When I was in the first grade, I volunteered my mother to be in charge of our class Valentine Party. She was clever and creative – holidays and parties were her forte. They brought to the surface a breed of woman not to be believed …

A Valentine’s Day story from Missy Izard Schenck

As the original group of about 50 former slaves traveled northward through Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, news of their crusade spread, and their numbers grew to about 200 people. Upon reaching S.C., the entourage met with freed slaves who spoke of families from the “Lowcountry” who made annual pilgrimages to the high country where miles of uninhabited mountain wilderness existed. Led by a dream, the caravan of former slaves set out on the Buncombe Turnpike for North Carolina — the possible end to their questing pilgrimage.

Their quest was to take them to an intersection in history with the family of John Davis, one of Henderson County’s earliest settlers.

In a few short weeks, spring will arrive once again at the Carl Sandburg Home here in Flat Rock. Forsythia will begin blooming on the bushes near the house. Daffodils will dance in the grass, and baby goats will start emerging from the barn sporting jaunty colorful sweaters. We can thank Lilian Steichen, Carl’s wife, for this annual spring treat.

In the last decade, the data has been piling up, revealing a Native American culture over 10,000 years old. The evidence of Native Americans at Green River Preserve is extensive. There are petroglyphs on Long Rock, bivouacs throughout GRP, a fault line where an ancient rock quarry is located, many lithic scatters on the surface from flint knapping, and points dating from 10,000 BC to 500 years ago. Additionally, there is Native American pottery, a 5000-year-old Native American fire ring 2 feet below the surface, dwelling sites along the Green River, evidence of long-distance trade, and more.

Although the young girl visiting from Florida 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.

After just a few moments of talking to Anna Kimmell about her new job as Director of Education at Flat Rock Playhouse, it becomes readily apparent that, to the extent that enthusiasm, energy, and a positive outlook are predictors of success, the Playhouse has the right woman on the job.

The very best part of writing the Good News posts for Flat Rock Together is the opportunity to learn more about the most interesting people, places, and events in Flat Rock.

Here is a look back at five of our favorite stories from 2020. The candidates for this distinction were numerous and choosing just five was no easy task. Ultimately, we came up with these five and hope you enjoy reliving some of the very best moments from Flat Rock Together in 2020…

My great grandmother’s recipe haunts our family. It’s not exactly comfort food. You either like it or you don’t. It’s loaded with whiskey and ferments in the basement until it is ripe. The historic Christmas cake is actually edible for up to 25 years after it is made!

Josh Stephens did not grow up in the mountains. As a child, he was raised by surfing parents and spent a significant portion of his youth with an eye towards the sea. “The ocean was where we might lose ourselves” he explains. “Riding waves or simply being humbled by the ocean's beauty and power. I still have this deep need to get outside in one way or another and to be in beautiful and wild places.”

If John Gunther’s quote is to be believed, and if the crowds that flock to Honey and Salt restaurant on Little Rainbow Row are any indication, then Flat Rock must be one of the happiest places in the world.

Now that we have finished with Thanksgiving, many of us will start to think about our Holiday shopping. Fortunately, Flat Rock is replete with wonderful options for purchasing gifts for family and friends. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Back when European settlers first came to Southern Appalachia, wild turkeys were plentiful. By the early 1900s, however, only a few were left, a decline that continued into the mid-century. The restoration of this iconic species is considered one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world.

Many Flat Rock residents arrived in the Village from locales throughout the country and even the world. Undoubtedly, however, the single largest source of new residents in Flat Rock is the Blue Ridge Humane Society.

When Tom Fisch was 10 years old, he won a guitar in a raffle at a local high school bazaar. That guitar became the first stepping stone on a long and winding musical path that led him from his hometown of Albany, NY, to Nashville in pursuit of a childhood dream, and ultimately to Flat Rock and a career as a modern-day minstrel bringing entertainment and smiles to the mountains of western North Carolina. His story here …

On Friday night at 7:01, Grace stepped out of the kitchen and handed me the year’s very last order from the Hubba Hubba Smokehouse kitchen. With only outdoor seating, Flat Rock’s iconic Barbecue joint officially closed at 7 pm on October 30, and I was the lucky soul who received the final order of 2020.

Getting from the Low Country to the far reaches of Western North Carolina, or "the Wilderness" as it was sometimes called, was an event in itself and one that required much planning on both ends.

As a young student at Cornell University in 1970, Rick Merrill had a life-altering academic experience. “After three semesters of engineering,” he explains with a smile, “I had no clue what I wanted to do. Spherical Trigonometry and Organic Chemistry helped convinced me that I didn't want to be an engineer.” Fifty years on from that hard life lesson, Cornell’s loss has turned out to be a significant gain for Flat Rock, NC.

The alarm goes off at 2:45 am. I crawl out of bed and stumbled around in the dark bedroom trying to get dressed without waking my wife. No dice. “You’re crazy,” she mutters as she pulled the sheets closer and turns over. “At least bring home something tasty.”

Fate - as it is often want to do - soon stepped in and opened a door to Karen’s dream. While driving through “downtown” Flat Rock one day, Mike and Karen noticed that there was a commercial space available for rent next to the Flat Rock Post Office. They immediately made an appointment to see the space and the rest is, as they say, history.

The 5th Annual Art in Bloom presented by The Gallery at Flat Rock is an artful pairing of colorful, fresh blooms with sculpture and canvases to create a novel experience visitors to the show. It’s a visual conversation that’s amplified through the inherent transience of the exhibit.