From recreation and unique lodging to arts, culture and fine dining, North Carolina's charming towns and urban locations offer an endless array of experiences. Learn about everything from the highest peaks in the Eastern United States to 320 miles of pristine coast at VisitNC.com or by calling 1-800 VISIT NC (847-4862).

NC Attractions to Shine During National Park Service Centennial
From the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina will shine throughout the U.S. National Park Service's 100th anniversary celebration in 2016. The state is home to the oldest national seashore (Cape Hatteras), the most popular national park (Great Smoky Mountains) as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway, known as "America's Favorite Drive," and Cape Lookout National Seashore, whose golden anniversary coincides with the National Park Service centennial. As part of the milestone celebration, the Park Service plans to rehabilitate the lighthouse (pictured at left) and restore the Cape Lookout and Portsmouth Village Historic Districts. 2014 marks the first time that Cape Lookout has been served by regular ferry service from Beaufort and Cedar Island. www.nationalparks.org 

World's Tallest Gigacoaster Arrives at Carowinds
Five years after thrilling roller coaster fans with the Intimidator, Carowinds theme park in Charlotte hits new heights with the Fury 325. The “325” refers to a maximum height that makes the Fury the world's tallest gigacoaster and non-launched roller coaster. The 3½-minute ride thrills with speeds up to 95 mph. The addition is part of a $50 million expansion at Carowinds, which included a pair of four-story waterslides that opened in 2014 at the 400-acre thrill park. Other additions for 2015 include the Slingshot, which catapults a two-person capsule nearly 300-feet into the air, plus an expanded entrance and new dining options. The Intimidator, named for the late NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, reaches speeds approaching 80 mph and joins the Fury 325 on the list of the 10 tallest roller coasters in North America. www.carowinds.com 

Aerial Adventure Parks Open in Greensboro, Blowing Rock
Two new aerial parks have risen on North Carolina's adventure landscape to challenge children and adults. SKYWILD treetop adventure park offers 60 animal-inspired challenges that range from 12 to 45 feet above the ground at the Greensboro Science Center's Animal Discovery Zoo. Adventurers 10 and older can choose from seven courses, with features including a Lilypad Leap and parallel-log walk as well as ziplines, depending on the desired level of intensity. The treetop experience pairs well with an exploration of other Science Center attractions, which include the Carolina SciQuarium, the Omnisphere Theater and the zoo. www.greensboroscience.org Blowing Rock, High Gravity Adventures has opened next to Tweetsie Railroad, a classic Wild West theme park with authentic railroad history. The aerial park incorporates 75 elements ― aerial bridges, tight-rope walks, floating foot loops and giant spiders' webs ― strung from 15 to 50 feet in the air. The Kids' Course accepts children as young as 5; the Adult Course is open to adventurers 8 and older. Activities at Tweetsie include rides, live shows, a deer park habitat and trains pulled by historic steam engines. www.highgravityadventures.com, twetsie.com

International Equestrian Resort to Open in Tryon
Tryon, a town of 1,600 in the Blue Ridge Foothills, will see a leap in the stature of its eight-decade horse tradition with the opening of Tryon Resort. The first stage of the 1,400-acre development is the new Tryon International Equestrian Center, with five riding arenas and 500 stalls, which opened in July. Spring 2016 adds a 150-room hotel with a restaurant and bar, retail shops, a market and event space. The next year, a 200-room, nature-inspired luxury resort with a destination spa will open. The resort will also include an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and luxury homes. Hospitality and golf operations will be managed by Salamander Hotels & Resorts. www.salamanderhotels.com 

Cherokee Valley River Casino to Open in Murphy in 2015
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians plans a 2015 opening (date TBA) for the Cherokee Valley River Casino near Murphy, about an hour's drive from Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort. The new attraction, under construction on an 85-acre mountain tract, will include a 300-room hotel and 60,000 square feet of gaming space. Caesars Entertainment will manage the operation, which will feature 1,200 slot machines and 40 to 50 table games. Work on the $110 million project began less than a year after a $650 million dollar expansion of Harrah's Cherokee was completed. www.harrahscherokee.com 

Sierra Nevada's Mills River Brewery Welcomes Visitors
Beer lovers can raise a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Torpedo or Kellerweis brewed in Western North Carolina. The Chico, Calif.-based company, which began production in its new brewery in Mills River near Asheville in 2014 is now welcoming visitors to the taproom and café and plans to open hiking trails on its 190-acre tract on the French Broad River. Sierra Nevada is the second of three large craft breweries to launch North Carolina operations. Oskar Blues opened in Brevard in 2012, and New Belgium is targeting late 2015 for the opening of its Asheville Brewery. www.sierranevada.com 

Rocky Mount Brewmill to Nurture Innovation; Durham Bulls Park Adds Brewery
On the North Carolina beer landscape, inventiveness extends beyond brewcraft to the business side. In Rocky Mount, the Brewmill aims to transform the state's second-oldest mill into a crossroads of craft beer with its mix of brewery incubators, contract brewing, shared packaging facilities, malt house plus a bottle shop and tasting room. The Brewmill, which aims for a summer 2015 opening, is partnering with Capitol Broadcasting, which transformed a crumbling cigarette factory in downtown Durham into the now thriving American Tobacco Historic District across the street from Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Capitol Broadcasting also owns the Durham Bulls, and this season the ballpark becomes the first in Minor League baseball with its own brewery, Bull Durham Beer Co. brewmill.com; bulldurhambeer.com

NC Distillery Marks 10th Anniversary of 'Legal Moonshine' in the USA
In 2005, Piedmont Distillers became America's first “legal moonshine” distillery with the launch of the Catdaddy brand, followed by Midnight Moon, based on NASCAR superhero Junior Johnson's family recipe. North Carolina is now home to a dozen moonshine distilleries from the mountains to the coast, including new ones with ties to racing, a sport rooted in bootlegger history. Wilkes County, where Junior Johnson invented the “bootlegger turn,” will have three distilleries crafting corn whiskey, and a few miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway's quad oval track, race and moonshine fans can find Southern Grace Distilleries. Contact media@VisitNC.com for more details.

Film and TV Action Points to Destinations Across the State
Film lovers can connect the scenes to the scenery in high-profile projects shot across North Carolina. Beyond pilgrimage-inspiring titles such as “The Hunger Games,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Last of the Mohicans,” “Dawson's Creek,” “One Tree Hill” and “Blue Velvet,” a number of fresh projects are stimulating travel from the mountains to the coast. A few for the road:

• “Masterminds,” the heist comedy with Owen Wilson and Zach Galifianakis, filmed in the Asheville area. See film sites and follow Wilson's lead at Sliding Rock, a 70-foot natural waterslide in Pisgah National Forest.
• Two Nicholas Sparks adaptations invite a look at film sites and the books' settings, much as “Safe Haven” did with Southport. For “The Choice,” Wilmington-area locations stand in for Beaufort. “The Longest Ride” (pictured at right) points to Wilmington, Jacksonville and Winston-Salem locations and Black Mountain connections.
• “Paper Towns,” adapted from John Green's young adult best-seller, was filmed in Charlotte, a city full of “Homeland” and “Hunger Games” scenes.
• “Under the Dome,” the hit Stephen King series, is filmed primarily in the Wilmington area.
• “A Chef's Life,” the PBS documentary series, unfolds in and around chef Vivian Howard's hometown of Kinston.

Find more titles and locations at www.filmnc.com and media.VisitNC.com.

National Folk Music Festival Heads to Greensboro
The National Council for the Traditional Arts has chosen Greensboro as host city for the National Folk Music Festival. The three-year residency begins with the 2015 festival, which will be the 75th installation of the nation's longest-running traditional arts event. Set for Sept. 11-13 in the heart of downtown, the festival will include more than 30 performing groups on seven stages with continuous music and dance performances, along with children's activities, a North Carolina folklife area, a festival marketplace, and regional and ethnic foods. Future dates are Sept. 9-11, 2016, and Sept. 8-10, 2017. www.artsgreensboro.org In Raleigh, meanwhile the International Bluegrass Music Association will return Sept. 29-Oct. 3 for World of Bluegrass, which includes an industry conference, awards show, the Wide Open Bluegrass street festival and other events. IBMA brought the event to Raleigh in 2013 and has committed to staying through 2018. ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass

'Blue Ridge Music Trails' Traces a Tuneful Heritage
North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains ring with a unique music legacy that fascinates folklorists, enthralls listeners and triggers an urge to tap your feet. “Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” (UNC Press) maps the bowing, picking, plucking, frailing, stomping, shuffling and singing that run generations deep across 26 counties and lead to singular experiences at festivals, jams and unexpected venues framed by some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth. A 20-track CD accompanies the book and connects with uncommonly gifted musicians. To make trip-planning easier, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and the North Carolina Arts Council have partnered on an interactive website, www.blueridgemusicnc.com, that includes event listings as well as points of interest.

LODGING NEWS

Second Hotel at Biltmore to Double the Rooms on Asheville Estate
The Biltmore Co. is building a 209-room hotel on the 8,000-acre estate in Asheville with fall 2015 as the target opening date. The hotel will be next to the Biltmore Winery at Antler Hill Village, west of the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate, which opened in 2001 with 201 rooms. Amenities at the new hotel will include an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and a casual restaurant and bar offering a small plate tasting menu, Biltmore wines, craft beers and signature cocktails. The lobby will feature an “open kitchen” concept, with freshly prepared on-the-go food and drink options. Other dining options at Antler Hill Village include the Bistro, Cedric's Tavern and the Creamery. Shuttle service will be available to transport guests to Biltmore House, Deerpark and other points of interest. www.biltmore.com 

Kimpton, 21c Museum Hotels Transform Shreve & Lamb Landmarks
Skyscrapers designed by the firm best known for the Empire State Building are adding prestigious hotel brands to the lodging landscapes in Winston-Salem and Durham. 21c Museum Hotel Durham opened in April in the Hill Building, a 17-story Art Deco gem completed in 1937. The 125-room hotel, the fourth 21c Museum Hotel, reflects the brand's dedication to contemporary art and adds the Counting House Restaurant to Durham's acclaimed dining scene. www.21cmuseumhotels.com/durham In Winston-Salem, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and PMC Property Group are partnering to convert the 21-story R.J. Reynolds Building (pictured at left) into a luxury hotel with 175 rooms, 36 suites and luxury residential housing on the upper floors. The 1929 building, which served as headquarters for Reynolds Industries, is considered the prototype for the Empire State Building. The property will feature a lobby bar and 120-seat restaurant. www.kimptonhotels.com 

Restaurant, Rooftop Bar to Add Signature Flourishes to The Durham Hotel
A second downtown Durham landmark finds new life as a boutique hotel. The Durham Hotel is expected to open this year in a Mid-Century Modern structure with soaring columns that flank a futuristic masonry tower. In its new life, the former Mutual Community Savings Bank building will contain 54 rooms, a rooftop lounge and a restaurant with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrea Reusing at the helm. The hotel is expected to open in this summer. www.thedurham.com Also in downtown Durham, the historic McPherson Hospital site is being redeveloped as a 143-room select service Residence Inn by Marriott (opening this summer), and Aloft Durham Downtown opens in June (see below).

3 Aloft Hotels to Rise in Raleigh and Durham
Starwood Hotels and Resorts' stylish Aloft brand will quadruple its profile in the Research Triangle area with new hotels in Raleigh and Durham. Aloft Durham Downtown is scheduled to open July 23 in the revitalized American Tobacco Historic District, home of the Durham Performing Arts Center and Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The 134-room property will include an outdoor Splash pool, W XYZ bar, 24-hour re:charge gym and other signature features. The 135-room Aloft Raleigh opens Aug. 20 across the street from N.C. State University's iconic bell tower. It will have an outdoor Splash pool, W XYZ bar and a 55-foot sculpture by renowned Raleigh artist Thomas Sayre. Aloft Raleigh-Durham Airport Brier Creek, midway between the airport and the heart of Research Triangle Park, will arrive in September. Aloft Chapel Hill, the area's first Aloft, opened in 2010. www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels 

Downtown Cary Revival Includes Luxury Hotel From Acclaimed Innkeepers
A 45-room boutique hotel is scheduled to open in late 2015 in Cary's historic downtown. The three-story Mayton Inn will offer more than 13,000 square feet of public space with a library, full bar and restaurant, gym, spa, terrace and meeting space. The project is a public-private partnership between the town and the proprietors of the 17-room King's Daughters Inn, a Four Diamond bed and breakfast in Durham. Cary, a Raleigh neighbor with 149,000 residents, has experienced phenomenal outward growth since the 1960s, and now the town is investing in downtown revitalization. The Mayton's neighbors will include The Cary, a town-owned venue in a freshly renovated 1946 movie house, and the Cary Arts Center, housed in a WPA building that was restored in 2011. www.maytoninn.com 

Downtown Asheville to Add More Than 500 Hotel Rooms
Four national hotel brands will contribute 527 rooms to the lodging scene in lively downtown Asheville. Marriott extends the reach of its European-inspired AC Hotels with 120 rooms, opening in 2016; Choice Hotels adds a 136-room Cambria Suites (2015); Hilton Hotel & Resorts is building a 151-room Hilton Garden Inn (2015); and Hyatt contributes a 140-room Hyatt Place to the mix (2015). On the horizon: 150 to 170 new rooms as part of a revamping of the 17-story BB&T Building, the city's tallest structure and a location for the Zach Galifianakis-Owen Wilson heist comedy “Masterminds.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Whirligig Park Turns Wilson Into a Visionary Arts Destination
Artist Vollis Simpson's wind-powered whirligigs can be found at must-see museums in Raleigh, Atlanta, New York and Baltimore and in private collections around the world. The city of Wilson becomes the envy of them all with the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, the new permanent home of 31 of the whimsical sculptures, which create their own rhythm and dance in the breeze. The downtown park ensures the legacy of the artist, who died in May at age 94, and provide easy access from I-95 for travelers who want to discover the treasures. The first whirligigs were installed before the 2013 Whirligig Festival in November, and the park's completion is scheduled for 2016. www.wilsonwhirligigpark.org 

University Chancellor's Raleigh Residence to House Art Museum
N.C. State University in Raleigh is transforming the historic Chancellor's Residence into the new home of the Gregg Museum of Art and Design. The museum will include the 7,950-square-foot Georgian-style mansion plus a 15,000-square-foot addition, a sculpture garden and other outdoor spaces. When the $9 million project is completed in 2016, the museum will serve as a campus gateway as well as a permanent home for the 30,000 objects in a collection whose strengths include textiles, ceramics, outsider/folk art and photography. newgregg.ncsu.edu

Folk Art Museum to be Built in Pittsboro
The owners of Small B&B Cafe in Pittsboro plan to build a museum to house a collection of 400 works by whirligig master Vollis Simpson, wood carver Minnie Adkins, painter-bluesman Jimmie Lee Suddeth and other self-taught artists. With construction expected to begin in early 2015, the museum will share the B&B/café's 0.82-acre site on the corner of East and Small streets. The museum will add yet another element to the lively folk art scene in the Pittsboro area, home to Fearrington resort's annual Folk Art Show and Chatham Couny Arts Council's Clydefest, which honors resident chainsaw sculptor Clyde Jones, whose work is included in the Small Museum collection. smallbandbcafe.com

CONTACT:

Scott Peacock
919-447-7777
scott.peacock@VisitNC.com

Maureen Haley
212-444-7145
maureen.haley@aboutdci.com