Changes to Christmas Town U.S.A. this season include: New taprooms, ice cream and coffee shops
Christmas Town U.S.A. looks a little different this holiday season, with two new taprooms now open in downtown McAdenville and a new coffee shop and ice cream shop coming soon. New floating Christmas trees will be featured on the lake in the center of town, and a Carolina Thread Trail extension is underway.
IYKYK: McAdenville is in Gaston County, and its nickname is Christmas Town U.S.A. The small town goes all out every year with almost every house and business in town decorated with holiday lights. If you’re new to town, just know to plan ahead — you’ll be waiting in line off the highway for hours.
Lights will glow nightly from Dec. 1-26.
Food & Drink: What’s new this year?
The River Room opened in September in Dynamo 31, a renovated yarn mill from the 1940s. The two-story taproom is run by the Catawba Riverkeeper and serves draft beer from brew kettles around the river basin. Your beer money goes to support local clean water initiatives.
- 115 Craft opened in June, serving local and regional beers on tap, as well as wines by the glass and the bottle. Pro tip: Visit on Wine Wednesdays for $1 off glasses and 15% off bottles to-go.
Coming soon
- Rock Hill-based coffee roaster and shop Knowledge Perk is opening a location in downtown McAdenville. For now, you can visit its coffee bus in downtown from 5 p.m. until the lights go out each night. Fun fact: The coffee shop recently announced another expansion — this one in Fort Mill.
- Under the same roof as Knowledge Perk, Two Scoops Creamery will open soon in McAdenville’s downtown. When it opens, this will be the fifth location for the Plaza Midwood-based creamery, owned by three best friends.
New lake redesign project
McAdenville-based company Pharr recently spearheaded a beautification project of the lake in the center of town. Look for:
- New conifers, flowering trees and hardwoods clustered near the lake;
- A new fountain in the center and “floating Christmas trees” during the holiday season.
The lake project also involves making upgrades to the bank of the lake, which will improve the health of the lake and its wildlife.
FYI: The current Norway Spruce trees you’ve noticed in past holidays have grown too large to safely light.
Carolina Thread Trail extension
Also new in McAdenville: A trail extension overlooking the north side of the lake and connecting to the Carolina Thread Trail and the McAdenville Greenway.
A new paved walking trail along the South Fork River will offer views of the falls at the McAdenville dam. The trail will eventually extend from Spencer Mountain to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, winding through the following cities:
- Ranlo
- Lowell
- McAdenville
- Cramerton
- Belmont.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
