From washingtonexaminer.com. If you haven’t been up Spruce Pine way lately, check it out. Pretty cool little mountain town:
Snow sprinkles like confectioner’s sugar on the Appalachian peaks surrounding Spruce Pine, a North Carolina town resembling a holiday card come to life. Its craft market appears to have jumped from the pages of a Christmas storybook — and it did.
To help families hit by layoffs, author Gloria Houston gave the rights to her award-winning holiday tale to the quartz mining town. “The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree” project now encompasses the market, online store, scholarships and 110 local craftsmen, some new to selling, others having works displayed in museums.
The hand-crafted items include tableware, jewelry, furniture, dolls, quilts, hooked rugs, kaleidoscopes, scarves, frocks, handblown glass ornaments and lavender-blueberry vinegar.
Visitor info:
Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree
Nov. 27: Spruce Pine Holiday Festival featuring a parade, treasure hunt, ice skating, storytelling, music
Dec. 4: Holiday Mart Day