Shop, Eat, Learn, and Play

The following information is graciously provided by our partners at the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority

Rowan County, North Carolina is the kinda’ country, kinda’ cool you’ve been craving. One part is engaging countryside with rolling landscapes, parks, lakes, wineries and pick-your-own farms. The other, faster paced offering urban centers with theater, breweries, live music, shopping, museums and local dives. Here in Rowan County, you have the opportunity to conveniently visit both cultures bound together by our heritage and originality.

Shopping & Dining

Dining
Rowan County is home to over 60 unique, local restaurants, each bursting with their own original flavors. From one-of-a-kind restaurants, like Stag and Doe Restaurant and Tavern, to delicious pizzerias, such as Capriano’s, and even fine dining at La Cava Restaurant, there’s something to fit every taste, budget and palate here.

Family Fun
Rowan County offers urban and rural family fun seven days a week. When looking for places to visit, we know that families are searching for lasting memories. Spots like Dan Nicholas Park, Patterson Farm, Lazy 5 Ranch and the NC Transportation Museum are perfect for providing these moments. Visiting families find so much to do, they return again and again.

Shopping
Rowan County has style, and plenty of shopping. Flourishing arts and craft galleries, one-of-a-kind retail stores, antique shops, and more line our main streets and towns. You’re sure to find a treasure-trove of original businesses here. Learn more about what makes Rowan County an original shopping destination here.

Learning & Playing

Arts, Culture & Music
Art isn’t just a tourist attraction here. It is part of Rowan County’s culture and creative spirit of individualism. So, check out a sculpture show, take in a local theater performance, or marvel at street performers tickling the ivories. Learn more about what makes Rowan County an original destination for arts, culture and music by exploring the listings below.

Outdoors
Rowan County is a haven for outdoor lovers. Offering a variety of choices for some of North Carolina’s best outdoor recreation, you’ll find hiking, swimming, biking, fishing, bird watching and more. Spend the day on High Rock Lake, grab a rod and reel in a big one at Tamarac Marina, discover beautiful birds at Dunn’s Mountain Park, take a hike at Eagle Point Nature Preserve, and more.

Sports
Whether you’re into catching a game or an eight-pound bass, Rowan County and the surrounding region has everything for the sports enthusiast. Professional sports teams include the NBA Charlotte Hornets, NFL Charlotte Panthers, NHL Carolina Hurricanes the minor league MLB Charlotte Knights and Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are the Class A affiliate in the Chicago White Sox minor league system. For information and tickets, visit www.intimidatorsbaseball.com.

With more than 85 percent of NASCAR’s teams located in the region and Charlotte Motor Speedway in nearby Concord, Rowan County is racing country. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in nearby Charlotte.

Rowan County’s High Rock Lake has been considered one of the best fishing lakes of North Carolina for a long time. It has been the host of the Bassmaster Classic on three separate occasions and is the site of frequent other angling competitions.

Parks
Get outside and play! From paddle boating, to bicycling trails, scenic views, picnic spots, and everything in between, there’s a park perfect for exploration around every bend.

Millbridge Scenic Byway
14 miles – 25 minutes

Country life is manifested in the pick-your-own fruit orchards that can be found along part of the byway and the Piedmont Agricultural Research Station. Throughout the fields and orchards, little communities surface bearing their own pieces of history. The community of Millbridge features a unique collection of buildings and stores.

Nearby, in the city of Salisbury, visitors will find streets of Civil War History. On a side trip to the Lazy Five Ranch, travelers will drive through an animal park where they will spot zebras, ostriches, antelope, bison, and reindeer. Kerr Mill at Sloan Park features an 1823 mill with a working waterwheel. So enjoy scenic farmland and tidbits of history along the Millbridge Scenic Byway.

More here in the Scenic Byways Guide

Breweries & Wineries
In Rowan County, you’ll find both a quiet countryside filled with wineries and a bustling downtown district with breweries. Discover picture-perfect Morgan Ridge Vineyard serving up scenic views and delicious dishes since 2007, or hop over to New Sarum Brewing Company for a uniquely infused craft beer. Grab a cold one at The Salty Caper, Go Burrito or Mambo Grill, or grab a six pack and bottle of local wine at the Salisbury Wine Shop. Be sure to come back in September for “Salisbury Sip,” downtown Salisbury’s annual craft beer tasting crawl.

Historic Attractions
Rowan County is a place where heritage and history are highly valued and noticeable around every turn. The county boasts 11 National Register districts, five Local Historic districts, a great history museum, the NC Transportation Museum, three house museums and a meticulously restored depot that has been featured at the Smithsonian and in well-known movies. Several popular walking and driving tours are offered to take in historic sites such as the African-American Heritage Tour, the Salisbury Heritage Walking Tour, and the Salisbury History and Art Tour. From the early days of Daniel Boone to the civil war, you’ll find so many sites important to North Carolina and United States history here. And all of them are an easy drive from one another.

Pick Your Own Farms
Rowan County is rooted in the land, and food is an integral part of our culture. Not only do we offer great places to eat, but there are numerous pick-your-own farms, roadside stands and farmer’s markets with fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables along with jams, jellies, and the like. You haven’t truly experienced Rowan County until you have picked and eaten a basket of our own fresh strawberries from Patterson Farm.

Source Rowan County Tourism