Hickory: local rooms, events and more

Photo: Tylerg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metro area · North Carolina · 373k people

Hickory

Locals say Unifour · “Furniture City”, “Unifour”

Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton

Where the mountains meet the furniture craft.

Lenoir-Rhyne University scarlet

Join the room Ask the neighbours

Welcome to the Unifour, where the Blue Ridge foothills meet the Catawba River. Whether you're here for the furniture, the lake, or the livermush, you'll find a friendly smile and a cold Cheerwine.

Clubs for Hickory

No clubs for Hickory yet.

The room

Hickory Quiet now Where the mountains meet the furniture craft.

One room for everyone around Hickory. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

Ask the neighbours

All

A good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.

Coming up

No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.

Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Hickory. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

Hickory Motor Speedway America's Most Famous Short Track, a NASCAR legend.
Lake Hickory Reservoir popular for boating, fishing, and lakeside parks.
Catawba River River running through the Unifour, with greenways and kayaking.
Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic highway with nearby overlooks and trailheads.
Hickory Furniture Mart Iconic furniture showroom complex reflecting the region's industry.
Lenoir-Rhyne University Historic university campus in Hickory with a scenic quad.

Outdoors Boating and fishing on Lake Hickory
Outdoors Hiking at Lake James State Park
With kids Hickory Crawdads baseball games
With kids Visit the Catawba Science Center
Evenings Craft breweries in downtown Hickory
Evenings Live music at area bars
Locals love Lakefront parks
Locals love Furniture outlet stores

Through the year

Hickory Crawdads baseball season summer Minor league games at LP Frans Stadium, a summer tradition.
Hickory Hops spring Craft beer festival with local and regional breweries.
Morganton Festival fall Street fair with music, food, and arts in downtown Morganton.
Catawba County Fair fall Classic county fair with rides, livestock, and local food.

Humid subtropical with four distinct seasons. Best time to be out is spring and fall. Best: Spring and fall are ideal for being outdoors, with mild temps and low humidity.

Talk like a local

“Unifour”: The local name for the four-county area (Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton, Newton).
“The 'Dads”: Nickname for the Hickory Crawdads.
“Livermush”: A local breakfast meat made from pork scraps and cornmeal.

Getaways

North Wilkesboro Historic speedway and mountain town vibe.
Boone Appalachian mountain town with skiing and hiking.
Charlotte Big-city attractions, NASCAR Hall of Fame, and pro sports.
Shelby Small-town charm and the Cleveland County Fair.

Local flavour

Teams

Hickory Crawdads MiLB (Single-A)
Lenoir-Rhyne Bears NCAA Division II

Also rooting for Carolina Panthers (NFL), Charlotte Hornets (NBA), Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Charlotte FC (MLS)

Eat and drink

Livermush A regional pork liver and cornmeal dish, often served as a breakfast biscuit.
Cheerwine A cherry-flavored soft drink popular throughout North Carolina.
Sweet tea The classic Southern beverage, ubiquitous in local diners and homes.

Where people go

Furniture showrooms and factory outlets The area is known as the 'Furniture City' with many outlets along US-321.
Blue Ridge Mountain foothills Nearby mountains offer hiking, waterfalls, and scenic drives.
Local barbecue joints Piedmont-style barbecue with vinegar-based sauce is a regional staple.

Heritage and traditions

The Unifour is proud of its foothills beauty, its legacy as a furniture and textile powerhouse, and its friendly Southern hospitality, where livermush and sweet tea are local treasures.

This time of year in Hickory

Apple harvest September-October Fall is apple season, with orchards offering pick-your-own and cider.
Catawba County Fair October An October tradition with rides and livestock shows.
Oktoberfest October German-themed festivities in Hickory during October.
Catawba County Fair October Traditional county fair with rides, exhibits, and agricultural displays.

Say it like a local: “Fixin' to” — About to do something.

Festivals

Hickory Hops August Annual craft beer festival in downtown Hickory, usually in August.
Morganton Festival September Weekend arts and crafts festival with live music and food vendors.
Catawba County Fair October Traditional county fair with rides, exhibits, and agricultural displays.
Waldensian Festival July Celebrates the Italian Waldensian heritage of Valdese with food, music, and crafts.
Hickory Oktoberfest October German-themed celebration with beer, bratwurst, and polka music.

Landmarks with a story

Fort Defiance Home of General William Lenoir, a Revolutionary War officer; now a historic house museum in Lenoir.
Bunker Hill Covered Bridge One of the last remaining covered bridges in North Carolina, near Claremont.
Murray's Mill A restored 19th-century gristmill with a working waterwheel, in Catawba County.
Waldensian Presbyterian Church Historic church in Valdese, built by Italian Waldensian settlers in the late 1800s.
Burke County Courthouse A grand 1830s courthouse in Morganton, a centerpiece of the historic downtown.

Food traditions

Livermush A breakfast meat made from pork liver, cornmeal, and spices, sliced and fried. A Unifour specialty served at diners and family tables.
Cheerwine A cherry-flavored soft drink born in North Carolina, often enjoyed with barbecue or as a float.
Sweet tea Iced tea heavily sweetened with sugar, a constant at meals and gatherings.
Fried apple pies Hand pies filled with local apples, a fall treat from orchards and roadside stands.
Sorghum syrup A sweetener made from sorghum cane, drizzled on biscuits or used in baking.

Music and arts

Bluegrass and old-time music The foothills have a deep tradition of string bands and jam sessions, with influences from Scots-Irish and African American music.
Furniture craftsmanship The region's furniture industry fostered a culture of fine woodworking and design, celebrated in showrooms and museums.
Western Piedmont Symphony A professional orchestra based in Hickory, performing classical and pops concerts.
Hickory Museum of Art A regional art museum with a focus on American art and rotating exhibitions.

A little history

1850s Hickory founded as a railroad town
1790s Morganton established as Burke County seat
1840s Lenoir established as Caldwell County seat
Early 1900s Furniture industry boom made the area the 'Furniture Capital of the South'
1890s Lenoir-Rhyne College (now University) founded

Game day Friday night lights
Game day Stock car racing at Hickory Motor Speedway
Outdoors Apple picking
Outdoors Leaf peeping
With kids Apple picking
With kids Hickory History Center

The accent is a mild Southern Appalachian drawl, with a slower pace and dropped 'g's in words like 'fixin'. Locals often use 'y'all' and 'fixin' to', and they pronounce place names distinctively: 'Hickory' (HICK-uh-ree), 'Lenoir' (len-OR), 'Morganton' (MOR-gun-tun), and 'Catawba' (kuh-TAW-buh).

Only here

The Unifour nickname – a term locals use for the four-county area (Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, and Alexander).
Hickory Motor Speedway is called the 'World's Most Famous Short Track'.
Livermush is a breakfast meat you'll find on nearly every diner menu.
Hickory is known as the 'Furniture Capital of the South'.

New here? A few tips

Embrace the sweet tea – it's not just a drink, it's a way of life.
Try livermush for breakfast, but ask for it fried crispy.
Learn to say 'Lenoir' as 'len-OR' and 'Morganton' as 'MOR-gun-tun' – locals will appreciate the effort.
Expect hot, humid summers and mild winters; pack layers for spring and fall.
Traffic is light compared to Charlotte, but be patient on two-lane roads during leaf season.

Make this page better

Know a place, a festival, a word locals use, or something here that's wrong? Suggest it; someone at Popchat checks every one.

Part of Charlotte area

Nearby

Every area

North WilkesboroNorth CarolinaWhere the Blue Ridge meets the backroads ShelbyNorth CarolinaWhere the foothills meet history and hospitality.MarionNorth CarolinaWhere the mountains meet the river BooneNorth CarolinaHigh country air, mountain town heart.Forest CityNorth CarolinaFoothills warmth, mountain views.BurnsvilleNorth CarolinaMisty peaks, quiet hollows, and mountain time.CharlotteNorth CarolinaWhere the New South races, shoots, and sips sweet tea.GaffneySouth CarolinaWhere the peach meets the interstate, and the welcome is always warm.

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.