Union County Real Estate Talk

Downtown Matthews NC Comes Alive on Labor Day Weekend

There’s always something going on in downtown Matthews NC.  But Labor Day weekend is special in this quaint historic town.  On this weekend, the Matthews Alive Festival continues its tradition of being the one of the largest street festivals in the southeast.

Centered on Stumptown Park in the heart of Matthews, Matthews Alive begins this year on Friday evening, September 3, and continues through Sunday, September 5.  The Stumptown Park stage hosts musical entertainment throughout the festival.  Friday’s acts include a Billy Joel tribute and two beach music bands.  While you’re listening to the music, the kids can have fun with the rides, amusements, and games on the carnival midway.  Thirty food vendors provide your favorite festival foods during the weekend.

How about an old fashioned parade?  The Matthews Alive Parade is the largest Labor Day parade in the southeast.  It starts at 10 am on Saturday morning to kick off the day’s festivities.

Arts and crafts will be a big feature of Matthews Alive this year.  Textiles, pottery, photography and woodworking can be found in over 160 booths.  The Matthews Community Center, renamed the Matthews Alive Cultural Center for the weekend, features a juried display of artwork by local artists, a show of basket weaving art and the Matthews Alive Quilt Show.

There is truly something for everyone to enjoy at the Matthews Alive Festival.  All proceeds from the Festival go to support local non-profit groups.

See photos from a previous Matthews Alive Festival.

Top Ten Things to Do in Matthews NC over Labor Day Weekend

Want to know more about living in Matthews NC?  Visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com.

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Downtown Matthews NC Comes Alive on Labor Day Weekend*

Charlotte Symphony at Matthews NC Stumptown Park

Picnic baskets and beach chairs.  Kids with balloon animals.  Dancing in the sand.

This was the scene last Friday night at Stumptown Park in downtown Matthews NC.  The park filled with families as the sun set below the tree line and the heat of the day cooled to a warm summer evening.  Then the Charlotte Symphony came on stage and played for an hour and a half in its Summer Pops series.

What a great way to spend the evening!  Stumptown Park provides a very intimate venue for the Symphony, which includes Matthews as a stop on its summer schedule.  Friday’s concert was a musical trip around the world with fun songs such as “La Cucaracha” and a medley of Irish dances.  Something for everyone, young and old.

It’s too late to catch the Charlotte Symphony in Matthews NC, but the Summer Pops series continues at Symphony Park at the SouthPark Mall.  There will be three more concerts held there, two on Sunday evenings on June 20th and 25th and the last celebrating America on Saturday, July 3rd.

Learn more about fun activities in downtown Matthews NC.

Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte Symphony at Matthews NC Stumptown Park*

Matthews NC Farmers Market Opens for Summer Season on April 10, 2010

At 7:15am on Saturday, the Matthews Farmers Market opens its regular spring/summer season for the 19th time.  Located in downtown Matthews NC, the community farmers market is an event every Saturday morning.  Filled with local farmers and vendors, all food and other products at the market are produced within 50 miles of Matthews.  Each Saturday, local chefs give demonstrations and food preparation classes and local musicians provide music.

Special events throughout the season bring Matthews residents to the Saturday morning markets.  A cookbook exchange and pound cake bake-off are two special events planned for the market in April.

Special Events at the April 10th Opening

7:30am   Chef’s Secrets class on preparing omelets

8:30am   Cooking demonstration and bluegrass music

What will be available at the market this Saturday?

Look for carrots, beets, mushrooms, greenhouse tomatoes and lettuces, spinach and kale.

Other vendors will have pasture-fed pork and beef, goat cheese, and other products.

See photos from last year’s Matthews Farmers Market.  Downtown Matthews NC—Matthews Farmers Market Opens for the Season.

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Matthews NC Farmers Market Opens for Summer Season on April 10, 2010*

Seniors and Active Adults Love Matthews NC and its Neighborhoods

Why do so many baby boomers, seniors and active adults consider the Matthews NC area such a great place to live?

1. Matthews NC is a real town that is large enough to offer a number of community activities and services but small enough to retain its historic charm and small town feel.  Matthews is perched on the edge of Charlotte NC so active adults can take advantage of the many big city amenities that Charlotte offers.  Uptown Charlotte’s cultural facilities and sports arenas are just twenty minutes away.  Opportunities for shopping abound both in Matthews itself, home to numerous big box retailers along Highway 74, and at shopping malls at SouthPark and Carolina Place.
2. Matthews residents can enjoy its mild climate with four seasons.  Winter is short, lasting from Thanksgiving until mid-March.  Two or three snow or ice storms a year beautify the area briefly until they melt away within a day or two.  Spring is glorious with waves of flowers blooming from March through June.  Seniors can escape the summer heat by heading to the beach or to the mountains, three to four hours away.  Matthews’ beautiful tree cover turns brilliant colors in the fall and leaves stay on the trees until Thanksgiving.

What amenities does Matthews NC offer baby boomers, seniors and active adults?

1. Historic Matthews has quaint shops, including 100-year-old Renfrow Hardware, and several restaurants in its walkable downtown.  The downtown also has a weekly farmers market and a library.  Stumptown Park is the site of festivals throughout the year.
2. The Levine Senior Center is a rich resource for seniors with many activities, clubs, dining and swimming and fitness facilities.  The Matthews Community Center offers various classes and the Matthews Playhouse.  The Matthews Community Garden is available for those who wish to grow their own vegetables.  The Matthews Historical Foundation, the Matthews Women’s Club, and Habitat and Wildlife Keepers are other Matthews-based community organizations.

What Matthews NC area neighborhoods appeal especially to baby boomers, seniors and active adults?

There are a number of neighborhoods that appeal to the active adult lifestyle in Matthews and within ten to fifteen minutes of Matthews.  Some of these neighborhoods feature attached homes with exterior maintenance provided.  Others are single family homes with one level or ranch-style living.  A sampling of neighborhoods for active adults follows.

Attached Maintenance-Free Living.  These neighborhoods are perfect for those wanting a completely maintenance-free lifestyle.

Bella Serra in Matthews NC

St. Andrews in Matthews NC

Polo Club at Weddington

Single Family Ranch Homes.  These neighborhoods offer patio homes, which are ranch-style homes on small lots with lawn care included in the homeowners fees.

Bonterra Patio Homes

Villas of Sun Valley

Lake Park.  Lake Park NC is a small master-planned town within fifteen minutes of Matthews.  It is a very walkable town with a number of parks.  It offers both patio and single family ranches plus single-level condominiums.

Patio Homes and Condominiums in Lake Park NC

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate.  *Seniors and Active Adults Love Matthews NC and its Neighborhoods*</p

Matthews NC to Become Community Wildlife Habitat

The Town of Matthews NC is about to embark on campaign to become one of only thirty-five municipalities nationwide that are certified Community Wildlife Habitats.  This certification is earned from the National Wildlife Federation.  The Matthews campaign will be called “Matthews Naturally”.

The “Matthews Naturally” campaign will be led by HAWK, the local chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.  The entire town, including town government, schools, churches, businesses and homeowners, will work to preserve wildlife and give the animals places for living and raising their young.

Matthews NC will become certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by earning 450 points toward goals that include a certain number of homeowner Backyard Wildlife Habitats, Schoolyard Wildlife Habitats, educational programs, environmental projects and environmental websites.  HAWK members note that the town already has earned a number of points toward the certification as there are a number of homeowners who have Backyard Wildlife Habitats already.

Learn more about environmental activities and parks in Matthews NC.

Matthews NC Wildlife Advocates are HAWKs

Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect Getaway

Downtown Matthews NC—Farmers Market Opens for the Season

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Matthews NC to Become Community Wildlife Habitat*

Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect for Quiet Getaway

Squirrel Lake Park near downtown Matthews NC is the perfect spot for walking, fishing and just enjoying wooded views.  This 29-acre park is tucked away between two Matthews neighborhoods on Pleasant Plains Road.  Eventually, it will provide a pedestrian connection between the neighborhoods along Pleasant Plains Road and the new Four Mile Creek Greenway, where construction is just beginning.

The Squirrel Lake Park entrance reminds you of a drive down a country lane where open fields and surrounding woods invite you to explore.  Once you reach the middle of the park, you'll find a pretty view of the lake where benches invite you to relax and enjoy the quiet activity around the lake.  Or you can bring your pole and tackle for fishing in the lake.  A picnic shelter also overlooks the lake.

Not all activities at Squirrel Lake Park are passive.  The park includes a 12-hole disc golf course and a small playground for children.  A master plan developed for the park in January 2009 proposes to add another picnic shelter, horseshoe pits, a fishing pier and expand the playground.

HAWK, the Habitat and Wildlife Keepers chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, maintains habitat gardens of native plants in Squirrel Lake Park.  HAWK often sponsors wildlife activities there, including hummingbird seminars and a butterfly garden where milkweed will be planted to provide a way station for monarch butterflies.

Read more about parks in Matthews NC.

Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Real Estate.  *Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect for Quiet Getaway*

Downtown Matthews NC Will Be Filled With Artwork This Weekend

People fill downtown Matthews NC streets and parks for a variety of festivals throughout the year.  The last weekend in September is reserved for the annual ArtFest of Matthews.  Presented by the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, the 24th annual ArtFest can be found this year at the Village Green in front of the Town Hall/Library on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.  The ArtFest is a juried show of some of the finest artists from the Southeast.  Rising seniors from area high schools will also compete in the 17th annual YouthArt Scholarship Competition.  The YouthArt Competition offers $3500 in scholarship money.

You may view and purchase art from the artists at their booths on the Village Green.  The YouthArt entries are displayed in the Train Depot on the Green.  A children's art area allows youngsters to create their own art.  The Gazebo will have musicians throughout the event.

Enjoy photographs from last year's ArtFest in Matthews NC:  Works of Art in Downtown Matthews NC.

Learn more about Matthews NC, one of Charlotte NC's best small towns.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Real Estate.  *Downtown Matthews NC Will Be Filled With Artwork This Weekend*

Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub

Labor Day weekend brings hundreds of thousands of people to Matthews NC every year.  They come for the Matthews Alive Festival, the southeast's largest Labor Day festival.  Stumptown Park in downtown Matthews NC is the center of activity for this festival, which spills over into S. Trade Street in front of the park and the nearby Matthews Community Center.  The festival starts at 6:30pm on Friday September 4th this year with an "All You Can Ride" armband night, continues on Saturday morning with a Labor Day Parade at 10am plus musical entertainment and an arts and crafts show all day long.  The food, rides, music and crafts continue all weekend until 5pm on Monday September 7th.

Here is a photo blog about last year's Matthews Alive Festival at Stumptown Park in Matthews NC.

Top Ten Things to Do in Matthews NC on Labor Day Weekend

Stumptown Park in Matthews NC Full of Community Activity All Year Long

While the Matthews Alive Festival brings the most people to the park, Stumptown Park is a genuine treasure for Matthews residents who attend community events there during the year.  The park, enclosed on three sides with a decorative brick wall and wrought iron fencing, has a large open space for lawn seating, an attractive band shell, a small playground, and a Veterans Memorial tucked into one landscaped corner.  It's located near the main intersection of downtown Matthews and is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, the farmers market and the library.

What are some of the events that Matthews residents could have attended in Stumptown Park over the past year?

• In May, Stumptown Park was the scene of the first ever Matthews Beachfest with sand sculpture and shagging contests.
• Every Saturday evening from May through July, the park hosted either a PG film for families to attend or a music concert.  The park was filled in mid-June for a performance of the Charlotte Symphony.

• A chili cook-off and blue grass festival at the park were part of the Veterans Day celebration last November.

Matthews residents are very fortunate to have Stumptown Park as a place for community celebrations and events.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub*

Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC

You can truly step back in time at Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC. Inside Renfrow Hardware, you'll find well-worn wood floors and walls stocked floor to ceiling with an assortment of hardware items, seed and gardening products, and general merchandise that are not found in the typical big box store.  If you are looking for canning supplies, cast iron cookware, bulk seed of all types, odd and hard-to-find keys, feed for wild birds, poultry and rabbits, and live bait, you'll find them at Renfrow. 

In the winter, spend some time by the pot-bellied stove at Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC and think about the many customers who have gathered there since the Renfrow Hardware and General Merchandise Store opened in 1900.  Established by Thomas Jefferson Renfrow, the store has been in continuous operation at this location since then.  In 1909, the store was expanded with three more sections making it the size it is today.  At various times during its history, the building housed other businesses as well, including a post office, a furniture and casket business, a cannery and a Chevrolet dealer.  In recent years, Renfrow Hardware acquired the adjoining small frame building known as Pop's Grill.  Operated as a restaurant from the 1960s to the 1980s and then as an antique shop, this building is now the Renfrow Hardware Annex.  Both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Saturday mornings are the best time to enjoy the little piece of Matthews NC history that can be found at Renfrow Hardware.  Stop by the Matthews Farmers Market, which is sponsored by Renfrow's and is located next to the hardware.  Here you'll find locally grown produce, meats and cheeses, plants and flowers. Chefs give cooking demonstrations using that day's produce and local musicians provide entertainment.  After you're finished shopping, take a stroll through Renfrow Hardware to see what unique items you can discover.  I'll bet that it's the only place in Matthews or the surrounding area where you can buy lady bugs!

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC*

Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC

Have you thought that it would be great to "go green" in caring for your lawn and landscaping but don't know where to start?  Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC is the perfect place to begin.  When you stop at their store/warehouse in Matthews NC, Billy Styles, Alan Talbert and their employees will give you a worksheet that looks like a placemat and design an on-going program that will meet the needs of your particular yard.  The worksheet will outline which products are important for each month or season of the year and give you a guide to follow to reduce your reliance on synthetic fertilizers in favor of organics.

Billy Styles at Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC explains why organic products are so important to the long-term health of your yard.  Synthetic fertilizers are salt-based, which leads to soil dehydration and soil compaction.  Over time, this weakens the plants and leaves them prone to disease.  The products at Organic Plant Health are designed to create and maintain a healthy soil as the basic building block of a healthy landscape.  These products contain natural sources of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, the three nutrients that all plants need.  In addition, the products contain a variety of beneficial bacteria to increase soil porosity and certain fungi that establish a relationship with plant roots to bring water and nutrients for the plant from outside the root zone.

The owners of Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC believe that ultimately organic care of your lawn can increase drought tolerance and reduce watering by up to 75%.  Reduced watering is a huge benefit for Piedmont North Carolina homeowners and gardeners as the area is subject to drought and watering restrictions are common.  If going green in your landscape appeals to you, stop by the Organic Plant Health store at 626 W. Charles Street in downtown Matthews NC and let Billy and his employees get you started.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC*