Winston-Salem adds a dash of cosmopolitan flavor to the region’s cultural life boasting the first urban arts council in the nation. Winston-Salem has historically ranked number one in the U.S. in per capita contributions to the arts. Winston-Salem may be North Carolina’s City of the Arts offering a wide range of museums, shows, and performances, but there are plenty of other things to do as well!
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Recreational Amenities
Sports Facilities
Shopping Centers
Vineyards and Wineries
Skiing
Restaurants
Recreational Amenities
The Piedmont Triad region offers an abundance of recreational activities to meet the requirements of even the most demanding of individuals. The Triad’s mild climate and strategic location between Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic beaches help provide area residents with a wide variety of options. Over 5,000 acres of parkland are located in Forsyth County alone.
The City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department operates 27 recreation centers, 48 picnic shelters, 75 parks, nine swimming pools, the Winston Lake and Reynolds Park golf courses, Winston and Salem lakes, Historic Bethabara Park, and special programs. In addition, Forsyth County maintains Tanglewood Park with two championship golf courses, as well as C. G. Hill Memorial Park, Horizon Park, Joanie Moser Memorial Park, Kernersville Lake Park, Old 421 River Park, Triad Park, Union Cross Park, and Walkertown Community Park.
If you’re looking to run, bike or hike, the area offers many amenities for you! For example, there is the gorgeous Salem Lake trail—a seven-mile trail open to walkers, runner, bikers, and even equestrian riders. If you prefer a bit more of a hike, Pilot Mountain State Park, about thirty minutes from the city, offers hiking, rock climbing, fishing, canoeing, camping and picnic shelters. Just a short drive from Winston-Salem is High Rock Lake Belews Creek and Lake Norman offering boating, sailing and water skiing. The Blue Ridge Mountains are only an hour and a half away.
Sports Facilities
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, with seating capacity of 14,800 for basketball, hosts Wake Forest University’s home games. Joel Coliseum often hosts playoff games for the ACC and NCAA tournaments, and is a popular site for various concerts and special events.
Wake Forest University football games are held at nearby Groves Stadium. Adjacent to the Stadium is Ernie Shore Field, where Winston-Salem’s minor league baseball team, the Warthogs, play in a recently renovated stadium. The Warthogs are a single A team for the Chicago White Sox.
The Winston-Salem area is also considered by many to be a golfer’s delight. The area has numerous private and public clubs and courses. Tanglewood Championship course has a USGA course rating (back tees) of 74.5, Bermuda Run, 74.3, among the most challenging in the Southeast.
Shopping Centers
Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem is the largest super regional mall in the Carolinas with 1.8 million square feet of retail space and 200 stores including five department stores. It is also the largest traditional mall between Atlanta and Washington DC. There are 63 shopping centers in the county, with a total of over 9.2 million square feet of space. Shoppers can visit traditional suburban centers, downtown shops, stores in historic Reynolda Village, Old Salem or Bethabara, and general stores. Every major national and regional retail department store chain has a presence in the area, as do many specialty retailers.
Vineyards and Wineries
Forsyth County is home to “One of the South's best kept wine secrets” according to Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate. That secret is Westbend Vineyards in nearby Lewisville, NC. Westbend is one of six nearby wineries in the new Yadkin Valley Appellation where you can enjoy a tour and sample some of their great wine. Tanglewood Park also hosts an annual wine festival where one can experience wines from many of the Southeastern wineries.
Skiing
While Winston-Salem may have a mild climate, it is within an hour and a half of some fantastic ski destinations. The nearby towns of Boone and Banner Elk are within an hour and a half drive and offer many great ski resorts. Appalachian Ski Mountain, Hawksnest, Ski Beech, and Sugar Ski Resort each offer great mountains and good ski conditions during the winter months.
Restaurants
Restaurants of every variety, from fast food to fine dining, are also in plentiful supply. Among the over 500 eating establishments presently in Forsyth County, one can find menus ranging from Southern barbecue to Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Indian and nouvelle cuisine.
Two private dining clubs in downtown Winston-Salem, the Twin City and Piedmont Clubs, are popular choices for business entertaining. Both clubs have special corporate rates; call for details.
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