HEARTS Happenings

Every Sunday, Open 1:00-4:00 PM, 2:00 Tour. Tickets required, donations appreciated. Step back in time and experience life in the 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 c.1779 homesite and visit the Torance Store.

Sunday, 2-1-26, 1:00-4:00 PM. The Hugh Torance House and Store (HTHS) invites you to step back in time as we open our 2026 season with a special Living History Day. Join us as we bring the late 18th and early 19th centuries to life through dedicated reenactors, hands-on experiences, and enthusiastic volunteers. Period attire and costumes are welcome!

Saturday 2-14-26, 2:00-5:00 PM. Join us for our fifth annual celebration honoring poetry and the historical connection between the poet George Moses Horton, the first enslaved American to be published, and Richard Torrance of Cedar Grove. HEARTS expands the story each year through new creative performances and perspectives. Featuring live music, dance, poetry, new art exhibit and more!

Saturday, 3-21-25, 2:00-5:00 PM. Presenting our fifth annual Irish Connections at HEARTS’ newest Affiliate, the Historic Sharpe House in downtown Statesville, NC. The Sharpe Family and their Scots-Irish heritage are an important thread in our region’s history. Featuring Dr. Hugh Dussek, presenting Revolutionary Roots, the talented Connick Irish Dancers, and live Celtic music with Bottle of Smoke.

Saturday, 3-28-26, 4:30-7:30 PM. Presenting an exclusive HEARTS fundraising gala at Machpelah Church. Don’t miss this rare chance to experience this privately owned historic Lincoln County gem. Featuring a seated gourmet dinner, Andre’ Kearn’s latest research on Henry Brevard, music by the inspirational Thomas Rhyant, and a special dance performance by Tamara Williams and the UNC Charlotte Dept of Dance.

Saturday, 5-2-26, 2:00-5:00 PM. Join us for our annual community May Day Dance, then head to the Hugh Torance House and Store (HTHS) for a special Living History Day. Join us as we bring the late 18th and early 19th centuries to life through dedicated reenactors, hands-on experiences, and enthusiastic volunteers. Period attire and costumes are welcome!

Saturday, 5-23-26, 2:00 - 5:00 PM. Presenting Sherrill’s Path, an important spur off the Great Wagon Road, now preserved in Troutman, NC, and open to the community. Join us to walk the trail and learn more about this path originally formed by bison and deer, adopted by the Native Americans, and eventually led Adam Sherrill to the west side of the Catawba River, now known as Sherrills Ford.

Saturday, 6-13-26, 2:00 - 5:00 PM. Presenting Reunion Project, Co-chair, Andre’ Kearns, returns to historic Cedare Grove to share his latest research on Henry Brevard of Lincoln County, made possible through HEARTS Reunion Project. Learn more about this fascinating history and how it interweaves throughout the Lake Norman region in the HEARTS tapestry. Live music, dance, art.

Saturday, 7-4-26, 2:00 - 5:00 PM. Join us for a fun celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence at Cedar Grove.

Saturday, 8-8-26, 2:00-5:00 PM. Join us as we explore sacred grounds, sharing the history hidden around us in our fifth annual program exploring the burial grounds of the enslaved in our region.

Sunday, 08/9/2026, 1:00 - 4:00 PM. The Hugh Torance House and Store (HTHS) invites the public to step back in time as we experience a summertime Living History Day. Join us as we bring the late 18th and early 19th centuries to life through dedicated reenactors, hands-on experiences, and enthusiastic volunteers. Period attire and costumes are welcome!

Saturday, 9-12-26 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Featuring Charly Lowry, a soulful powerhouse, enchanting audiences with velvety vocals, heartfelt compositions, and commanding stage presence. Her voice, imbued with a depth and resonance reminiscent of legends like Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Tracy Chapman, possesses a distinctiveness echoing her Indigenous ancestry rooted in the dark waters of Robeson County, NC.

Saturday, October 17, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, at Cedar Grove. Join us for an afternoon with the Catawba Nation. Featuring history, ecology, music, dance, artisan crafts, and jewelry.

Sunday, 10-25-26, 1:00 -4:00 PM. Join us for Samhain and Living History Day. The Hugh Torance House and Store (HTHS) invites the public to step back in time to the Celtic tradition of Samhain with a special Living History Day. Join us as we bring the late 18th and early 19th centuries to life through dedicated reenactors, hands-on experiences, and enthusiastic volunteers celebrating the season. Period attire and costumes are welcome!

11/14/2026 - HEARTS Harvest

11/29/2026 - Hugh Torance House and Store Hanging of the Greens

12/05/2026 - HEARTS Winter Wisdom, Cedar Grove

12/06/2026 - Hugh Torance House and Store Traditional Holiday Craft

12/14/2026 - Hugh Torance House and Store Feasting and Caroling

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 for spirits using professional investigative tools and equipment.

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