Row, Starr Teel has created more than a restaurant—he’s cultivated a community experience.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the St. John in the Wilderness churchyard, a small bronze plaque rests on a simple stone, nestled among pine straw and fallen leaves. It sits humbly within a garden of azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons—planted in tribute to the man it commemorates. Modest and unassuming, the memorial is easy to miss.

But the life of Dr. August Kehr, and his time in Flat Rock, is not one that should fade into obscurity. His legacy - rooted in our small village - deserves to be remembered. His story here.

Just behind our house, up a small hill and no more than fifty yards from our back door, a wildlife camera captures something remarkable. Day and night, season after season, it bears quiet witness to a world many never see — a world of deer and raccoons, bears and foxes, bobcats, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and coyotes. A steady procession of life passes before its lens, revealing the quiet persistence of wildness that still endures just beyond the edge of human reach.

Shortly after the Village of Flat Rock was incorporated in 1996, Gretchen Highlander — wife of Flat Rock’s first mayor, Cy Highlander — set out to celebrate the town’s rich history in a unique and lasting way. She envisioned a quilt that would stitch together the stories, landmarks, and spirit of Flat Rock, and soon rallied a group of talented residents to help bring her idea to life.

As a child, Virginia Spigener would travel with her parents from their hometown in Florida for a weekend visit with her brother attending summer camp in Tuxedo, NC. During those trips, the family would visit Flat Rock and shop at the legendary Peace’s Grocery store for supplies and cold drinks.

Although young Virginia had no way of knowing at the time, the Village of Flat Rock and the building that housed Clarence Peace’s vintage grocery store would eventually become two of the most consequential places of her adult life.

On April 17, 2025, East Flat Rock resident George Sarros will celebrate his 100th birthday.  

Over the course of his 100 years, George has seen the world transformed by war, peace, tragedy, and triumph. A man of quiet humility and remarkable strength, he stands as one of the last living witnesses to D-Day, the momentous Allied invasion that changed the course of World War II. His legacy, however, extends far beyond that fateful day in June 1944. George’s story is one of family, service, love, and resilience during a long and remarkable life well-lived.

For more than a century, that narrow stretch of steel and timber carved its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains, connecting the Carolinas in a defiant dance against gravity. The Saluda Grade is a short but storied segment of railway that held the distinction of being the steepest standard-gauge mainline railroad grade in the United States. It was not only an engineering marvel, but a deeply woven thread in the industrial and cultural tapestry of the Southern Appalachians.