- This program is made possible in part by generous support from the American Battlefield Trust, connecting you to the places where our nation was forged.

Visit battlefields.org today.

(upbeat music) - Next on North Carolina Weekend, join us as we explore places where we gather.

We'll discover the charm of Charlotte's Optimist Park neighborhood, cheer on champions at Tryon Equestrian Center, and savor Appalachian farm-to-table flavors in Asheville.

Coming up next.

- Funding for North Carolina Weekend is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to North Carolina Weekend, everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and today we are exploring places where we gather.

We start in a Charlotte neighborhood with roots in the textile manufacturing industry.

Inside Optimist Park, I visited the McGill Rose Garden, a lovely little coffee shop that seemed tucked away from the rest of the world, and Optimist Food Hall, a vibrant eatery and shopping district that's anything but tucked away.

From peaceful corners to bustling public spaces, Optimist Park invites conversation and community.

Come with me.

(upbeat music) - There's just something about being out in nature and just getting to breathe the air.

People don't realize just how calming that is and just how important it is.

- It is, it's very important.

- So I love that there's this respite here.

- So we are on North Davidson Street.

We're kind of at the gateway of the NODOT Arts District.

The garden started as a fuel and ice company, started by Henry McGill back in the '50s.

He sold the property.

It is currently owned by the city of Charlotte.

So there's walking paths all throughout the garden.

It is just under two acres of green space in a very urban area.

So we like to call it our little urban garden.

- I wanna know more about Ms.

McGill.

What can you share about her loves and why she decided to start this?

- She just had a love of roses and thought that she could beautify a very industrial section of Charlotte.

They started planting rose bushes first along the fence over here on McGill Garden Way, and soon it took over the whole garden.

- It's beautiful.

And I went inside the coffee house too.

It's like a little cottage, so charming.

How long has the coffee house been here and what's inside?

- So inside is Rosie's, and we opened our wine shop in 2019, and we brought coffee in January of 2021.

- The name of the coffee shop is Rosie's.

Who's that named after?

- We had a little shop kitty several years ago.

She was born in the garden.

We adopted her, and she was queen of the garden.

- As people stroll the garden, what kinds of things are they gonna see?

- They're gonna see all kinds of flora, rose bushes, camellia bushes, fern gardens, herb gardens, pollinator gardens, which is the newest section of the garden.

It's about a year and a half old and still a work in progress.

- So this is the pollinator garden, and then there's a mural here.

Kind of speaks to what appears to be her feeling about community and just belonging and everyone being welcome.

- Absolutely.

(upbeat music) - The Optimist Hall, it has become really a gathering place where people can come, enjoy different types of food.

(upbeat music) - I just love what you guys have done to this place because it's so pretty and bright.

Very nice food hall.

- This here is a history of the neighborhood where we sit.

So we're currently in Optimist Park.

You can see over in the bottom right.

Where we're sitting, this portion of the building was built in 1892.

And this one actually made gingham fabric and they became one of the largest gingham manufacturers in the country.

Is Optimist Hall is basically two floors and call it 25, 26 vendors.

So they'll call it the retail side where we have restaurants, bars, retail establishments.

Infinite succulents.

(upbeat music) - We do have some chefs that are great.

We have some that are local entrepreneurs that were operating out of a food truck.

And this was their next step to go to a more brick and mortar type establishment.

- There's just about every kind of cuisine you can imagine here at Optimist Hall.

But I was in the mood for some Ethiopian.

So I went to a place called Enet and I got their Tibbs platter.

Of course you can visit the entire world if you want to here at Optimist.

So I went to India, got me this delicious mango lassi from Odiwala.

Love these.

(upbeat music) - The goal is, you know, if you come with your family, right, you're like, well, I want sushi.

Your kids are like, I want a hamburger.

Kind of cancels that veto vote.

When they're like, I don't wanna go there.

I don't like that.

And so what we found is for families in particular, that works well.

We do have a courtyard.

And that was a space where the water tower for the facility actually used to sit.

And again, the goal is to make it feel very calming and welcoming.

Nicer days, those will be packed with families, right?

We try to make this a very family-friendly place.

(upbeat music) - The Gill Rose Garden and Rosie's Coffee and Wine is open Sunday to Thursday from 8 a.m.

to 10 p.m.

and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m.

to 11 p.m.

Optimist Food Hall is at 1115 North Brevard Street in Charlotte, and it's open every day.

To find out more, give them a call at 980-701-0040 or go online to optimisthall.com.

Did you know that for the very first time, the National Horse Show competition will be held right here in North Carolina?

That's right, and what's just as exciting as the event is the venue.

Let's take a look.

[horse whinnying] - The town of Tryon in Western North Carolina has a long history of equestrian heritage.

It goes way back, specifically back in the 1950s.

The town of Tryon was a training grounds for the Olympics equestrian teams.

And so it was just a natural fit when the partnership came to this area and purchased the property here.

The first shows took place the summer of 2014, and then our first full season was the 2015 season, and we've been going strong ever since.

- For the exhibitors, this is a unique facility because of all the amenities that are actually on the grounds.

Eight restaurants, lodging, 200 full-service RV spots, and we have roughly 10 competition arenas, two indoors, a stadium, which we're at now.

We're set up to where we can have multiple events on the grounds at one time.

- My wife and I run a training operation just north of Durham, and been lucky enough to represent the US internationally.

I was on the Pan American Games team and as well as the Tokyo Olympic team.

We've got 16 horses with us this week in particular.

All show jumping now.

This is a horse called Quintessence.

He's been with us since he was four.

He's 15 now.

He's jumped through the five-star level, and we're gonna be jumping tonight.

- This particular week, we have 900 stalls filled with hunters and jumpers.

We have horse trials, which is a three-day event, and we're happy to say that we've just been awarded the contract for the National Horse Show, for 100 years, was in Madison Square Garden, and this coming October, it is here.

- So some of our premier events, like Earl Scruggs Music Festival, held Labor Day weekend every year.

It's become a regional bluegrass festival that's one of the biggest in the areas.

We were just awarded the Bluegrass Festival of the Year.

Some of the other events, too, the Professional Bull Riding, PBR.

That'll be in the fall this year, in September, and then we'll move into our winter indoor track season as well that's been a real big addition for us.

So Saturday Night Lights is kind of our premier events every year, so we kick off in May every season.

Six Saturday nights in a row with exceptional professional sport that takes place, Grand Prix, Under the Lights, and then the atmosphere that you have with Saturday Night Lights is for everyone.

So we have kids' activities, there's food, music, just a true family experience.

- For the horses, I think it's exceptional.

There's not many places that you can get the environment like you would on a Saturday night here.

I think the horses end up really benefiting 'cause our goal is to train these guys and hopefully represent the US at some point.

All of the international championships are gonna have a huge sort of stage that you're gonna be on, and so to be able to get them in that on a week-over-week basis is really, really helpful.

- I love coming out to Tryon.

I come out here as often as I can.

There's just so much.

I also like Saturday Night Lights, which is what we've got going on tonight, and get a little bit of food, and watch the ponies go around, and see some really, really nice animals and riders.

- It's pretty exciting, and every time I come here, we learn something new.

It's definitely worth it.

- Tryon International, it's more than just the sports.

It truly is a lifestyle destination.

We love that feeling when people come here for the first time.

They're usually very surprised and in a very positive way.

Nothing would make us more proud that when they leave, that they wanna come back.

(upbeat music) - Tryon International is located at 25 International Boulevard in Mill Spring.

For event schedules, lodging information, and hours, visit tryon.com.

In Morganton, there's a gathering place infused with the flavors, traditions, and hospitality of Guatemala.

Producer Rebecca Ward takes us to little Guatemala, where coffee, soccer, and community all come together.

(upbeat music) - We really wanted the community to want this place.

- Lots of people travel to Guatemala, spend money for an airplane ticket, but just right here in Morganton, North Carolina, you can come and experience Guatemalan culture, the real deal.

- We have soccer.

We roast coffee.

We also have a coffee shop.

We do have a restaurant.

Arts and crafts, and chocolate.

So, those are some of the things that we do.

(upbeat music) [speaking in foreign language] (upbeat music) - I went to Guatemala for two years to work with a group called the International Justice Mission.

We had the whole two years that I was there in Guatemala to get to know one another.

I came back to the United States, and he came and proposed, and we got married in Antigua, Guatemala at the end of that year.

We got here end of 2009, and we knew that some Guatemalans lived here, but we did not know that 20% of the population of this town is Guatemalan.

(speaking in foreign language) - I think we've counted at least seven different Mayan dialects spoken here in Morganton, and so that was really important to us, starting Little Guatemala is making it a place where the community at large could come together so these friendships can start.

(singing in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) (upbeat music) - We picked all of those things, the coffee, chocolate, soccer, restaurant, and crafts, because those are some of the top things that were mentioned.

Also, they're just iconic things from Guatemala.

If you think of Guatemala, those easily are some of the very first things that come to your mind.

(speaking in foreign language) - A lot of people don't actually consider where their chocolate bar came from.

We source the cacao bean from Alta Vera Paz in Guatemala.

Here we have dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, bars.

We make other specialty chocolate items here and there for the holidays, but yeah.

(speaking in foreign language) (cheering, whistle blowing) (speaking in foreign language) - Sitting down over a cup of coffee, playing a soccer game together, enjoying food, gathering around the table, there's just a really special relationship-building aspect of all of those things that we chose.

(speaking in foreign language) (upbeat music) - Little Guatemala is at 810 East Union Street in Morganton.

To learn more about their hours and special events, visit littleguatemala.com.

Some eateries become favorite gathering places because the food invites you to slow down and savor the pleasures of a thoughtfully prepared meal.

At Rhubarb Restaurant in Asheville, fresh local ingredients inspire Appalachian cuisine that creates an environment where people naturally come together.

(upbeat music) - Rhubarb was created by John Fleer, who was the chef and owner here for the first 11 years that it was open.

So Rhubarb opened in 2013 and The Rhu opened in 2016.

- We like to call it casual fine dining.

I want anyone to walk in and have a good meal.

It is Appalachian-inspired.

My passion is local food.

- Opening a bakery and cafe, The Rhu gave us a chance to really showcase the talented pastry chef, Appalachian, and in particular Asheville products, and really highlight the connection to community and what we're doing in the food scene.

- A lot of the menu is tailored to what's in season.

Writing a menu to open a restaurant in January was very difficult.

Like, would there still be beets?

Would there be turnips?

Would there be the potatoes that I wanted?

I wait to get those texts.

Gaining Ground texts me.

North Farm texts me.

I go to the farmers market to get Lee's One Fortune Farm and Wild East Farm and all of those wonderful providers.

These are kind of my winter warriors 'cause they're who are showcased on the menu at the moment.

- Helene was tough.

You know, we were fortunate to be, we're on the high side of downtown, so we didn't get flooded or lose power for an extended period of time.

But obviously, the city being without running water for what ended up being eight weeks had to close.

We were fortunate to mobilize and be able to be involved with World Central Kitchen during that time.

Once potable water came back into downtown, we were able to open up the event space on The Rhu.

- Where I found my community and my ability to lend a helping hand was cooking.

So we were just cooking all the food that was being donated from all the restaurants in town because no one was open and serving the community every day.

So in our staff of about eight back of house employees, including our long-term chef de cuisine and our long-term sous chefs, all of them relocated except for two.

So we lost the majority of our back of house staff.

So it's been a very strange journey, but I am so grateful to get to give it a new life and to bring it back.

And Mallory is deeply creative and energetic and wonderful.

The team that we have hired is excited to be in this space.

- I think everyone's excited.

I think that they're curious to see what we'll do moving forward.

The community loves Rue Barb, so it should just come back the way we left it.

- I love coming to Rue Barb 'cause I can just swing by after work and get to have something that's really fresh and unique and super casual.

I can just sit at the bar and have a friend make me a cocktail with fresh carrot juice.

I mean, it's technically healthy, right?

- Tonight I got the wood grilled chicken hearts with a mushroom cassoulet.

I love it because the hearts themselves are really rich.

I was expecting chicken liver, but it's not quite that.

It's like a small plate, but it eats big.

It's really nice.

- I want this to be a restaurant where I would go and eat.

Where there's dishes on the menu that only kitchen people would order.

I mean, kitchen people are gonna order chicken hearts.

It's weird, it's fun, but it's approachable.

- I love Rue Barb as a restaurant because I feel like it's somewhere where I can have a nice, cozy date, but it's also somewhere where I could bring a group of girlfriends.

I feel taken care of when I eat here.

I feel like there's stewardship in terms of the ingredients and how they're sourced.

- So when you read our menu, yes, you'll see components, and you may or may not be familiar with what some of those are, but I promise you it's not pretentious or out of reach.

It is accessible food, and it's food that's grown here, that feel at once familiar and comforting, but also innovative and new, and maybe a little bit surprising.

- Rhubarb is located at 7 Southwest Pack Square in Asheville.

For reservations, menus, hours, and additional information, visit them online at rhubarbasheville.com.

For 12,000 years, people have lived along the rivers of Robeson County.

The Museum of the Southeast American Indian preserves that history through artifacts, art, and cultural programming.

Producer Lucas Pruitt takes us to the museum.

- For thousands of years, people have lived along these rivers in Robeson County, North Carolina.

By the time of the American Revolution, many ancestors of the Lumbee Indians were still here, and some fought in the American Revolution.

This is the Museum of the Southeast American Indian, sustained by a community that never stopped fighting for its own story.

Located on the campus of UNC Pembroke, a university originally founded to educate Lumbee children, the museum has been a center of culture and history for decades.

- Our focus is very Native-centered and community-driven, so it is an authentic experience that is uniquely curated to highlight Native community.

The tribes that we represent here are the eight tribes in North Carolina, and we include the Catawba in South Carolina.

We also stretch out further with the tribes that are located in the Southern states.

What we offer through exhibitions, public programming, and engaging opportunities are ways of understanding who are Native people of the South.

- The oldest piece in the permanent collection is a 16-foot dugout canoe pulled from the Lumber River and dated to more than 1,000 years ago.

It shares the floor with the pine cone patchwork quilt, created in the early 1900s, and recognized by the National Quilt Museum for its craftsmanship.

Another favorite stop is the recreation of an 18th-century cabin that gives visitors a window into how life was once lived here during the Revolutionary War period.

- One of the unique ways that we share stories is through the people themselves, and so we've created a lot of videos, and we share those in the museum.

We also have a museum gift store that people can come and shop at.

We have a variety of different things from pottery, beadwork, jewelry, a huge selection of books.

- We also have a Children's Discovery Center, which is an intergenerational learning space where families and other community can gather and listen to a story, or hop in our canoe and take a ride, or even do traditional crafts.

- Rotating exhibitions of Native art from across the Southeast keep the walls alive with contemporary voices.

And throughout the year, the Life by the River program brings together communities from across the region for workshops, storytelling, and hands-on cultural experiences.

- American Indian people were important to North Carolina society, so as the American Revolution is heating up, we were at the center of those politics as well.

So once the outbreak of the war happened, prevailingly what we see are more men that were enlisting on the patriot side.

The outcome was there was one singular nation that Native peoples would have to deal with.

Now there was an America.

- Our histories have often been overlooked, and so we want to bring forward those stories, those genealogies, the whole experience of what it means to be a Southeastern Native.

- A living museum in every sense of the word, and admission is always free.

In December 2025, the community's perseverance finally culminated in full federal recognition.

It was 137 years after they first asked for it.

- Lumbee people's view on America certainly is that this is our country.

This anniversary has really provided an opportunity to be more retrospective, to look back and examine the actions of our ancestors, to understand who we are today.

Most of us are very patriotic.

We are uniquely Americans.

Most of all, we are uniquely North Carolinians and uniquely Southern.

(upbeat music) - The Museum of the Southeast American Indian is located in Pembroke on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Admission is free.

For hours and more information, visit uncp.edu/museum.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

There are truly some unique places to gather around the state, and we hope we've shown you something new to explore.

If you've missed anything in tonight's show, remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org, or you can find all of our stories on our YouTube channel.

Have a great North Carolina weekend, everyone.

(upbeat music) ♪ ♪ - Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

- This program is made possible in part by generous support from the American Battlefield Trust, connecting you to the places where our nation was forged.

Visit battlefields.org today.

(upbeat music)