On a quiet Sunday morning, the Union-Market Passageway in Concord felt anything but spooky, which…read moreis always a pleasant surprise because some alleys can definitely give off that vibe. But here, the white painted brick and the bright artworks made it feel open and welcoming. The murals tell the story of Concord's industrial past and how those early mills and factories shaped the city. Knowing the installation was completed in 2013 by artist Sharon Dowell made me appreciate how intentional the space feels. One of the captions, "This image shows the original Cabarrus County Courthouse, built after the Town of Concord was laid out in 1796 on a 26 acre tract of land called 'Pea Ridge' near the old Indian Trading Path. It was a modest frame structure 30 feet wide and 30 feet long with a 15 foot hip roof. It was constructed in the intersection of Union and Corbin (now Corban) Streets." Walking through with no one else around, it was easy to slow down and take in the colors and the way the artwork is framed against the clean brick walls, and the passageway felt more like a small outdoor art gallery than a cut through. It is a simple spot but a charming one, and on a calm Sunday morning, it added a nice bit of character to my walk through downtown Concord. [Review 665 of 2026 - 4753 in North Carolina - 25846 overall]

Union-Market Passageway is not just another utilitarian alleyway in an historic downtown district…read more It's historical and artsy too! located between 48 and 46 South Union the pedestrian alley is currently adorned with works by Charlotte artist Sharon Dowell titled "Momentous- A Timeline of History Shaping Sites of Concord" it includes several large pieces installed on the wall depicting places and periods significant to life in the early days of the greater Concord metro. small plaques accompany the panels providing background and context for the illustrations.

As I was walking along Union Street super early on a quiet Sunday morning, making my way from the…read morehistoric courthouse towards my eventual stop for coffee, I came across "Dawn" by Sam Spiczka, one of the city's public arts commission installations, and it hit just right for that hour of the day. The piece rises in this organic, skeletal curve that feels both industrial and natural at the same time. Something about the upward reach immediately made me think of the Holocaust Memorial in Miami with its giant hand stretching toward the sky, not in a direct way but in that shared sense of striving and tenson. Standing here with no one else around, the street still waking up and most of the shops still closed, the sculpture felt like a quiet marker of transition, the kind of artwork that is a reward for being out before the world gets noisy. [Review 664 of 2026 - 4752 in North Carolina - 25845 overall]

This is such a quaint little village! I spent an afternoon here. The drive up from Charlotte is…read morebeautiful once you're off the main highway. Got lunch at fat Mack's and hopped in and out of the gift shops. They do so much every month, check out their website for goings on. I know this upcoming weekend will be founders weekend with a lot of vendors and food trucks, along with a parade. They decorate the village for Christmas, and the first 3 weekends in December have Santa and the Grinch on site. Seems like there's something for everyone here. We will be back to check out the trails on the 70 acre park.

My family and I drove from Waxhaw to Gold Hill on a Thursday only to be met with disappointment…read more Most of the shops in this little town are only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Dang, bad timing on our part. We still enjoyed walkin around town and seeing what we could see from the outside. I know my grandma really wanted to see the shops, though. All we were able to do is see the park which was open. That was pretty cool. There is an old jail there when you first drive in. And a bunch of old mining equipment. The coolest part of a crevice in the rock. There is a small set of stairs which goes down deep enough to see it. I don't know why that as so cool but it was. Since we wanted to see the shops and looked to see that they should be open on Sundays, we came back just a couple of days after we first came to Gold Hill. Struck out again! The shops still weren't open. It was a little early (11:00ish AM). We were hoping and expecting at least a couple of the shops to be open. What a bummer that they were not. Maybe the fall is off season and the summer would be better. I don't know. But we had just wasted another trip trying to see this place and ALL that is has to offer. So, 3 stars for now based on what we did see. Maybe if I can come back and go into some of the shops some time then I can reevaluate and increase the star rating.

Industrial Oaf: Delicate Dump by Kevin Vanek sits in the parking lot of the F&M Trolley Barn in…read moreSalisbury like a big steel question you weren't expecting to find, this rough welded figure that looks both awkward and strangely random at the same time. Having read up on the artist for this review, I've learned that it is his design to reinvent industrial forms with a child-like curiosity and celebrating the history of labor through reclaimed materials. You can see that here in the way the metal still carries the marks of its past life while becoming something almost humorous and expressive. What really works is how the piece transforms this corner of the parking lot into a small moment of discovery, because as you walk around it the posture shifts and the welds reveal little decisions that make the figure seem more alive. Vanek's approach to material and form comes through clearly here, a blend of industrial grit and emotional softness that he aims for. The result is a sculpture that feels both heavy and oddly endearing, like it's carrying the memory of the work that shaped it. It's the kind of artwork that rewards a second look and adds a small spark of curiosity to a place you wouldn't normally think of as an art stop. [Review 656 of 2026 - 4744 in North Carolina - 25837 overall]