The seat of Haywood County, Waynesville, sits at the Gateway to the Smokies. It is surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest and skirted by the Blue Ridge Parkway. Needless to say, if you are up for adventure, this small town is close to it all, even if your definition of adventure means exploring art galleries, enjoying tasty cuisine, or sampling local brews.

Greenville, South Carolina, is a city that has undergone a recent and oh-so-familiar “downtown revitalization.” While these city projects have varying degrees of success, in Greenville’s case, the revitalization has blossomed into a full-fledged revival. There is much to love about this beautiful city, especially in the fall. 

Asheville, North Carolina, has been a haven for travelers since the 1800s. The beautiful colors of fall beckon visitors from far and near, but there’s much more to do than just wander about in an expansive real-life Monet painting. Prepare for an expansive itinerary, too.

The fall season officially arrives this week. While it is often bittersweet – summer is so hard to say goodbye to - but autumn is full of beauty, activities, and seasonal flavors that our reluctance is soon overcome with excitement. The High Country is where our heart is, and it's where a fall itinerary can be filled as quick as a blink.

It’s beginning to feel and look a lot like fall – cooler temperatures, clearer skies, and pumpkins, lots of pumpkins. While it’s sad to see summer drawing to a close, it’s always exciting to see what fall has to offer. Here are a few ideas to help you Fall for Knoxville over the next several weeks. 

Mast Store’s Friends Day returns on September 11 with new partners and old friends alike. This day of giving recognizes organizations that work in each of our hometowns to activate volunteers around beautiful community assets which contribute to residents’ quality of life and the economic viability of the region. Mast will donate 10% of the day's sales to our partners.

Turn back the clock 15 years. Downtown Knoxville was a completely different place – devoid of people strolling the sidewalks with coffee cups in hand, cars waiting for other cars to pull out of parking spaces, or restaurants open on the 4^th of July. So much has changed since August 17, 2006.

It’s difficult to believe, but it’s back-to-school time already. We know back-to-school shopping is going to be particularly difficult this year because of shortages, but this is a time to think creatively to find substitutes and perhaps items that students didn’t know they needed for school.  

The Fourth of July is the perfect time not only to celebrate but also to reflect on what makes us American. We’re a unique people – to say the least – and among the best of our traits is that we’re a diverse people represented by the familiar but too often forgotten motto, “E pluribus unum.” Out of many, one.

Guess what. We opened our newest “old” location during the height of the pandemic. We were asking ourselves, “Have we gone mad?” There were so many hurdles to jump and challenges to overcome, but we had a great staff and everything was in place and ready. And it’s been open for a year now.

If you are walking just about anywhere in Downtown Winston-Salem, you are in the midst of history. In some locations, it is pretty obvious, like Old Salem, but in others, we need to dig just a little bit deeper. Nonetheless, North Carolina’s fifth-largest city has a lot to crow about.