MCADENVILLE, N.C. — Every December, McAdenville transforms into Christmastown USA.

People travel from all over to see it.


What You Need To Know

  • A lot of updates are coming to McAdenville

  • Pharr, a hometown company, is spearheading many renewal projects

  • The Dynamo 31 building recently opened

And now, it’s transforming into a year-round destination.

Pharr, a hometown company, has been spearheading a number of renewal projects.

It recently opened the Dynamo 31 building, which is the former 1940s Pharr Yarns mill.

It’s been converted into office space, and one of the first tenants is the Catawba Riverkeeper.

The company says it is also renovating the historic riverfront mill building at the center of town, which it hopes to turn into a food, drink, retail and entertainment space.

The executive vice president of human resources with Pharr, Christy Gliddon, says the company wants to continue to build a sense of community with all of these renovations.

“Everybody in the community wants to continue that belief and so we are creating new spaces for people to gather, lots of new families of all ages are moving into town, so it’s very exciting to now have some things opening,” Gliddon said.

Elsewhere downtown, a few new businesses will be opening, such as a coffee shop and an ice cream shop.

The Modest Market, a floral shop, recently opened. Owner and floral designer Heather Sandwall is excited about opening a business with all the renovations happening around town.

“It was already charming to begin with, and then when I heard about all of the growth that’s coming, I mean that’s perfect,” she said. “And I, honestly, just to see a lot of the people starting to walk up and down Main Street, that’s so exciting,” she said.

Other businesses in the area say they’re seeing a lot more people downtown among the development.

Ron Davis, who co-owns Revolver Records, opened shop last November.

He says he’s not just seeing new customers, but also returning ones.

“A lot of return business, once they know that you're here and that there are more things in the area to do,” Davis said.

At Terra Mia restaurant, general manager Michelle Weresow says she sees a difference from three years ago.

“When they opened, I joined the team here December 2019 prior to COVID, so the area along Main Street has grown with a lot of new storefronts that were not here when we were here,” Weresow said. "So that first year during Christmas time, we were the only place open besides the bakery next door.”

The lake will undergo a landscape redesign, and grading will soon begin on the McAdenville extension of the Carolina Thread Trail.