June SouthPark 2026

Substantial savings on all the luxury brands and coming this summer to Cornelius, N.C. • In-Home and In-Store Design Services.

FROM THE EDITOR

Igrew up in the era of convenience foods, designed to make meal prep easy for working moms like mine. Although we had plenty of boxed mac and cheese, frozen pizzas and canned soup around the house, my mom never fully embraced supermarket produce or mass-produced canned vegetables. She had grown up on a farm, and to her, nothing beat fresh summer corn, tiny field peas and ripe tomatoes from the vine.

On our small city lot, we had blueberry bushes; plum, apple and cherry trees; a massive pecan tree; and a muscadine grapevine, for making jelly. On summer weekends, we also made regular trips to the country for fresh green beans (aka “snap” beans), collards or whatever else was harvested that week. Mom cooked what was in season, then canned or froze the rest. I still have vivid memories of helping her (somewhat begrudgingly) shell butter beans and crack pecans and of getting sand in my shoes while picking strawberries in the field. (I also remember loathing the days when she blanched collard greens to freeze, filling our house with their pungent odor.)

I was a picky eater, so I can’t say that, at the time, I fully appreciated my mom’s efforts in the kitchen. But I have come to embrace eating what’s in season.

Thankfully, there are plenty of regional farms and farmers markets that make it easy. A few summers ago, we purchased a weekly share from a nearby organic farm. We let it lapse a few times, always to regret it and sign

up again the next season. You never know what you’ll get from week to week, but that’s part of the fun, building up to peak tomato season in late summer.

I recently saw an interview with a sleep expert touting the benefits of “sun gating” — how going outside first thing in the morning and looking (indirectly) at the sun sets our circadian clock, which, in turn, helps improve sleep. Similarly, I have a theory that eating seasonally must be beneficial for our overall health, providing nutrients we need at various stages of the year. (And studies have shown that nutritional content begins to decline as soon as fruits and vegetables are picked.)

These days, having access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a privilege. And some nights, we’re just too darn busy to cook. But enjoying farm-fresh blueberries, melons, sweet potatoes and more is one of the benefits of living in the South. And supporting local farmers while eating healthy is a win-win. SP

Scan the QR code for our roundup of area farmers markets.

CATHY MARTIN EDITOR

BLVD.

18 | interiors

A conventional uptown condo is transformed into a sophisticated urban home.

24 | wellness

Blair Hayes puts the “care” in skin care.

28 | explore

Spokes of freedom: exploring the Queen City on two wheels

32 | cuisine

Ammalu Saleh leads Serengeti Kitchen, Charlotte’s first Tanzanian restaurant.

34 | food + drink

El Veneno’s Kimmy Bazan honors her culinary roots.

40 | happenings

June calendar of events

DEPARTMENTS

45 | bookshelf

June’s new releases

47 | state of mind

It’s our game, the American game

51 | simple life

My journey with the three G’s

85 | swirl

Parties, fundraisers and events around Charlotte

88 | crowning moments

When small acts of kindness add up to something bigger

June

FEATURES

55 | Summer arts preview by Page Leggett

Avoid the cultural drought: 10 events to keep you entertained in June and July

60 | Garden graces

styling by Whitley Adkins | photographs by Olly Yung Summer calls for florals, flowy dresses and easy-breezy silhouettes.

68 | Elevated escape by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Stacey Van Berkel

Designer Lisa Sherry brings quiet luxury and layered warmth to a Cashiers mountain home.

74 | Gasoline-fueled memories

words and photographs by Richard Israel

Photo essay: Phillip Greene’s garage is a library of shared stories

TRAVEL

81 | Bourbon bliss by Jay Ahuja

Distilleries, racetracks and a midcentury-modern hotel in the Bluegrass State

ABOUT THE COVER:

Model Olivia Gleeson photographed at Daniel Stowe Conservancy by Olly Yung; styling by Whitley Adkins (page 60). Swing dress, $637.50, La Vie Style House; Janessa Leone hat, $297, Thirty-One Jane

1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208

704-523-6987

southparkmagazine.com

Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com

Cathy Martin Editor cathy@southparkmagazine.com

Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com

Andie Rose Creative Director

Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Whitley Adkins Style Editor

Sarah Fligel Proofreader

Contributing Editors

David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender

Contributing Writers

Jay Ahuja, Michelle Boudin, Taylor Bowler, Jim Dodson, Vanessa Infanzon, Richard Israel, Olivia Lee, Page Leggett, Ebony Morman, Tommy Tomlinson, Kay West

Contributing Photographers

Jonathan Cooper, Daniel Coston, Heather Ison, Richard Israel, Peter Taylor, Stacey Van Berkel, Olly Yung

Contributing Illustrators

Gerry O’Neill, Gary Palmer

ADVERTISING

Anne Brundage Sales Manager anne@southparkmagazine.com

Lynda D. Kuehni Account Executive lynda@southparkmagazine.com

Mercy Clark Marketing Manager mercy@southparkmagazine.com

Brad Beard Graphic Designer

Letters to the editorial staff: editor@southparkmagazine.com

Instagram: southparkmagazine

Facebook: southparkmagazine

LinkedIn: SouthPark Magazine

Owners

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff in memoriam Frank Daniels Jr.

David Woronoff President david@thepilot.com

by Old North State Magazines LLC. ©Copyright 2026. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Volume 30,

VOTED CHARLOTTE’S BEST CLOSETS CHARLOTTE’S BEST

SUMMER SOIREES

Jay Ahuja has lived, worked and played in Charlotte since 1986. He has one wife, two stepsons and one dog. He’s published two sports-travel guidebooks and produced a documentary film, Live From The Double Door Inn. He is retired from WDAV 89.9FM, the region’s classical public-radio station. He spends his days traveling, writing and thinking about his next documentary.

Ever since reading

Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew series in the third grade, Vanessa Infanzon wanted to be a writer. When her first son, Ben, was born with a genetic disorder, writing became a way to find support, share experiences and process the emotions of raising a child with disabilities. Vanessa is a UNC Charlotte alum, longtime transplant from New York and mom to three adult sons. She runs, reads and writes to keep her sense of humor and sanity during the chaos they call life.

Contributing editor

Michael J. Solender has shared stories about travel, culture and curious people at SouthPark Magazine for the last two decades. He hails from the sometimes-frozen tundra of Minneapolis. He ignored his mother’s advice (only once) to pursue a career in medicine and became a features writer. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Southern Living, Ocean Home, The Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer, Matador Network, Carolinas Golf and others. He lives in SouthPark with his wife, Harriet, where they obsess over their garden.

BP BRIAN

Photo by Richard Israel

blvd.

people, places, things

FOR SAFEKEEPING

Petite Keep trunks provide a stylish storage solution for holding onto baby gifts, bridal keepsakes, graduation mementos and other cherished heirlooms. The Missouri brand recently debuted a colorful collaboration with Charlotte-based Laura Park Designs. The collection features Petite Keep’s steel trunks lined with three of Laura Park’s bestselling prints. Trunks come in three sizes and seven colors and are customizable with embroidery. Prices start at $195. Shop at petitekeep.com; select styles may be available at the Laura Park store, 1033 Providence Road. SP

Petite Keep x Laura Park

BLACK MAGIC

by Kay West |

by Heather Ison

The owner of the sixth-floor condo in an iconic uptown building was clear about his objective for the remodel — maximize every square inch to make it usable — and his desired aesthetic — dark colors, light wood and abundant texture.

Sara Scott, owner and principal designer of Tailored Designs, and Brian Storm, senior project manager with Andrew Roby, led the transformation of the 1,800-squarefoot, two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath unit into a two-level, three-bedroom living space.

There is nothing basic about the swathed-in-black heart of the home, with ceilings that soar 20 feet and stunning architectural elements like a steel spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling cabinets, wheeled ladder and cleverly hidden doors.

“The client wanted to add an entire [new] level, which included another bedroom, full bath, two small loft/living areas and a catwalk with storage over the kitchen,” Scott says. “The spiral staircase accesses that level without taking a lot of floor feet.”

Carly James with Pfahl Architects joined in the planning stages to sketch out the original components and get the project to the permitting phase; Scott took the baton from the architectural drawings through the conceptual plan and design.

Engineering and build-out were challenging, says Storm, particularly because the residence is in a commercial building, which added multiple steps and inspections.

A conventional condo is transformed into a sophisticated urban home.

photographs

“We had to make sure the floor system could hold the extra weight we were putting on it. The staircase was delivered in parts and welded together on-site. We were hanging things off the side of the building and bringing them in through a window.”

The catwalk was originally an enclosed attic, where all the utility of the home was hidden. Now, some HVAC and industrial elements run across the ceiling. Scott says the exposed beams and ductwork help achieve the client’s inspirational image of a New York City loft.

ABOVE ALL

Not just Luxury.

Statement-making. Legacy-worthy.

Always next level.

Real estate elevated, Above All.

Exclusively

Listing Advisors - Matthew Alexander and Elise Allen

5520 Sharon View Road, Charlotte, NC

“He wanted black — we did the black ceiling, black kitchen, black cabinets and fireplace surround,” Scott explains. “And he wanted wood tones, and we carried that through each space for continuity. He loves texture, so we have textured tile, textured wallpaper, brass inlays in the wet bar and wood paneling in the foyer.”

The cabinetry framing the fireplace — drawn by Scott, built and installed by Walker Woodworking — provides ample space for collected objects from the homeowner’s travels. Within those units, flush with the fireplace, are two doors; one leads to the primary bedroom, the other to an office, connected in the rear by a large closet and primary bath.

In the kitchen, oak cabinets — topped with Negresco leathered granite countertops — allow the grain to show through the black paint. A pantry was built behind a pocket door to the left of the refrigerator and speed oven.

Tucked under the spiral staircase is a wet bar with a built-in

SOURCES:

Interior Designer: Tailored Designs

Contractor: Andrew Roby

Architect: Carly James, Pfahl Architects

Cabinetry: Walker Woodworking

coffee maker, humidor and wine cooler. A slim black door fronts the powder room that is tiled on the vanity wall and wallpapered on the other walls and ceiling.

“When our living spaces are so open, we want some definition, but every part of the whole has to work together,” Scott says. “This home achieves that elegantly and seamlessly.” SP

CHASING SOLUTIONS

Blair Hayes puts the “care” in skin care. by

Michelle Boudin

In an hour-and-a-half conversation on the overstuffed couch that dominates the soothing front room of her East Boulevard office, Blair Hayes gets emotional when talking about her journey to becoming Charlotte’s skin-care guru and the creator of Blair Skincare. Her wildly popular product line, sold online and at her home base, Skin By Blair Aesthetics and Wellness, regularly sells out.

The 36-year-old board-certified physician assistant calls herself a nerd, always needing to understand the “why.”

“I’ve always believed knowledge is power and helps people make better decisions. I would spend a lot of time with patients, and we’d be doing Botox and injectables — but if you’re not also doing stuff at home like putting on sunscreen, using a retinoid and vitamin C, that’s a lot of money every three months that you’re throwing away.”

AN INSTANT FOLLOWING

Hayes says she’s always had a thing for skin care, but she really started on the path to caring for others as a teen, when she helped her mom, who was battling cancer. Born and raised in Charlotte, she went to undergrad at N.C. State University and trained to become a physician assistant at Wingate University, where she was required to have 1,000 patient hours. That meant working as a medic and spending countless hours seeing patients in the emergency room.

Once she finished her hours, she made the move to a plastic-surgery office, where she focused on injectables. Before long, she was booked solid with no room for new patients. That’s when she decided to go out on her own.

“It was a whirlwind. It was surreal, but I was also so confident that this is what I was supposed to be doing. ... A couple months after opening, we said, ‘We can’t take any more new patients.’” Seven years later, she still has a waitlist.

MILLER BASKERVILLE TEAM

KELLY BLANDFORD ANNETTE SEMPRIT

ELLEN KELLY

MIKE FRIDHOLM

BETH EBERT

JENNA BRYAN

JENN MATTSCHECK

DAYTON TEAM

ADAMS TEDEN TEAM

TAMI VON ISAKOVICS

KRISTIN TRAPP

IZZY BURBANK

DAINA BRUNDRETT

EMILY HEFFERNAN

DANA SELLERS ILY MUNOZ

LYNN MULLER

THE TUCK TEAM

JANE GROSSE

KATHRYN PEARSON

CHRISTOPHER BUCEY

CHRISTIE HANSEN

LISA TOMLINSON

JUDY GODLEY

ANNA FENNO

MICHAEL BOOE

DEBBIE COVINGTON

CHLOE FAUCHER

SHERRIE ANDREWS

CULPEPPER BROWN TEAM

THERESA KISTLER

BELLE COWART

ANNE WILLIAMS

She says there’s a reason patients stay with her.

“I genuinely care about these people. If someone’s daughter has surgery, I am texting him the morning of their surgery, saying I’m thinking about your surgery today. I’m just so grateful that I have so many people that trust me with their skin and their lives, and I get to make an impact in whatever way I can.”

BRANCHING OUT

That impact now goes beyond injectables. Hayes has spent the last few years building an incredibly successful skin-care line, developed by listening to her patients and obsessively doing her homework. Some products went through 30 iterations before making it to the line.

“I just loved the science of skin, figuring out what is the best skin care. I make things to solve a [problem] that my actual patients are having, and if there’s something on the market that can do what this does, it’s not worth it.”

Her first product was the Tonic, a toner, back in 2020.

“I looked everywhere for exactly what I wanted and couldn’t find it. I knew what I wanted in it, and I knew what I didn’t want in it. I had a good relationship with the CEO of a big skin-care brand and I said, ‘Hey, I’m trying to find this product and I can’t. Do I make it? I don’t even know how — do I do

that?’ It was never my intention to make anything, but this product, I felt like people needed it.”

It blew up overnight, repeatedly selling out with a waitlist of more than 12,000 at one point, according to Hayes. The Blair Skincare line now features six products. The latest is a hair serum that Hayes launched last year. She created it after personally experiencing hair loss from a lupus flare-up. “Ninety percent of my hair fell out … and so I created this product.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Her latest venture is another one she didn’t see coming. Last June, Hayes brought on a women’s health nurse practitioner to work with clients going through menopause and lead a wellness program that examines hormones, bloodwork, diet and more.

“It’s a whole different level of getting to support my people,” Hayes says. “I see a problem in real people and I think, ‘What can I do about it?’ If you had asked me if I was going to be able to start my own business, I’d have laughed in your face. If you told me I was going to get into wellness and hormones, I would have said, ‘I have no knowledge of that.’ But God laughs when he hears your plans, you know? So I’m just along for the ride … There are a lot of problems that I’m excited to solve. Wherever I’m supposed to be, I’m open to it.” SP

It can be challenging to find the right dermatologist — and equally challenging to schedule a convenient appointment time.

At Tryon, we’re proud to welcome experienced physicians to our dermatology team They’re accepting new patients, and are ready to see you soon.

As we continue to expand our practice, we now offer Mohs Micrographic Surgery as an area of expertise.

Comprehensive care. Convenient appointments. Experience the Tryon difference today.

Learn more at tryonmed.com

Joshua B. Eickstaedt, MD, FAAD Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Diana C. Norton, MD DERMATOLOGY Pineville

Marilia Oliveira, MD, MS, FAAD DERMATOLOGY Pineville

Ashley Walker, DO DERMATOLOGY Pineville

S POKES OF FREEDOM

Exploring the Queen City on two wheels

by Vanessa Infanzon

My bike-riding days started when I was a kid growing up on Long Island, New York. I rode around our suburban neighborhood on my blue 10-speed bicycle. At 14, I biked 3 miles to the next town over for a part-time job as a chimney-sweep telemarketer. Biking granted me the independence I craved during that time.

More than 40 years later, with empty-nest syndrome looming, I felt the same pull to ride a bike. Though my 30-year-old Specialized hybrid bike held proud memories of the 11-mile Tsali Trail in Whittier, it was time for something new. I returned to Bike Source at Park Road Shopping Center, the same place I bought my first bike, and purchased a Specialized 2025 Sirrus, along with a comfy seat, kickstand, new helmet and a water-bottle holder.

FINDING THE ZONE

Determining the right type of bike — e-bike, mountain, road or hybrid (with a mix of mountain, road and touring features) — takes consideration. Will the bike be for daily use, leisure or racing? What’s the price point? A new bike ranges from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Trips for Kids Charlotte sells refurbished bikes at a discount; the nonprofit also accepts donated bikes.

Charlotte is home to locally owned bike shops such as Bicycle Sport, Bike Gallery, The Cycle Path and Ultimate Bicycle. Look for a place with mechanics on-site and knowledgeable and experienced employees to answer questions.

“Find a shop with people that you like,” says Matt Stahl, former professional BMX rider and operations manager at Bicycle Sport, which has locations in Myers Park and Wesley Heights. “Find a shop that knows what they’re talking about and is also willing to help you through the process of figuring out what you want to do.”

Some shops provide a bike fitting, which accounts for the rider’s measurements, flexibility, past injuries and other data points; the shop applies this information to create a custom-tailored bike.

“That bike is going to be perfect for you and nobody else,” Stahl says. “It elevates your riding experience to a different level because you will be exceedingly more comfortable. You will be more efficient while you’re pedaling around on the bike.”

While helmets are not required for bike riders over 16, they’re highly recommended. Cyclists have a slang term for riders who don’t wear helmets: organ donors. Aftermarket pedals, shoes (clip or grip), a repair kit and lights are other accessories to add to the list. Further down the road, bags, bells, fenders, grips and a cycling computer to track your rides for fitness and training will further personalize your bike.

BREAKAWAY

In this period of my life, I have different riding goals than when I was younger: I want to hop on my bike and go — no car racks, less street riding and low stress. Mecklenburg County boasts more than 85 miles of greenway trails with plans to build more. Little Sugar

Creek Greenway connects our home in NoDa to trails that reach South Carolina. To expand my range, a quick trip on the CATS Lynx Blue Line, with my bike in tow, extends my opportunities to ride on Toby Creek Greenway and continue to Mallard Creek, Barton and Clarks Creek Greenways.

On weeklyrides.com, find group rides in Charlotte and the surrounding area for various levels and special interests, including recumbent riders, military veterans, women mountain-bike riders and queer riders. Cycling for a Cause meets at Trolley Barn Fermentory in South End for its weekly Wednesday ride, with all levels welcome.

Bicycle Sport’s Selwyn Avenue location hosts a ride for intermediate to advanced cyclists on Saturday mornings; the shop on West Morehead Street coordinates a recovery ride on Monday nights.

Sun & Ski Group leads a group ride through south Charlotte, Waxhaw, Marvin and Lancaster County, South Carolina, on Sundays at 8 a.m. from the Sun & Ski Sports in the Promenade on Providence shopping center. All levels are welcome.

RIGHT OF WAY

CyclingSavvy, a national online and in-person bike-education program of the American Bicycling Education Association, shares myths and truths about riding and teaches situational awareness and how to mitigate risk across three sessions. The last class includes a group bike ride around Charlotte.

“After the class, after we’ve done the three-hour ride and skills class and listened to the presentations, it’s night and day,” says Pam Murray, instructor for Charlotte’s CyclingSavvy 10-hour in-person program. “Now they know they can ride anywhere they want to ride.” SP

CyclingSavvy

ROOTED IN HISTORY

Ammalu Saleh leads Serengeti Kitchen, Charlotte’s first Tanzanian restaurant, at The Market at 7th Street.

by Ebony L. Morman | photographs by Jonathan Cooper

Long before Serengeti Kitchen found its home in Charlotte, Ammalu Saleh was a child in Tanzania, watching her mother cook in a narrow kitchen.

“She would be making samosas, rice cakes, fish cakes and chapati,” she says. “I always enjoyed helping her.”

That kitchen — small, busy, and sometimes without running water — was where Saleh’s love of food began, shaped not by perfection or ease, but by process and effort. Years later, after moving across continents, raising four children and navigating personal challenges, that same love would lead her back to the kitchen. This time, not just to cook, but to share her story with a new community.

A LAYERED CUISINE

Today, inside The Market at 7th Street, Serengeti Kitchen draws people in with aromas that feel both familiar and new. Warm spices, the flavor of coconut and slow-cooked dishes create an experience that often begins with curiosity and ends with something deeper.

“I want people to feel the comfort of my food,” Saleh says. “I really hope they take a first bite and go, ‘mmmmmm.’”

Tanzanian cuisine is shaped by multiple cultural influences layered over time, she says. This history informs her focus on comfort and connection, influencing not just how she cooks, but what she chooses to share.

“Before the British, we had the Arabs from Oman … and the Indians brought their style of cooking and some spices,” she says. “So with all of that and our own way of cooking, that’s what forms Tanzanian cuisine today.” The result is food that’s rich, balanced and deeply flavorful. It leans into bold spices and slow preparation.

Rice dishes like biryani, grilled meats known as nyama choma and chapati (a flatbread) remain central to her menu. Chapati, in particular, holds a special place in her story.

“It’s layered; it’s almost like a croissant, in a way,” she says. “When people try it, they come back and say, ‘What was that bread?’”

Kisinia Platter

CONNECTION THROUGH CUISINE

A blend of familiarity and discovery has followed Saleh across every stage of life. After moving from Tanzania to the United Kingdom and later to the United States, she balanced adapting to new cultures with holding onto her own through cooking. She returned to the kitchen as a source of stability and healing while raising her four children and navigating health challenges.

Encouraged by a friend, Saleh started preparing meals for clients in a wellness program, adapting her techniques to meet specific nutritional needs while maintaining bold flavor.

“It was such a beautiful journey,” she says. “I was able to help people to eat something that’s delicious and enjoyable.”

As her confidence grew, so did her reach. She began catering for Charlotte’s Kenyan community before expanding to a wider clientele. Still, something felt incomplete. She found that catering met the demand, but it didn’t create space for the storytelling and connection she knew her food deserved.

Through a small-business program with Charlotte Center City Partners, she gained access to mentors and other resources and eventually, pop-up opportunities. The favorable response was immediate, confirming that people genuinely enjoyed her food.

LOOKING AHEAD

Serengeti Kitchen opened in a permanent stall at the market in 2024. She often stands at the front, talking with customers, answering

questions and guiding them through dishes that may be new to them. Her recommendation for first-time visitors is the Swahili Plate, which is a reflection of how meals are served back home. Coconut rice, coconut pinto beans, collard greens, cabbage, plantains and protein (often grilled chicken) come together in a single dish. Saleh grinds whole spices herself; her use of coconut oil serves as a constant thread back to Tanzania.

Beyond the daily menu, Saleh offers curated dinner experiences held multiple times a year. These gatherings allow her to share her culture in a more immersive way, giving guests a deeper understanding of both the food and the traditions behind it. Day to day, it’s the small moments — questions at the counter, conversations over a shared meal, the quiet pause after a first bite — that keep her smiling.

Looking ahead, Saleh envisions growth: a larger space, an expanded menu and a greater impact within the community.

“Being the first Tanzanian restaurant in Charlotte, it’s major to me,” she says.

For her, Serengeti Kitchen is more than a restaurant. It’s an invitation to taste, to learn, to ask questions, and to sit with something unfamiliar long enough for it to feel like comfort.

And in a city that continues to grow and evolve, her presence offers something distinct: not just a new cuisine, but a story that’s remembered long after the plate is empty. SP

Clockwise from top left: Plantain Crab Cake, Swahili Plate, Chapati Wraps

WOMEN WHO LEAD:

This is the final installment in a four-part series featuring innovative women in Charlotte’s culinary scene. From top chefs to bakers, mixologists to food-truck owners, local talents talk passion, perseverance and navigating their industries with grit and grace.

THE TRAILBLAZER

El Veneno’s Kimmy Bazan stays true to herself and honors her culinary roots.

by Olivia Lee | photographs by Peter Taylor

Growing up, Kimmy Bazan, owner of the El Veneno food truck, spent summers in Mexico, visiting her grandmother. Bazan recalls sitting in her kitchen and watching her cook, then, as she got older, helping wash rice or cut tomatoes.

“I think to this day, eating her food is still some of the best food I’ve ever had,” Bazan says. Her favorite meal was her grandmother’s chile relleno, a dish made with poblano peppers stuffed with queso, battered in egg, fried and served with a tomato-based broth.

“I can taste the effort that she put into it, the work that she put into it. And it’s like when I eat it, I know every step that it took for it to be there on the plate,” Bazan says. “It doesn’t matter how hard I cook or how long I try, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recreate the flavor that she was able to.”

Another treasured recipe is her father’s lentil soup. He made it by adding pan-fried tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and cilantro to a pot of boiling lentils, letting it simmer until steaming with comfort.

Inspired by the cooking of her grandmother and father, Bazan wanted to attend culinary school, but her father urged her to become a doctor or lawyer, or pursue a corporate career. Bazan obliged, but after switching her major five times, she decided to study nutrition to become a dietician or nutrition counselor. It wouldn’t put her in the kitchen, but she figured it would be close enough.

During Bazan’s junior year in college, her aunt paid her to make a batch of tamales, largely because of their labor-intensive nature.

“But then I started thinking, I’m going to make another pot of tamales,” Bazan recalls. She loaded them into the back of her pickup truck, alongside a tank of propane and a burner, and sat outside of Compare Foods, in the rain. She sold the whole pot.

“I was like, wow, people actually paid me to eat something that I made.”

The next week, Bazan drove from Greensboro, where she was going to school, to Charlotte to sell more tamales. She returned every weekend, often selling out in as little as two hours.

Bazan eventually saved up enough money from the pop-ups to buy a Blackstone flat-top griddle, along with more burners and rolling coolers. She later bought a tent and moved her cooking operation from her father’s kitchen and patio to the Compare Foods storefront.

Impressed by her success, Bazan’s uncle helped her buy a custom trailer to house supplies. After driving to Texas and back to pick it up, she left it in her father’s yard, where it remained parked for nearly six months. She didn’t feel ready to get behind the wheel.

In the meantime, Bazan started working at a local Mexican restaurant, El Toro Bruto. It was her first job and also her first time working in a professional kitchen.

“And then one day, my dad, he had gotten mad at me and he was like, ‘You need to do something,’” she says. “He was like, ‘You’re going to do the truck. You need to do it. ... You’ve already spent the money on it. It’s just sitting there. It’s going to get messed up from just sitting in the rain and dirt all the time. … It’s not OK.’”

Bazan realized he was right, and that she’d rather sweep floors and wipe

Kimmy Bazan, El Veneno

down the counters in her own kitchen instead of someone else’s.

She started serving tacos, tostadas, mulitas and tortas out of her trailer, which she named El Veneno. Each menu item comes with a choice of filling, including the wildly popular black al pastor, which is a twist on traditional pork and uses black chiles or charcoal-roasting to achieve a deep, smoky flavor.

“I want [customers] to have the experience that I would feel when eating food at my grandmother’s house, a sense of being at home, but also that sense of family and community,” Bazan says.

El Veneno’s success enabled Bazan to open a brick-and-mortar in Monarch Market, an uptown food hall, with the hope of continuing to share her love for unadulterated Mexican cuisine. But Bazan says she lost sight of that mission. She let others influence her to sell more items designed for mass appeal, rather than staying true to her culinary roots.

“I never wanted to sell loaded French fries. I never wanted to sell burritos. … Not because they’re not good — they’re good.

… It’s just not what I envision for myself,” Bazan says. “I feel like I was not being true to myself, and I feel like things were being taken away from me and I felt like I wasn’t accurately representing my ancestors and my culture and my grandma.”

Feeling stuck and exhausted, Bazan closed her stall and stepped away from El Veneno.

“It’s helped me a lot to be able to take a step back and be like, OK, I don’t actually have to kill myself for this job,” she says. “It doesn’t make me any worse of a chef, any worse of a business owner for wanting to take care of myself and saying, ‘I don’t want to do this,’ or ‘I don’t feel happy doing this’ or whatever.”

Admitting defeat came with criticism about what she could or should have done. It would have been easy to struggle in silence and romanticize hardship with alcohol or drugs, but Bazan chose a different path.

“I don’t think that suffering through those things makes you a great chef. I really don’t. It’s not a competition of who suffered the

Guiding You Home in Charlotte and Beyond.

BECKY MCGRATH TEAM HEATHER

KALIE KOIVISTO

LINDA HENLEY

most. Everybody’s feelings are valid,” she says. “You’re literally not alone. Sorry, I’m starting to get emotional about it, but it’s OK being able to talk about it, it really does help people,” she says, holding back tears. “It’s not a sign of weakness, but rather a part of human nature.”

Bazan spent a month in Montana, where she got back on the line and worked in a kitchen at a private ranch resort. There, she regained a sense of purpose for both herself and her business, one where heritage and authenticity remain central to meaningful cooking, and integrity is prioritized over conventional success.

Now that she’s back in Charlotte, she’s living and leading

on her own terms. The El Veneno truck is up and running, operating Thursday through Sunday and every other Wednesday. Bazan is also focusing on pop-ups and collaboration dinners, showcasing a greater extent of her culinary talent.

“I feel content with what I’m doing. I feel happy at the pace that I’m going,” she says. “I want to do this, because it’s what makes me happy and it makes sense for me.”

As we finish talking, I hear Bazan rummaging through the kitchen as she’s getting ready to head out on her truck.

“Whenever it starts to get chillier, like the weather is today, a little bit chilly, I just want to eat lentils,” says Bazan, just like her dad used to make. SP

What matters most to you, matters most to us.

The financial decisions you make today shape everything that follows. We start by listening, so your plan reflects what matters most. Clarity, confidence and a trusted team to help you move forward with purpose – because your future deserves more than just a portfolio. What would you like the power to do?®

The Hall Crawford Group was named to the Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams” list, 2024-2025. Published annually January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.

Hall Crawford Group

6000 Fairview Rd. • Charlotte, NC 28210 • 704.705.3232 hallcrawfordgroup@ml.com • advisor.ml.com/sites/hcg

David Hall, CPWA® Senior Vice President • Wealth Management Advisor

Matthew Gardner, CTFA

Senior Vice President • Senior Financial Advisor

Drew Crawford, CPFA®, CRPC™ Senior Vice President • Wealth Management Advisor

LisaBeth Thiessen Assistant Vice President • Senior Financial Advisor

Investing involves risk and past performance does not guarantee future results. Data and sources for all Forbes awards and their rankings provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Past performance is not an indication of future results. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. Awards are based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and apply an algorithm that measures best practices, client retention, industry experience compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and firm generated income. Investment performance is not a criterion.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and Member SIPC. MLPF&S is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

Merrill, the Bull Symbol and What would you like the power to do?® are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. CRPC™ is a registered service mark of the College for Financial Planning. Investments & Wealth Institute™ (The Institute) is the owner of the certification mark, CPWA®..

eat + drink

 Thoughtful Baking opened a brickand-mortar shop in Oakhurst, in the former Sweet Spot Studio location.  Italo, a pasta restaurant from the team behind Aria, debuted uptown in the former Cicchetti space.  Emmy Lou’s wine bar in Dilworth launched a monthly wine club; membership is $60 for three bottles, $110 for six.  The Craic, a casual restaurant inspired by Irish pubs, opened in the former Rusty Bucket spot in SouthPark.  Grey’s Diner, the newest restaurant from Chef Sam Diminich, opened in the former Mattie’s Diner location on The Plaza.  Plot Twist, an all-day coffee and cocktail bar from hospitality veteran Nikki Velazquez, is open in Plaza Midwood.

shop

TileBar recently opened at SouthPark Mall; SKIMS and Cartier are coming soon.

June HAPPENINGS

For more arts events, check out our Summer Arts Preview on page 55.

River Jam through September

Enjoy live outdoor music from funk to bluegrass Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at Whitewater Center. Leashed dogs are allowed; no outside food or drink. Parking is $12.

Katherine Boxall: Moon Garden through June 27

The Austin, Texas-based artist and former Charlotte resident was inspired by botanical and celestial palettes for her newest exhibition at Jerald Melberg Gallery.

Scott Avett: Boy through Aug. 3

Boyhood, including images of his young sons, is the common thread in this exhibition of paintings and screen prints by artist Scott Avett at SOCO Gallery.

Kirk Fanelly: What do we have here? through Aug. 23

The Charlotte artist offers 21st-century surrealism: recognizable settings where something is awry, often using a technique involving cut paper. The exhibition is part of the Constellation CLT series at Mint Museum Uptown.

Beyond Boundaries: Black Abstraction in the Elliot and Kimberly Perry Art Collection through Aug. 30

View dozens of works across all galleries at the Gantt Center. Over 30 years,

Summer concert season is in full swing, starting this month with Charlie Puth (June 1 at Spectrum Center) and continuing with The Black Crowes (June 6 at Truliant Amphitheater), Drivin N Cryin (June 11 at The Visulite), Evanescence (June 18 at Truliant), Chris Stapleton (June 20 at Bank of America Stadium), Cowboy Junkies (June 20 at Carolina Theatre) and The Human League with Soft Cell (June 20 at The Amp).

the Memphis couple has built a significant collection of contemporary art by African American and African diasporic artists. Elliot Perry, a former NBA player, spent a season as a Charlotte Hornet in the early ’90s.

Horizon of Khufu through Aug. 30

This immersive expedition at Blume Studios uncovers the mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Giza and ancient Egypt via virtual reality. Ticket prices vary.

Charlotte Symphony: Black Panther in Concert June 5-6

Watch Ryan Coogler’s action-packed Marvel film as the CSO performs the award-winning score on stage at Belk Theater. Tickets start at $34.

Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops

June 7, 14, 21, 28

Pack a picnic and take in the tunes at Symphony Park, from Broadway to Hollywood hits. Celebrate America (June 28) ends with fireworks. Ticket prices vary.

Second Saturdays Market in SouthPark

June 13 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Shop Local QC returns to the green beside Legion Brewing with 30+ vendors selling baked goods, jewelry, candles and more. SP

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to stay updated on events at southparkmagazine.com.

Emmy Lou’s

Italo

Suede Sky by Katherine Boxall

JUNE BOOKS

Notable new releases compiled by Sally Brewster

Whistler by Ann Patchett

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than a year when Daphne was 9. Now 53, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

The Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki

In this spirited and emotionally resonant collection, award-winning novelist Ruth Ozeki explores childhood ambition, youthful desire, midlife reinvention and the unsparing clarity of old age. With her distinctive blend of wit, warmth and deep humanity, she brings us 11 richly imagined stories of characters standing at life’s thresholds, grappling with faded ideals, evolving identities and the inevitable compromises that shape a life. Spanning eras and geographies — from a New England college town in the 1970s to downtown Manhattan in the 1990s to a moss-covered Pacific Northwest island during the early pandemic — The Typing Lady is an electrifying meditation on the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we abandon and the stories we become.

Land by Maggie O’Farrell

On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. It’s 1865, and in a country ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger, the task is not easy. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster. The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed, but Tomás is unexpectedly sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse.

His life, and the lives of those of his family, will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomás, and how is Liam, only 10, going to finish the mapping and get them both home?

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer

When Clara and Seb first cross paths in a London square, it’s the start of something exciting. Clara, an aspiring director stuck in an entry-level job, itches to pick up a camera. Seb, having floated between music, modeling and now acting, struggles to find purpose in his work. Yet as random chance brings the two back together time and time again, neither could predict that their magnetic connection is set to change their lives. But everyone else does. The spark between Clara and Seb is exactly what falling in love should look like: exhilarating, passionate, undeniable. The two become a whirlwind, their relationship enthralling everyone they come across. But as the years go on and tensions flare, a last-ditch attempt to save their great romance ends with a gut-wrenching betrayal.

Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution by Denise Kiernan History has always celebrated the “Founding Fathers” — the sly but victorious tactics of Washington, the daring exploits of Lafayette, the grand ideas of Jefferson. Yet we rarely hear of the women who kept the colonies running and liberty alive. Obstinate Daughters finally rewrites the story of America’s birth by revealing the courageous, resourceful women whose actions shaped a nation. From the battlefields to the printing press, from the plantations to the pulpit, these women fought, spied, published, preached, farmed, organized. From the front lines to the home front, from the colonies to the frontier, these unsung heroines turned the tide. SP

Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road, parkroadbooks.com.

Dr. Shane Markey

BATTER UP!

It’s our game, the American game by Tommy Tomlinson

My wife and I had our first date at a Hickory Crawdads game. Well, OK, I already need to backtrack. Alix says to this day that it was not a date. At the time I didn’t think it was a date, either. But somewhere between the first inning and the ninth, I started to feel that tug of attraction. A little more than a year after that night, we got married. Nearly 28 years of marriage later, we’re still together.

The point here is not to settle the question of whether it was or was not a date. The point is to make our way, eventually, to Brad Pitt’s question from Moneyball: “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”

North Carolina gives baseball romantics so many places to fall in love.

Best I can tell, there are 22 professional baseball teams playing in North Carolina this summer. Nine are farm clubs of Major League Baseball teams. Eleven teams play in summer leagues for college players — they use wooden bats instead of the aluminum bats in college games. Two more teams play in the independent Atlantic League. You could drive around the state and see a different game in a different park every night for three weeks straight, with a game left over.

Minor-league team names are sports poetry. Here in North Carolina, we have the Gastonia Ghost Peppers and the Edenton Steamers, the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Holly Springs Salamanders, the Forest City Owls and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the Boone Bigfoots and the Greenville Yard Gnomes. (Should it be the Boone Bigfeet? Sounds like a discussion for the ballpark, between innings.)

Some teams choose names with a local angle. The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers name-check the Cannon Mills textile company that basically built the town. (The Cannon Ballers’ logo also features a mustachioed figure who looks suspiciously like Kannapolisborn Dale Earnhardt.) Asheboro has the North Carolina Zoo, so their team is the Zookeepers. My favorite, along these lines, is the Winston-Salem Dash. I’ll let you figure that one out — although if you’re strict about grammar, you might not like the answer.

Alix and I have been to minor-league games all over the state. Every park has its own quirks and charms. A few years ago, as part of a baseball vacation, we went to see an Asheville Tourists game. I hadn’t been feeling great that week. We had to park at the bottom of a hill, and the stadium was at the top. I was dreading that climb. But then a guy rolled up in an extra-long golf cart. It turns out the

Tourists will give fans a lift up to the stadium if they need one. That day, I needed one. I felt like a VIP as the cart zoomed us to the gate. By the way, if you ever take a book to the ballpark — lots of people do! — my suggestion is Ryan McGee’s Welcome to the Circus of Baseball. It’s about the summer he spent as an intern with the Tourists, and it is jam-packed with stories. I will never forget his tale of the mountain man the team sent into the woods behind the outfield fence to retrieve batting practice homers. He always returned with a bagful of balls — and another bag full of squirrels and such for his supper.

Speaking of supper, the range of what qualifies as ballpark food is so much wider than it used to be. The Durham Bulls, for example, offer pretzels with hummus, gourmet popcorn, Impossible Foods veggie dogs and a ton of local brews. Even the smallest parks often have fancy burgers and IPAs. They still have the classics, too. Nothing says the eighth inning at a minor-league park like ice cream in a little batting helmet.

have moved to Smithfield, where they’ll start playing in 2027. Wilson’s team is now the Warbirds — they’re a farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers. They replaced the Carolina Mudcats. The old Mudcats’ stadium in Zebulon is now home to the Zebulon Devil Dogz, which will feature Australian players. As they say in baseball, it’s hard to keep track without a scorecard.

In Greensboro, we cheered one of the team’s bat dogs who retrieve bats tossed aside when players get a hit. In High Point, we spotted former World Series MVP Frank Viola serving as pitching coach for the Rockers. In Wilson, years ago, we happened to show up on Pint Glass Night and brought home a Wilson Tobs glass we use to this day.

The Tobs (a nod to Eastern North Carolina’s tobacco roots)

The truth is, it doesn’t matter what the teams are called or who’s playing. I’ve been to dozens —hundreds? — of minor-league games over the years. The only surefire star I remember watching is Jim Thome, who mashed baseballs for the Charlotte Knights and went on to hit 612 home runs in the majors. I’m sure there have been other all-stars somewhere in all those games, mixed in with the guys who made it to the bigs for a bit, and the ones who never made it at all. But I don’t remember the players. What I remember are the warm nights and the cold beer and the good company.

I still have my ticket stub from that Hickory Crawdads game back in 1997. I have no idea who won that game. I just remember the fireworks that almost set the woods on fire beyond the outfield fence, and the slow dawning, as I talked to my seatmate, that this might not be just another night at the ballpark.

We still don’t count that night as our first date. But we’ve spent a lot of nights at baseball games since then. And you can bet every one of those counts. SP

VILLAGE life

SACRED GROUNDS

My journey with the three G’s by Jim

Dodson

As I write this, it’s an hour before sunrise on Good Friday. With my morning meditation behind me for the day, it seems like the ideal moment to take stock of my “Three G’s.”

In addition to the enduring love I have for my wife, children and brand new grandchild, the Three G’s is my simple shorthand for God, Golf and Gardening, the three defining elements of my life’s journey.

Allow me to consider them in reverse order of importance.

This month, my home’s garden will be featured on a local garden-club tour. It’s an honor I never saw coming, though building gardens (and working in them) has been a passion of mine since I was knee-high to a post-hole digger. I hail from rural people, Carolina farmers who lived off the bounty of the land. So, the urge to grow things is in my bloodstream. Some of my fondest memories are of visiting my dad’s elderly second cousins, Josie and Ida, who shared a handsome old farmhouse from the Civil-War era and a giant garden in Orange County.

My dad called them the “Moon and Star Girls,” because their house had limited indoor plumbing but a pair of splendid outhouses with elegantly carved wooden doors. One featured a half-moon (cousin Ida’s), the other a shining star (cousin Josie’s). I was deeply fascinated by both women and their fancy outhouses. Almost every Easter and Christmas of my boyhood, our family would take them a salted country ham, Pond’s cold cream and copies of Reader’s Digest, Life magazine and the Saturday Evening Post.

Ida was the solemn and stern sister who ran the household. Josie

was the sweet and talkative one who loved books and storytelling. Their dressing style was pure 19th-century, floral dresses with knitted sweaters that Ida made by hand and lace-up boots. I like to think part of the verdure in my blood comes from them, as well as my great-grandmother, who grew and collected native plants for making folk medicines. Aunt Emma, my dad’s grandmother, was a beloved “healer” in the area, since a real doctor was 20 miles away.

The vast garden of the “Moon and Star Girls” was well-known along Buckhorn Road between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. The sisters shared their bounty with neighbors up and down the road. For several summers, before a game called golf seized my waking attention, I got to stay with Ida and Josie and help in their garden. Josie would sing hymns and tell me stories about our ancestors while Ida kept a sharp eye on our progress, sometimes reminding us that the “Lord loves busy hands. Not idle chatter.” Once, Josie stuck her tongue out at Ida’s back and we both dissolved with laughter. Cousin Ida was not amused.

Both my parents were serious suburban gardeners, which is why I grew up to become one, too. I’ve built three ambitious gardens in my life. The latest is the most ambitious, built around the old house we purchased a decade ago on the street where I grew up in Greensboro. Likely, it’s my final garden.

Garden work is good for the soul, cousin Josie liked to say. ***

Golf came into my life at age 11 after watching Arnold Palmer play in the 1964 Masters tournament on TV. That’s the year the

King of Golf won his final green jacket by six strokes and tossed his cap into the air. I promptly joined his “Arnie’s Army.”

I began beating golf balls around our backyard with an old Bobby Jones wedge I still own (somewhere) and quickly progressed to a modest nine-hole course I nearly wore out every day after swim practice. I followed my dad into journalism and shared his passion for the cruelly addictive game invented 400 years ago by lonely Scottish shepherds.

In 1997, as a columnist for Golf Magazine, I published a memoir called Final Rounds that told the story of taking my wise old man back to play the courses on England’s Lancashire coast, where he had learned to play the game as an airman shortly before D-Day.

The book changed my life. After reading it, Arnold Palmer invited me to write his memoir, A Golfer’s Life, and share the cover credit with him. We remained friends until his passing in September 2016. I’ve been deeply blessed by my golf writing, a career that includes several celebrated books about the game, scores of friends and a lifetime of memories. Not long ago, just for fun, one of my golf buddies and I even started a podcast called “Sports is Beyond Us” that allows us to share the timeless joys, fellowship and low comedy of the game. ***

God is the most important “G” in my life. I once heard someone say there are two paths to God — one is love, the other is sorrow.

I’ve taken both paths in my life and found that the divine force of the universe eventually welcomes everyone home regardless of where they’ve been. We all have a different picture of who or what God is. My belief is that God grades life on a generous curve, and small miracles are everywhere if you take time to notice.

Many years ago, I took my highly opinionated Scottish mother-in-law to the Evensong service at St John’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England. Kate was probably my best friend during several challenging years, a gifted gardener and educator who never missed watching the British Open Championship with me over gin and tonics. She was the only person on Earth who ever called me “James.”

Kate was also a professed atheist who had one of the kindest hearts of anyone I’ve ever known. Her parents had perished during the German bombing of the docks in her native Glasgow when she was very young.

That summer evening at St John’s, though, when the choir sang the familiar “Old Hundredth” hymn from the Genevan Psalter, I heard Kate softly singing along. As we exited into a beautiful evening, she took my arm and squeezed it. There were tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, James,” she said. “My mother and father loved that old hymn. I haven’t heard it in 50 years.”

Praise God, I thought, from whom all blessings flow. SP

Your Summer Starts Here

June 7

June 14

June 21

June 28 American Classics Best of Broadway Hollywood Hits Celebrate America

Advanced tickets on sale now — prices increase at the gate

Plan your Summer Pops experience today!

charlotte symphony.org/summer

Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation is generously presented by M.A. Rogers and Bank of America with additional support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Individual sponsorship support for this exhibition is kindly provided by Betsy and Alfred Brand; Jane and Hugh McColl, Pat Rodgers, and Leigh-ann and Martin Sprock; Beverly and Jim Hance, Anna McKeithen Webersen, Laura McKeithen, Susan and Loy McKeithen, Marshelette and Milton Prime, and Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach; Sarah and Tim Belk, Mary and Charles Bowman, and Jo Ann and Joddy Peer; Marty and Weston Andress, Mary Lou and Jim Babb, and Robin and Bill Branstrom. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council. Caravaggio | Revolution is organized by the Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi and Civita Mostre e Musei, in collaboration with The Mint Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. IMAGE: Valentin de Boulogne, known as Le Valentin (French, 1591–1632). Denial of St. Peter (detail), 1615–17, oil on canvas. Florence, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi. Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts | 500 South Tryon Street | Charlotte, NC 28202 | 704.337.2000 | mintmuseum.org | @themintmuseum

A little song & dance

Don’t let summer be a cultural drought: 10 events to keep you entertained in June and July by Page Leggett

What do these three have in common? Stephen Sondheim, aka “the Father of the Modern Musical.” A campy, pansexual vampire. John Mellencamp.

Probably nothing, other than the fact that they all can play a part in fighting off the summer doldrums in Charlotte. Schoolchildren are admonished to combat summertime “brain drain” by reading for pleasure. Grown-ups may need to get to a theater or club to prevent a similar fate.

June and July don’t have to mean a cultural dry spell. Most local theater companies are on hiatus, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has traded Belk Theater for Symphony Park and other outdoor venues. But there’s music, comedy, musical comedy and dance (all but one in airconditioned spaces!) to tide us over till fall.

JUNE

Patterson Hood, Visulite, June 3

Hood’s solo shows are a big departure from his work with his band, the Drive-By Truckers. Without his bandmates, he shares intimate, autobiographical details in story and song. His solo albums are likewise distinct from his band’s albums. Hood’s fourth solo effort — 2025’s Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams — is composed of 10 songs that explore his youth and young adulthood, when he left his native Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to pursue his musical ambitions. (And they include strings and woodwinds, which you won’t find on any Truckers tune.)

Hood’s lyrics are every bit as introspective as his former bandmate, Jason Isbell’s: “What once was pure through your childish eyes …

has you longing for a time/When you could stand judging right and wrong through tightdrawn blinds/At safe distance.” visulite.com

Charlotte Squawks, Booth Playhouse, June 4 – 28

Charlotte’s own Not Ready For Primetime Players have been skewering sports figures, politicians, the media and local annoyances (the Booty Loop and Ballantyne, for instance) for two decades. That makes the sketch comedy show the longest-running annual, original musical comedy revue in the Southeast. Its enduring appeal is due to a talented cast, the comedy writing of Brian Kahn (who could’ve been a writer for SNL if he hadn’t become a lawyer) and the genial ringmaster of the madness, emcee Mike Collins. Audiences love to see the rich and powerful, the feckless, the hapless, and the

Charlotte Squawks

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

city that makes no secret of its desire to be “world-class” get a little comeuppance. It’s all in good fun, though. blumenthalarts.org

Charlotte Ballet, Flip: Choreographic Workshop, Center for Dance, June 11 – 20 Charlotte Ballet’s professional dancers do double duty in this program, with some serving as both dancer and choreographer. Flipping the script allows dancers to take risks and explore new ways of telling a story through movement. It’s an effort the dancers clearly have fun with. And it’s a lot of fun for audiences, too. More info at charlotteballet. org; tickets at blumenthalarts.org

Joe Gatto, The Comedy Zone, June 11 – 13

If you don’t know him from his hit TV show “Impractical Jokers,” your teenage son probably does. It aired from 2011 until late 2021 and always began with the warning: “The following program contains scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong

friends who compete to embarrass each other.” In each episode, one friend engages with unwitting strangers while receiving commands in an earpiece from the unseen others, whose goal is inflicting maximum embarrassment. In his live, solo shows — which are highly interactive — Gatto often shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show, but also delves into his family, his Italian heritage and his love for his dogs. cltcomedyzone.com

Jill Scott, To Whom This May Concern tour, Belk Theater, June 16

How much talent should one person be allotted? Scott may have gotten more than her share. The three-time Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter is also a New York Times bestselling poet, actress, producer and philanthropist. The soprano rose to fame in the late 1990s as part of the neo-soul movement. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, went double

platinum. Her new album is her first in over a decade. Scott’s vocal style blends jazz and R&B with — wait for it — opera and hip-hop. She’s been called a “natural-born performer,” and her live shows reflect her love of being in front of an audience. blumenthalarts.org

Christopher Titus, Carolina Theatre, June 26

“Talking about politics in America right now is like trying to organize an interracial hoedown in 1840.” That’s according to Titus, a stand-up comedian, writer, actor and podcaster who’s now on the road with his Doomed to Repeat tour. The dysfunctional family he grew up in provides fodder for his comedy, which has been described as dark, edgy, personal and poignant. He describes himself in his Instagram tagline as: “… fair and brutal, pragmatically delusional, independent & codependent.” More info at thecarolina.com; tickets at ticketmaster.com.

JULY

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, PNC Broadway Lights series, Booth Playhouse, July 7 – Aug. 9

Dracula is a lot less menacing when portrayed as a pansexual, Gen-Z count experiencing an existential crisis. When you consider that this Dracula has a wardrobe malfunction with his cape that prevents him from flying, you realize that the “Terrors” in the title is just for laughs. Five cast members play a dozen roles in this lightning-fast, 90-minute spoof of Bram Stoker’s Gothic tale. Filled with popculture references and often compared to Monty Python, the show, which ran off-Broadway in 2024, bends genders in much the way Rocky Horror Picture Show did. Seeing a professional cast in a space as intimate as the Booth should be a rare treat. blumenthalarts.org

Emerson Woolf & The Wishbones, Evening Muse, July 16

Critics have a hard time classifying Emerson Woolf’s music. Indie-alternative? Folk-rock? Dark country? Pop-Americana? It’s been called all those and more. Woolf’s lyrics, about love, loss and personal growth have been called “heartfelt,” and her emotional storytelling compared to Phoebe Bridgers. (I think she sounds a lot like the late Delores O’Riordan of The Cranberries.) With the aid of her backing band, The Wishbones, Woolf is gaining a reputation as a powerful live performer. eveningmuse.com

Sondheim on Sondheim , Queen City Concerts, Stage Door Theater, July 18 He’s been called “The Father of the Modern Musical.” And since he began his career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story — he was about 26 at the time — who would argue? Sondheim went on to

Patterson Hood

write music and lyrics for Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Assassins and more. This tribute, conceived by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, is a revuestyle show featuring footage from interviews with Sondheim and songs from 19 of his shows produced over an incredible 62-year period. More info at qcconcerts.com; tickets at blumenthalarts.org

John Mellencamp, Dancing Words Tour: The Greatest Hits, Truliant Amphitheater (formerly PNC Pavilion), July 30

Whether or not you’re from a small town, I’ll bet you can’t help but sing along to the Seymour, Indiana, native’s 1985 hit celebrating his hometown. The artist formerly known as John Cougar’s greatest hits include “Pink Houses,” “Jack & Diane” and “Hurts So Good.” And on his 2026 tour, Meg Ryan’s ex-beau has also been rocking some tunes he rarely plays live, including “I Need a Lover” and “R.O.C.K. in the USA.” And that ought to thrill even those for whom “the thrill of living is gone.” More info at truliantamp. com; tickets at ticketmaster.com SP

John Mellencamp

Summer calls for florals, flowy dresses and easy-breezy silhouettes.

Styling + production: Whitley Adkins

Photographs: Olly Yung

Models: Olivia Gleeson with Directions USA + Mia Miller

Prop styling: Brooke Werhane

Hair + makeup: Josiah Reed

Stylist’s assistant: Sydney Gallagher

On location at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Cara Cara Alba midi dress, $795, and Dorothee Schumacher Airy Daydream blouse, $590, both from Showroom; Janessa Leone Felix bucket hat, $247, Thirty-One Jane; Emme Parsons kitten heels from Capitol, stylist’s own Center: Hunter Bell June dress, $125, Thirty-One Jane

An homage to Hats in the Garden, an annual spring event blending fashion and philanthropy, set against the beauty of the gardens at Stowe. This elegant luncheon, held in April, celebrates creativity, color and wearable art, from the outfits to the aweinspiring hats. Hats in the Garden was inspired by an idea from Pam Stowe (pictured, left), wife of the conservancy founder’s nephew, Harding Stowe.

Right:

J.Crew floral gauze dress, $198; Ulla Johnson Pearl silk blouse, $790, Showroom; Mignonne Gavigan Esposa earrings, $225, Thirty-One Jane; Ganni metallic sandals from Thirty-One Jane, stylist’s own

William H. Williamson, III, Conservatory is an 8,000-square-foot, five-story glass house with a waterfall and a myriad of orchids and tropical plants including a cocoa tree, vanilla orchid and an orchid tree.

Right: Tanya Taylor Barton mirror dress, $595, and Luv Lou sunglasses, $170, both from Thirty-One Jane; Wildflower eyelet cotton mini dress coat, $850, La Vie Style House; Araminta barrel necklace, $265, and fish necklace, $185, both from Five One Five; Irene Neuwirth heart earrings from Capitol; Swedish Hasbeens pink metallic sandals from Poole Shop, and vintage Lucite bangle, stylist’s own

Left: Hunter Bell Rosie skirt, $85, and Mayfair top, $85, both from Thirty-One Jane; Flower sunglasses, $12, Coco Leto

The three-story Prairie Castle Playground is inspired by medieval playscapes in Europe, blending a whimsical design with features like climbing nets, elevated walkways and hidden nooks to encourage exploration.

The Growing Center, led by Jason Bonham, vice president of gardens and natural resources, is Stowe’s hub for horticulture. The center houses several greenhouses and a native nursery.

Borgo De Nor Tatiana dress, $1,275, Five One Five; custom earrings by Kristin Hayes Jewelry, stylist’s own

Left: Aje Westlyn gown, $879, Showroom; Primaura geometric earrings, $125, Thirty-One Jane; vintage bangles, stylist’s own

Right: White dress, $158, Coco Leto

The Creekside Room is one of five outdoor “rooms” on the Kimbrell

Family Adventure Trail. The halfmile trail leads from the Lost Hollow Kimbrell Children’s Garden to the Prairie Castle Playground, giving kids space to let their imaginations run wild. Other rooms feature climbing rocks, musical instruments, life-size animal habitats and a dragon’s secret home.

Kleid poppy skirt, $365, and Patou recycled faille long-sleeved crop top, $790, both from Five One Five; K. Jacques studded wrap sandals, stylist’s own

The Nellie Rhyne Stowe White Garden, Stowe’s most popular location for weddings, is an elegant courtyard with white blooms and silver foliage reminiscent of the English countryside.

Sunny heart tassel mini swing dress, $637.50, La Vie Style House; Janessa Leone Waverly hat, $297, Thirty-One Jane

The Ragan Canal Garden, a 100-yard water feature, is bordered by seasonal plants with fountains at each end.

Stine Goya tie-front vest, $235, and Hunter Bell Alexis skirt, $395, both from Thirty-One Jane; Clare V. sunglasses, $190, Five One Five; J.Crew floral silk scarf, $79.50

Steps from the Garden Pavilion, the Four Seasons Garden provides a stunning backdrop any time of year. SP

Designer Lisa Sherry brings quiet luxury and layered warmth to a Cashiers mountain home.

by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Stacey Van Berkel

Lisa Sherry’s clients had already worked with the designer on their Charlotte residence before bringing her in to design the interior of their new mountain home in Cashiers. The 3,800-square-foot house, completed in 2024, was still under construction when they enlisted Sherry, giving her the opportunity to shape the interiors from the ground up. Unlike their primary home, which favors the designer’s signature white-on-white aesthetic, this retreat embraces a softer palette inspired by the surrounding landscape.

“We used mossy greens, umber browns and soft gray tones throughout,” says Sherry, owner and principal designer at Lisa Sherry Interieurs. “The goal was to feel grounded and intimate and quietly luxurious.”

The white oak floors and walls finished in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove gave her a clean, neutral foundation. The homeowner was inspired by the character of mountain homes out West, so Sherry created a “deeply tactile environment” and layered it with pieces that tell a story.

“This home was designed to reveal itself slowly,” she says. “I love for homes to unfold rather than announce themselves, and mirror the landscape without competing with it.”

The entry features original art by High Point-based artist Dawn Sweitzer. A vintage Oushak rug and wood console table anchor the space; a round mirror from Made Goods feels both warm and refined.

In the living room, the grand stone fireplace is a focal point while the wood ceiling beams add another layer of texture. Sherry furnished the space with pieces from Verellen, a luxury furniture brand based in High Point known for its natural fabric upholstery.

“The open floorplan speaks to how we live today, with more intentionality,” Sherry says. “We’re creating this home that feels like a retreat.”

“This is a deeply tactile environment,” Sherry says. “Everything invites you to touch it. We used real, honest materials like stone, wood and linen with subtle variations versus contrasting color.”

The kitchen features custom floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, a classic subway-tile backsplash and hand-rubbed brass fixtures. Sherry paired black quartz on the perimeter with a lighter, gray-veined countertop on the island.

“I like to mix and balance countertops,” she says. “It’s like furniture, where you don’t want everything too matchy.”

In place of a formal dining room, Sherry created a cozy breakfast nook just off the kitchen. A warm wood table and chairs along with another Oushak rug define the space.

The primary bedroom is painted a soft blue-gray, offering a gentle contrast to the white walls on the main floor. Sherry furnished the room with an upholstered bed from Verellen, two dark wood side tables and an end-of-bed wood bench for additional seating. The lamp bases were crafted from jars imported from Indonesia.

In the primary bathroom, she installed marble flooring and a luxurious freestanding tub. The custom cabinetry is stained in urban gray, and pendant lights from Visual Comfort complement the brass mirrors and fixtures.

For one of the kids’ bedrooms, the builder installed custom, builtin wood bunk beds with drawers underneath. The linen pinstripe shade adds “a little pattern play,” while the sheepskin rug gives the kids something soft underfoot.

“The furniture spoke to the home, but also the town of Cashiers,” Sherry says.

“I like kids’ rooms that aren’t too thematic or youthful so they have something to grow into,” Sherry says.

In the kids’ bathroom, she chose a marble herringbone floor for some visual interest. The reeded wood vanity is topped with a vessel sink for a little rustic charm. A Made Goods mirror is flanked by sconces from Visual Comfort.

The covered porch serves as an outdoor living room and gives the homeowners panoramic views of the wooded lot. Sherry outfitted the space with an indoor/ outdoor rug and light wood pieces from Harbour Outdoor.

“It’s one of our favorite outdoor lines,” she says. “I love how clean and simple and modern it is.”

By the end of the 18-month project, Sherry had crafted a home she describes as refined but not too precious.

“What I like about the mountain houses we do is that we avoid the cliches,” she says. “We make them more refined and tonal and not too rustic, so it feels timeless rather than thematic.” SP

Well-worn

Weaving in personal stories, this quarterly photographic series is a journey through the objects, rituals and quiet details that shape a well-lived life. Each story moves between the tactile and the personal. It’s less about owning “stuff,” but rather why we keep it, and how certain items gather meaning over time. In a world that favors instant gratification and the shiny-and-new, this series instead celebrates the enduring craftsmanship and patina of well-made objects. — Richard Israel

The air in a collector’s garage is a glorious scent of starter fluid, motor oil, gasoline and aged leather. To step into Dr. Phillip Greene’s sanctuary is to step out of the hum of modern Charlotte and into a world of analog dials and the tactile soul of the 20th century.

I first met Phillip several years ago on a fashion shoot, where one of his BMWs served as an extra. Little did I know that, nearly a decade later, I’d find myself standing amid a collection that would make any enthusiast’s heart skip: a stable of immaculately maintained Porsches and the subject of my childhood daydreams — a 1969 Jaguar E-Type.

Phillip’s journey didn’t begin with German precision, but with a classic American muscle car — a secondhand 1965 navy blue Pontiac

GTO. It was the quintessential high-school chariot, featuring a “four on the floor” manual shift. For Phillip and others of his era, those were the days of weekend ball games, cruising the strip and the simple freedom of the open road.

But the calling of Europe eventually took hold. In 2008, he acquired a 1973 BMW 2002tii in Colorado orange. His wife, Amy, affectionately dubbed it the “perfect dreamsicle.” Driving that car (which is currently being restored) was a social catalyst; they’d be flagged down by strangers eager to share stories of BMWs loved and lost. It was the spark that resurrected Phillip’s dormant interest in early vintage steel.

One special member of Phillip’s collection is the 1972 BMW 2002 “swamp car.” Discovered in the woods south of Fort Mill, South Carolina,

words and photographs by Richard Israel

Opposite page, below: 1969 Jaguar midnight blue E-Type Roadster, considered by many the most beautiful car ever made.

it took 10 years of persistence and cajoling the previous owner before Phillip could finally bring it home. It serves as a reminder that in the world of vintage collecting, patience is as vital a tool as a 10mm wrench.

Today, you’re likely to spot Phillip on the quieter roads of Anson County or winding through Charlotte’s leafy streets in the early morning. Usually, Amy is beside him, along with Happy, their Cavapoo, with her nose firmly in the air, catching the breeze.

Comments have been lightly edited.

Automotive lore credits Enzo Ferrari with proclaiming the [Jaguar] E-Type the most beautiful car ever made. Do you agree?

While it’s hard to argue with the Jaguar’s silhouette, for me, the older Mercedes-Benz cars are the most iconic. They are symbolic of a generationally and universally recognized standard, engineered to such perfection that history suggests they will still be around another 50 years from now. They represent an era of indestructible craftsmanship.

What’s the deciding factor when adding to your collection?

I tend to hunt for concours-quality examples, but they must be functional. I prefer cars that can actually be driven — carefully, but regularly. A car that sits is a car that loses its soul.

Does anyone in your family share this passion?

My nephews certainly do, though their version of “sharing the passion” mostly involves asking me for the keys.

I have to ask — the outfit you’re wearing today is quite sharp. What’s the secret?

It’s a functional uniform: Vineyard Vines pants, an L.L. Bean long-sleeve tee, and a self-made buff for sun protection. The belt is

Phillip and Amy Greene with Happy

Opposite page, top: 1965 Porsche 912 Irish green Targa. “It was bought new by a lady in 1968. She and her husband restored it for their 50th wedding anniversary, after which they both became ill, and it became available on the market.”

Above: 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D. “Very slow, indestructible, and takes one back to a different time in life.”

Right: A 1997 Land Rover Defender 90 NAS is the newest addition to the collection, having arrived from Seattle in mid-April. “A departure from sports cars, the Defender has always been intriguing. After looking casually for a pristine yet drivable example for the past few years, this one became available and I decided to try it. (Sometimes you can resist anything but temptation.)”

Brooks Brothers — an institution founded in 1818, though I purchased this one more recently. As for the socks? Optional. What about the 1954 Corvette?

That was my most recent auction find at Barrett-Jackson. Upon closer inspection in the cold, honest daylight of the next morning, the car revealed it had significantly more “personality” than my pre-purchase inspection had suggested. You can never be too careful. Amy was initially pleased I hadn’t bought another car — until I explained I had instead purchased a commercial automotive lift. The garage has now been expanded four times; it is a concerning pattern.

Ultimately, Phillip’s collection is more than just a gallery of German engineering and British curves; it is a library of shared stories. In the digital world we live in, these machines remain beautiful anchors — reminding us that while a car can take you anywhere, a vintage one can also take you back. SP

22nd of October 2026

HYATT CENTRIC SOUTHPARK

A women’s fundraiser like no other benefiting The Go Jen Go Foundation. TICKETS + SPONSORSHIPS + INFO MYBREASTFRIENDSWEDDING.COM

Distilleries, racetracks and a midcentury-modern hotel in the Bluegrass State by Jay Ahuja

Right about the time Charlotte became a craft-brewery town, I quit drinking beer, primarily to cut back on carbohydrates and lose weight. A friend turned me on to bourbon and that became my “go-to” drink.

Years later, my wife Karen and I went to Nashville to see a concert at the Ryman Auditorium and to visit family. Her brother Dave caught wind of our plans to tour some Kentucky distilleries and volunteered to be our chauffeur. (He drives a Porsche Cayenne SUV, so how could we say no?) To make a long story short, we had a great time and hoped to return.

We have yet to get back to Nashville, but we recently visited Louisville, Kentucky, which is just 40 miles from Bardstown, Kentucky, the heart of Bourbon Country. This time, traveling with two friends from college, we booked an all-inclusive, private tour with the Kentucky Bourbon Boys. It allowed us to choose from nine Bardstown-area distilleries, a bottling facility and a barrel factory. Our tour guide picked us up at our hotel in a comfortable Sprinter van stocked with bottled water, snacks and lunch.

DISTILLERY HOPPING

Our first stop was Heaven Hill Springs, a modern distillery with an enlightening guided tour, followed by a stop in the Larceny Room for a private five-bottle tasting. In 1996, a lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed the original distillery and consumed

2% of the world’s bourbon supply. Nearly three decades and $200 million later, the distillery reopened in April 2025. Abby, our knowledgeable guide, shared the “ABC’s” of bourbon: All bourbons must be American made, barreled in new charred-oak barrels and consist of at least 51% corn. (Heaven Hill uses a mix of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley.)

Lunch was at Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company, another sprawling state-of-the art facility that resembles a Napa Valley vineyard. Service was terrific and we sampled the Hot Brown (an open-faced turkey sandwich that’s a Kentucky classic), a wedge salad, a grilled-chicken sandwich with a spicy kick, and a brisket burger, which was the highlight. The bourbon list here is almost overwhelming.

Our next stop was Limestone Branch Distillery, which is considerably smaller than Heaven Hill but no less fascinating. While they weren’t producing their flagship Yellowstone bourbon during our visit, our guide, Kim, showed us around and explained the use of heirloom grains, fermentation processes, copper-pot distillation and aging. She also poured samples of Minor Case rye whiskey, three varieties of Yellowstone and their Bowling & Burch small-batch gin.

Our final stop was Maker’s Mark. While it wasn’t our first visit here, it was a great way to finish the tour. Situated on a gorgeous piece of land with rolling hills and buildings that resemble an old

English village, there were glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly scattered about the grounds and inside several buildings. Every drop of their bourbon is made here, our enthusiastic guide Logan shared. The distillery brings in seven truckloads of grain per day and uses massive cedar fermenting tanks before piping the bourbon mash to giant copper stills. They produce 60,000 labels per shift with two shifts a day. Bourbons are released not only by age (on average, six to eight Kentucky summers), but are tested constantly to make sure they fall within specific taste ranges.

BACK IN BARDSTOWN

We stayed at the 95-room Trail Hotel in Bardstown, which opened last year and bills itself as “the first and only bourboncentric hotel.” In addition to Oak & Ember, a bar and restaurant serving weekend brunch and dinner, there’s a pool with a hot tub and swim-up bar, and a bourbon butler. If you overdo it, the rejuvenation room offers IV therapy, oxygen hyperbaric treatments, cryotherapy and a hot sauna. There’s a speakeasy open ThursdaySaturday nights and another bar with a golf simulator nearby. Guest rooms are comfortably appointed and stylishly decorated with wood and leather accents.

Bardstown has a quaint downtown that is easily walkable, with lots of shops, bars, restaurants and galleries, as well as one massive liquor store. The Old Talbott Tavern has been around since the 1700s and portends to be the world’s oldest bourbon bar, with live music most Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Top right: Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company; Above: Limestone Branch Distillery; Below: Maker’s Mark.

The Rickhouse is another well-established bar and restaurant where reservations are required. Standouts were a warm brie salad, steaks, bourbon mushrooms and scalloped potatoes. The bourbon and wine lists were also impressive.

We enjoyed lunch at Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar, a no-frills eatery with large portions and friendly service. We savored salads and sandwiches at Scout & Scholar Brewing Company. A short walk away is Neat, a bar with a speakeasy vibe, comfortable seating and upbeat service. We also tried the Liam Ash Bar, a tiny but tidy place owned by the same folks who operate the Trail Hotel, and The Volstead Bourbon Lounge, a shadowy speakeasy voted Best Bourbon Bar by readers of The Kentucky Standard in 2024 and 2025.

BEYOND BOURBON

Steve, our tour driver, told us about a 236acre farm called Old Friends that, along with two sister properties, serves as a retirement facility for more than 250 thoroughbred horses, including five that were victorious in Triple Crown races and another pair that won the Breeders’ Cup. (Silver Charm, who won both the Derby and Preakness, is the best-known.) The farm attracts more than 15,000 visitors per year. It was fully booked by the time we heard about it, but perhaps that’s reason to return.

Instead, we headed to Keeneland, even though race season had just ended. More than a few folks recommended breakfast at Track Kitchen, which serves both the staff and guests. It did not disappoint. Order eggs your way and/or breakfast served cafeteriastyle at this modest, throwback establishment.

Guided tours can be booked in advance, but those were sold out by the time we decided to go, so we did a self-guided walking tour of the track. I’m no expert, but if I had to render a judgment, Keeneland is more like Augusta National Golf Club than Disneyland: old-school and authentic. From there, we drove to Louisville to attend The Oaks and Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. I’ll save that story for another time, but suffice it to say, if you enjoy bourbon and the sport of kings, there may be no better place on Earth to mix those two passions. SP

The Old Talbott Tavern, left, and Heaven Hill Springs

Trail Hotel

MORE THAN JUST A CONVERSATION

PARTNER FIRST, PRODUCER SECOND

Evrybdy Studios knows how to tell a story, and they want to tell yours. Robbie Shaw, Founder and CEO of the studio and creator of podcast “Champagne Problems,” realized he had a passion and love for the art of conversation. He wanted the conversations he was having around mental health, adversity, and perseverance to be accessible beyond the scope of a one on one interaction. The answer? Going digital. He founded Evrybdy Studios with a team of “audio/video creators and marketing experts” who are excitingly ahead of the game when it comes to utilizing authentic conversation to establish trust, thought leadership, and brand awareness.

THE FUTURE OF BRANDING

Robbie and the team create full-service podcast solutions for businesses ranging from brand strategy to production and distribution. With today’s shift towards digital-first marketing solutions, Evrybdy Studios hasn’t just jumped on the bandwagon, they’ve started to drive it. In just two years, they’ve curated content from world-class experts, brand sponsorships and renowned guests, and have garnered more than 400k downloads across their client podcasts.

STANDING OUT AND MAKING ROOM

In a world where podcasts and audio/visual services seem saturated, Evrybdy Studios stands out by serving B2B and B2C organizations, helping them reach their target audience. “It’s not about popularity, it’s about getting information, thought leadership, and brand awareness to the exact people you’re trying to reach,” says Robbie about the intention and purpose behind podcasting. They carefully and masterfully create unique packages for each client considering business needs, making room for your stories and sharing your conversations with everybody.

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Spring Symposium

benefiting Mint Museum Auxiliary Charlotte Country Club

April 15

Designer, host and author Nate Berkus shared stories from his decades-long career as a leading voice in interiors and shared insight from his bestselling book, Foundations. Adam Rathe of Town & Country moderated the event.

photographs by Christina Hussey

Margaret Janovsky, Lindsey Lucenti, Michelle Troha Crystal DeVita Stites and Katie McDaniel

Michelle WestcottRichards and Terri Rechter

Whitney Sturge and Lanny Gillespie

Ashley Fitzpatrick and Michelle Boudin

Jordan Jones and Chelsea Lawson

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte

Carolina Theatre

April 24

Celebrity judge Louis van Amstel oversaw a night of dancing and fun while raising money for local charities. Anthony Trotman won Top Fundraiser, Katy Harrell won Top Crowd Pleaser and Carson Clough won the coveted Judges Prize.

photographs by Daniel Coston

12th Annual Levine Children’s Gala

benefiting Atrium Health Foundation Bank of America Stadium

March 28

Surprise guest host Rob Lowe brought an extra touch of star power to this year’s gala, which raised more than $3 million.

photographs by Daniel Coston

Lauren Vick Burthey and Gaston Burthey

Marc and Mattye Silverman

Ana Rey and Marty Andress Vickie and Crit Harrison

Katy Harrell and Trevor Guthrie Anthony Trotman and Erica Millarc

Judges Tod Kubo, Louis van Amstel and Susan May

Juliet Kuehnle and Nerijus Jasaitis

Evon Zoog and Darinka Divljak

Mandy Houser and Carol Lovin

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Spring Couture

Presentation

Duke Mansion

March 25

This sold-out evening united fashion, philanthropy and art as attendees enjoyed music by CSO musicians and the debut of Julie de Libran’s spring collection. Hosts Laura Vinroot and Sabina Schlumberger hosted a dinner for patrons following the show.

photographs by Genesis Photography

Publication date: August, 1

Space deadline: Friday, June 29

Contact Anne Brundage at 704-962-0433 or Lynda Kuehni at 704-891-2222 to learn more. Visit us online at southparkmagazine.com/advertise.

Space reservation deadline: Friday, June 29

Contact Anne Brundage at 704-962-0433 or Lynda Kuehni at 704-891-2222. Visit us online at southparkmagazine.com/advertise A SPECIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTING SENIOR CARE AND LIVING IN OUR AUGUST ISSUE.

Laura Vinroot Poole, Kwame Ryan, Amanda Ross Bacon

Shannon and Nia Imani Franklin Patterson, David Fisk, Fran Hyde

Julie de Libran and spring couture looks

Dee Schwab and Laura Babb Grace

Cameron Sherrill, Bridgette Brown, Olga Faison and Parker Shuford

THE GOOD THAT FINDS YOU

When small acts of kindness add up to something bigger

by Taylor Bowler

The first time I met Jamie Bigsby was about two minutes after I got laid off. I was completely shell-shocked, trying to process the news my former boss had just delivered over the phone, as I told her our meeting wasn’t going to happen after all. Instead of getting annoyed at the time wasted, she invited me, a total stranger, to join her in a booth at a SouthPark coffee shop. Let’s just take a beat, she said.

She offered to order me a glass of wine (it was 2 p.m. on a Wednesday) and told me she’d been in my position before. She understood the grief and fear that comes with job loss and let me ping-pong between those feelings before I went home to tell my family. As I stood up to leave, she gave me a hug and said, We’re connected now. If there’s anything I can ever do, I hope you reach out.

A few months later, I did. Not in a professional capacity, but to offer a long overdue thank you for her kindness on one of the worst days of my life. We met in another SouthPark coffee shop, and this time I was able to be fully present and form a complete sentence. I learned that Jamie, a financial adviser, had a really impressive résumé and worked with some heavy hitters in Charlotte.

nights, we could let our hair down and howl with laughter.”

It inspired her to launch SouthPark Mahjong in 2024, which allowed her to host community events, private lessons and fundraisers that revolve around the game. This year, Jamie teamed up with four fellow enthusiasts to open Heron House Mahjong, a studio and boutique on East Boulevard where guests can learn to play, sip wine and shop for tile sets. Jamie will also serve as the boutique’s buyer.

Jamie Bigsby

It’s why the single mom needed something that existed just for her, something that made her feel connected to other high-achieving women running on fumes. When she discovered mahjong, the retro tile-based game that so many Gen X and millennial women have taken up in recent years, she found that community she was looking for.

“It was a sort of magic when we all met,” she says. “All of a sudden, you’re a certain age and you’re missing true joy in your life. Some of us have been through deaths of parents and divorces and we didn’t really feel like we had a support system. On our mahjong

“This is just a tiny microcosm of what I believe is happening everywhere right now,” she says. “People are forming these connections through mahjong. You meet new friends every single time.”

For Jamie, mahjong has become more than just a social outlet. It’s a source of joy that’s carried into other parts of her life.

“I saw something on Instagram that said mahjong is the new LinkedIn for professional women,” she says. “Many of my mahjong friends have become clients. That means I get to have lunch with my friends during the workday, kind of like how men go play golf and do business on the golf course.”

Her instinct for connection and relationship-building was always there — I sensed it the first time we met — but mahjong was the vehicle she needed to expand her circle and put a little more good out into the world.

Charlotte is a city on the move, and it’s full of risk-takers, change-makers and ambitious people. Jamie is a great example of that. But despite living a big, busy life, she knows how to slow down and see the fundamental need for human connection. She certainly did with me that day in the coffee shop last fall.

And sometimes it’s those small moments that leave the biggest stamp on your memory. SP

TREATMENTS LOCATION PROVIDERS