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Wilkesboro, North Carolina often gets lost in the mix of the Tar Heal State’s larger towns such as Charlotte and Raleigh, but this small town of just over three thousand country-loving folk still packs a ton of charm. It is located directly on the southern bank of the Yadkin River opposing its big brother town of North Wilkesboro. The town is home to several textile and manufacturing plants, none bigger than its chief industry, the Tyson Foods poultry processing center.

MerleFest

This legendary festival harks back to 1988, when Grammy-winning guitarist Doc Watson joined with a singer by the name of Bill Young to start MerleFest on the campus grounds of Wilkes Community College , named as a tribute to Doc’s deceased son, Merle Watson. The fest has since progressed into the largest bluegrass and folk concert in the entire United States, as over 85,000 free-spirited fans crash the annual event. On top of bringing in millions of dollars in tourism money to the small town’s economy, it has raised over $7 million for Wilkes Community College as well as helped put the institution on the map for Carolinians.

History

The town was founded in 1800, and for many years the town’s most famous attraction was the "Tory Oak", a massive oak tree that was notoriously instrumental during the American Revolutionary War because Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot hung Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British King and opposed American independence from Britain. After the Civil War, a man who murdered his fiancé was hung and there was a song called “Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley,” which was later tuned into a 1959 movie.

Getting There

One way in, one way out, the way most small towns are, Wilkesboro is only accessible by the US Route 421, which cuts across North Carolina, and links to nearby towns of Winston-Salem, and Boone, which is where Appalachian State University is located. The closest major airport is the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Surrounded by forest and the Yadkin River, there is much nature to explore in this small town, so check out a bit of old world North Carolina by renting a car and cruising over now.

Fast Facts

Wilkesboro was home to the first African-American woman to be named Ms. North Carolina, former US Senator Montford Stokes, and current famous comedian Zach Galifianakis, whose vastly successful movies include The Hangover 1 & 2, as well as his HBO comedy series Bored to Death.