Tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina is ‘the friendliest town in America.’
Tryon, less than an hour’s drive from Asheville, is a charming small town straight out of a Hallmark movie. In fact, one was just filmed on Main Street weeks ago, local realtor Holly Dake told the Daily Mail.
‘We actually just had a Christmas movie film here, called Downtown Christmas,’ Dake said.
‘There are lots of points of interest in the town, it’s a beautiful downtown area, very historic.
‘It’s been remodeled and redone in some instances, but to historic standards. We have a lot of historical buildings where they filmed.’
Dake said locals don’t really know where the ‘friendliest town’ label came from, only that Tryon’s been called that as long as she can remember.
‘It’s just always been that way, the town calls itself that, everyone helps everyone out around here,’ she said.
‘We’re kind of the best kept secret out there.’
Tryon, less than an hour’s drive from Asheville, is a charming small town straight out of a holiday movie with a historic main street
Tryon is tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina
Dake said the area outside of downtown is filled with equestrian farms and fox hunting farms.
‘We still have steeple races. We have the Tryon International Equestrian Center and a lot of international riders that come in. It’s open 365 days a year,’ she said.
‘There’s a big horse community and we’re very family oriented.’
In fact, Tryon’s mascot is a statue of a white toy horse with a red saddle, which sits at the entryway to town.
In Tryon, the average cost of a home is $343,928. The property tax in North Carolina is very low compared to other parts of the US.
Since 1946, Tryon, named after Governor William Tryon, a British military officer and the Royal Governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771, has been home to the annual Block House Steeplechase, with most of the town attending the horse races.
The town is also home to the Blue Ridge Hunter Jumper Association, the Tryon Hounds, the Foothills Riding Club, the Carolina Carriage Club, the Foothills Equestrian Trails Association and the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center.
Tryon has also become a summer destination for people who like the cool summer breeze and mountain views.
Tryon is filled with equestrian lovers and horse farms and draws thousands annually to its local horse races
Tryon has also become a summer destination for people who like the cool summer breeze, nature and mountain views
The town is so charming that a Hallmark Christmas movie was filmed there recently
The Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in America, built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895, is one of area’s major tourist draws
Holly Dake said locals don’t really know where the ‘friendliest town’ label came from, only that Tryon’s been called that as long as she can remember
‘We get a lot of folks here for the summers. It’s really a nice area because we’re in the hills of the Carolinas, so it’s actually cooler here than it is as you go further south,’ said Dake.
In summer, Tryon is also home to Summer Tracks festival. On Friday nights the Roger Parks Amphitheater puts on a $10-per-ticket concert series.
Born in the 1800s as a railroad town on the line between Spartanburg and Asheville, Tryon was once a popular stopping-point for travelers heading from South Carolina’s low country to North Carolina’s mountains.
By the early 20th century, the town had become a popular resort community, drawing authors, artists and society figures, like F. Scott Fitzgerald and actor William Gillette of Sherlock Holmes fame, President Calvin Coolidge, and Kenneth Lackey, one of the original Three Stooges.
But the town’s most celebrated native is legendary singer Nina Simone, who used to sing around town according to local lore. When she was a teen, the town’s residents pooled together money to send Simone, a self-taught piano prodigy by age three, to professional music training.
Born there in 1933, there is now a bronze sculpture in Nina Simone Plaza dedicated to her and efforts are underway to preserve her childhood home.
Tryon is also known for its vineyards and wine-making has become popular in the area.
The soil is rich for grapes in the region known as the ‘first peak of the Blue Ridge,’ where Tryon sits. Just east of town, Overmountain Vineyards spreads across 70 acres, offers wine tastings and a pick-your-own blueberry farm.
The childhood home of Nina Simone, the town’s most celebrated native who used to sing around town according to local lore. Her home is a popular tourist destination
A plaza dedicated to Nina Simone, who was born and grew up in Tryon, North Carolina, and was known by locals as a child prodigy
Tyron’s movie theater sits downtown, which has remained historic with buildings dating back to the 1800s
Nina Simone, a self-taught piano prodigy by age three, was born and raised in Tryon before she became world famous
The downtown section of town is small yet packed with character like antique shops and locally owned restaurants
The mountains also offer residents plenty to do outdoors. Multiple trails and walking paths are just outside of downtown Tryon
Tryon covers approximately two square miles and sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where it stays cooler in the summer months
Hallmark, the feel-good movie channel with holiday classics, is adding Tryon to its list of shooting locations
Nearby there are the Mountain Brook Vineyards, Parker-Binns Vineyard, Russian Chapel Hills Winery and Green Creek Winery, which all hold tastings and live music events for locals.
The mountains also offer residents plenty to do outdoors. A trail to Pearson’s Falls leads to a 90-foot waterfall and a path along Sillers Falls is another walking spot locals love.
Tryon covers approximately two square miles and had a 2010 census population of 1,646, though that figure swells in summer due to part-time residents.
The downtown section of town is small yet packed with character.
Antique shops and boutique stores sit on the ground floor of historic buildings and locally owned restaurants line Trade Street.
Dake said antiquing is considered a ‘sport’ in Tryon, with Old Mill Market Square host to over 90 antique and vintage booths across 80,000 square feet.
There’s also the Tryon Antique Mall & Marketplace, and stands with locally-made goods from spots like Mountain Trail Soap Company.
Locals also have plenty to do year-round.
In October, the Tryon International Film Festival kicks off, with 100 films playing in six different venues.
November brings the Tryon Beer Fest, which showcases local and regional craft beers in a festival setting, with food vendors, music, and games.
Tryon may be small, but it’s still only a 40-minute drive from the Greenville Spartanburg International Airport, making travel easy for locals.
