HEARTS Happenings
Nothing compares to immersing yourself in the past to see new perspectives.
Our region boasts an incredibly diverse natural and cultural history. Some stories are known, some have been lost, and some are still being discovered. HEARTS Happenings are events that explore these stories via place-based experiences designed to foster a shared sense of place and community by exploring what is right beneath our feet. Juxtaposing local history and nature content with the best in homegrown music, dance, and visual arts, HEARTS Happenings are free and open to the public.
2025 marks HEARTS' fourth year of programming and its’ first year in which HEARTS Happenings will be presented beyond the historic sites of historic Cedar Grove and the historic Hugh Torance House and Store, with exciting events also coming to Lincoln County and Iredell County this year! Our 2025 season shares connections to historical events as well as daily life in 18th-century Mecklenburg County, like the historic Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence document (locally known as the “Mec Dec”) dated May 20, 1775 through modern times while weaving history, nature, and the arts together into a vibrant tapestry of the regions’ historic identity.
2025 Upcoming Events
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Guided Tours of the Historic Hugh Torance House & Store
Step back in time, to 1779, to experience everyday life in the federal-style home of Hugh and Isabella Torance and their son, James Torrance's mercantile store. Our experienced docents guide visitors on a living history adventure as they tour the homesite and visit the Torance Store.
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Loch Norman Highland Games
The annual Scottish heritage celebration at Rural Hill takes place on April 14th & 15th, 2025 offering a unique mix of sporting, culture, music and socialization featuring field and track events, piping and Highland dancing competitions, and ‘heavy events’ like the tug-o-war, the hammer throw and tossing the caber.
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HEARTS May Day '25
HEARTS May Day ‘25 takes place on May 3rd, 2025 and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Dec with living history at the Hugh Torance House and Store. Experience a fun-filled day of local history, nature, and backcountry folkways, including cooking, gardening, blacksmithing, music, dance, and more.
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Ghost Hunts at the Historic Hugh Torance House & Store
Do you think the oldest store in North Carolina is haunted? Join us for an authentic ghost hunt led by the experienced experts at the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society to scour this c.1779 homesite for existential activity using professional investigative tools and equipment.
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HEARTS Let Freedom Spring
On May 24th, 2025, on land once part of Alexandriana, the massive plantation estate of John McKnitt Alexander, learn about the group of Princeton scholars who met at Freedom Spring to concoct a plan for freedom from British Rule and prompted the creation of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
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HEARTS Junion '25: Revolutionary Descent
On June 14th, 2025, our 4th anniversary of Junion features Co-Chair of HEARTS Reunion Project and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) member Andre’ Kearns who’ll share his journey of discovering his Revolutionary War roots through Henry Johnston of Long Creek.