With parades, carols, and lots of old-school personality, these villages are steeped in history and tradition.
ABINGDON
VIRGINIA
If Frank Capra had made a Southern version of It’s a Wonderful Life, he might have set it in Abingdon, Virginia, with its tree-lined Main Street, scenic Blue Ridge setting, historic Martha Washington Inn & Spa, and legendary Barter Theatre.
TAKE A STROLL
Abingdon’s entire 20-block downtown district is on the National Register of Historic Places, with some homes and buildings dating all the way back to the 1700s. In December, as you meander along Main Street, Plumb Alley, and Valley Street (they run parallel to each other), you’ll see charming old structures trimmed with festive holiday greenery.
SEE A PLAY
As the State Theatre of Virginia and the nation’s longest-running professional theater, the Barter claims an impressive list of alumni, including Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, and Kevin Spacey. Find performance dates and times at bartertheatre.com.
EAT & DRINK
Start off at Zazzy’Z Coffee House, where the Holiday Blend is a much-anticipated town favorite (zazzyz.com). Get baklava with a side of history at Balkan Bakery (located inside Zazzy’Z). Owner Angela Cvetkovski serves Eastern European delicacies with centuries-old recipes like Cherry Strudla as well as Spinach and Feta Burek (thebalkanbakery.com). At BoneFire Smokehouse on West Main Street, order a juicy pulled-pork sandwich (facebook.com/bonefire smokehouseabingdon). The Tavern Restaurant serves hearty dinners in Abingdon’s oldest building. Enjoy an after-dinner cordial selected for you by chef Joe Fugo (abingdontavern.com).
GO SHOPPING
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Southern Living.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Southern Living.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Forging a Legacy - A Fredericksburg, Texas, couple is creating a new class of heirloom cast-iron cookware
When Jay Mallinckrodt pitched the idea of crafting cast-iron cookware to his wife and business partner, Heather, in 2020, she was hesitant. I immediately said no, she recalls with a laugh. But I finally agreed as long as we made something that we would actually want to use ourselves. Like many others during the initial throes of the pandemic, their multigenerational family operation, Heartland Enterprises (which specializes in machining parts for jet engines and gas and oil equipment), was seeing a lull. “No one was flying; no one was drilling, says Jay. So we had time to try something different.
A Butterfly Haven - In the Texas Hill Country, a conservationist is helping monarchs adjust to the changing world
Twenty-four years ago, Monika Maeckle bought a small property on the Llano River in Central Texas as an escape from fast-paced San Antonio. A journalist and marketing professional by trade, she didn't at first realize the value of the location on which she and her husband would later build their ranch. She also had no idea how this decision would eventually transform her life.One October evening a few years later, a friend invited Maeckle to their nearby house, which sat on a watershed with several large cypresses. All these butterflies dropped from the sky and started to gravitate toward the trees, she recalls. Stronger people who could swing a big 12-foot-long pole began trying to capture them, and we waited. By the end of the evening, we'd tagged a couple hundred butterflies, and I left there enchanted.
Oktober Feast!
While I respect your right to serve spooky food in October, you won't find any gory grub at my house this month. Instead, I'm hosting a gathering that's inspired by biergartens across the pond. The focus of the menu is a fondue made with Gruyère cheese and crisp Riesling-like beer-cheese dip but more elevated. It's served with a smorgasbord of dippers such as smoked sausage, grapes, apples, and a few amped-up store-bought snacks, like Mustard-Glazed Pretzel Bites and Smoked Paprika Potato Chips. (Just one taste, and you'll want to add this spice to every bag you open.) Pour yourself a Cider Shandy, and get ready for a good time. Prost, y'all!
The Roast With the Most
Embrace the changing seasons with a cozy pork supper
Roll With It
Company's coming? Bake a batch of these apple-stuffed delights
VIRGINIA PASTORAL
IN MIDDLEBURG, THE COMMONWEALTH'S MOST STORIED SMALL TOWN, OCTOBER WELCOMES A HOST OF TREASURED TRADITIONS
TAKING ROOT
Turn the season's freshest veggies-beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots-into colorful fall sides
THE FAMILY PLACE
When it came time for a young Georgia couple to make an 1800s farmhouse their own, they took it apart piece by piece-then rebuilt it into a home ready to welcome the next generation
Loving Life in Fayetteville
This Northwest Arkansas college town is easy to love and hard to leave
The Road That Raised Me
This lesser-known drive offers the most breathtaking views in the Smoky Mountains
