You Learn Something New Everyday in Cabarrus County

 

In a recent meeting where we were discussing some of the great natural resources and historical locations we have in Cabarrus County, a dear friend of Visit Cabarrus, Ellen Whiteside of The Bed & Bike Inn, mentioned the Uwharrie National Forest (pronounced like saying the letters U – R – E).  This led our discussion into the history of the mountain terrain in the counties surrounding us.  Although I’ve lived in this area for many years, I have yet to thoroughly visit the Uwharrie recreational trail or Badin Lake.  From everything I’ve heard and read about this pristine area, it’s next on my list of places to visit. 

A Golden Christmas in Cabarrus County

One thing I learned after moving to Concord, North Carolina just over seven years ago is that Cabarrus County has many hidden treasures. Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing about many of these treasures including the location of the first gold discovery in the United States. 

Non-Traditional Traditions Make Cabarrus County Exciting Place for Upcoming Holidays

Every home town has its annual traditions.  Where I grew up, we had Santa Claus visiting the neighborhoods on the county fire trucks on Thanksgiving night.  Across the country there are fond memories of taking part in tree lightings, Independence Day parades and barbecues.  Cabarrus County of course is no different when it comes to these traditional type of traditions.  It’s the non-traditional type of traditions coming up this holiday season that make Cabarrus County special.

Doug Foley’s Drag Racing School Comes to Concord

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my very first experience at an NHRA race.  It was truly an amazing weekend and I became a fan by the closing ceremony on Sunday afternoon.  Just a few days after the inaugural Carolina Nationals at the new ZMax Dragway@Concord departed town I received a call from Doug Foley.  Doug was initially introduced to me during race weekend as the owner/driver of Foley-Lewis Racing and the Doug Foley Drag Racing School.  The blinking message light on my phone did not prepare me for the message that was waiting.  It was Doug Foley calling to set up a time that we could discuss some test dates he would be running at ZMax Dragway @ Concord for his school.  In the tourism world this is called “WOW!”

Rain Doesn’t Dampen the NASCAR Spirit

Many years ago my then boyfriend, now husband, introduced me to NASCAR. I had no choice – he worked in the sport. At the time I honestly didn’t get it. Now, many years later and living and working in the heart of NASCAR country in the tourism industry – I get it.  I spend my days now focusing on NASCAR, the business of traveling and counting up the ways to build our economy.

The Bank of America 500 is this weekend and as the haulers, campers, souvenir trailers, fan adorned cars and “Welcome Race Fans” banners moved into Cabarrus County, so to did the rain.

NASCAR, Meet zMax!

Greg Biffle

Only 16 days remain until the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gets down to business with the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but first the NASCAR industry will invade zMAX Dragway @ Concord on Wednesday evening, Oct. 1, for a night of street legal drag racing.

NASCAR drivers, owners, and crew members, most of which reside in the greater Charlotte area, will bring their personal vehicles to the “Bellagio of drag strips” for a chance to go head-to-head on the concrete
quarter-mile. “It’s been since high school since I’ve raced on a drag strip,” said Greg Biffle (left), the winner of the past two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. “I used to race Wednesday night ‘grudge matches’ on the eighth-mile back home. This will be the first opportunity I’ve had to go back to a dragway and run my own car since back in those days. I have a 2007 Shelby GT 500 that I’ve been working on specifically for this and I can’t wait to get to zMAX Dragway next week to see what kind of time she will run.”

The Season for Festivals

Ah, fall is here – crisp weather, delicious crunchy apples at farmers stands, clear blue skies, and – festivals! We have a huge number of wonderful festivals in Cabarrus County this year, and the hard part is just figuring out which to attend!

This weekend there’s the annual Gold Hill Founder’s Day Festival, which I attended last year. This quaint mining village is a blast from the past, with cute stores, a yummy restaurant called Miss Ruby’s, and great entertainment at teh annual celebration. Then the following weekend, it gets really crazy: county fair-style Midland Magic, Bost Grist Mill’s Annual Taste of Yesterday, and the opening weekend of the Carolina Renaissane Festival. If you can swing it, go to Midland Magic and Bost Grist Mill – they’re not far from each other, and you can hit the RenFest the following weekend.

Then, if that’s not enough, hit our Calendar of Events for more festivals, famer’s markets, and corn mazes. There’s no excuse to stay inside this fall!

Never Too Early: Tickets Going on Sale for Coca-Cola 600!

Tickets for the May 24 Coca-Cola 600 and May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway will go on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23. And if it’s not too early for tickets, that means it’s not too early to book your hotel!

Priced from $39 to $125, a wide selection of grandstand seating options are available for the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 including a number of premium frontstretch seats. Tickets for the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race range in price from $30 to $85.

Jessica Simpson to Perform at Bank of America 500

Whether you love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Jessica Simpson is a star. Her recent polarizing switch to country music has only elevated her as a household name and topic of musical debate.  So naturally, we are thrilled that she is lending her star power to an already star-studded event: The Bank of America 500, Oct. 11, at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.

Simpson will perform a 40-minute pre-race concert and sing the national anthem at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The concert performance is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Bank of America 500.

“Jessica Simpson is one of the most captivating celebrities in America,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “She’ll put on an incredible pre-race show, and I know NASCAR fans will enjoy seeing a live performance of her new country songs.”

First NHRA races at ZMax Dragway @ Concord are a huge success!

This week I asked our marketing manager and resident “blog master” Cordelia if I could “guest blog” about my experiences this past weekend at the NHRA drag races at ZMax Dragway @ Concord. She graciously agreed to trust me so here I am!

As a relative newcomer to the sport of drag racing, I was completely unsure of what my experience would be when the NHRA races took place at the new ZMax Dragway @ Concord. On my first day I have to admit I was completely confused. Thursday started with bracket racing. If you are unfamiliar with bracket racing, its a bit perplexing to watch a car take off as fast as they can, slow down and then speed off toward the finish line. After pulling aside someone I could trust to offer me an explanation and not laugh at my ignorance, I understood the incredible level of control a bracket racer has over their car.