In this special holiday episode, we meet the Jewish man from Gastonia, North Carolina who became the world's largest manufacturer of Christmas ornaments and used his power to make his home more tolerant of all religions.

This episode comes to us from Jeremy Markovich. Jeremy is the creator of a newsletter and podcast called the North Carolina Rabbit Hole, where he explores the strange and quirky corners of his home state. You can find all of his incredible work at ncrabbithole.com.

• This story was adapted from: "The Unlikely Ornament King of Gastonia" which appeared in Our State's December 2016 issue.

Music in this episode:

Special Thanks: The Rauch Family, Jack Betts, Don Walser, Kimberly Simpson, Alexis Castanos, and Todd Dulaney.

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On a rainy day in 1979, a photograph was taken of a young girl skateboarding down a street in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 45 years later, that photo went viral with a little help from the most famous skater who ever lived: Tony Hawk. This week, we find out who the mystery girl in the picture was and why the snapshot was so ahead of its time. 

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From the White House to your living room, North Carolina’s iconic Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree in America. But this holiday season, something is threatening to wipe it out —  and the $250 million dollar industry associated with it. 

Special thanks this week goes out to Kate Sheppard of The Assembly.

Featuring: 

• Steve Riley, contributor at The Assembly

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For more than a century, people near Brown Mountain have witnessed unusual displays of shimmering and sometimes even exploding lights. A skeptical scientist has spent years trying to solve the mystery.

This week, we’re heading to the mountains of western North Carolina for an episode produced by Atlas Obscura in partnership with Visit North Carolina.

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Trading stories is an ancient and deeply human experience. But today, most of the stories we consume come to us through a digital screen. So it might surprise you to find out that we're in the midst of a revival of the old school style of storytelling. Turns out, sitting in a crowded room with other people, sharing funny and tragic and unbelievable stories live and in person has never been bigger.  

Thank you to Nancy Reeder of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild for reaching out and pitching this show idea.

And special thanks also goes out to linguist and former Broadside guest Brody McCurdy for providing us with audio from the Voices of Chatham project, an ongoing oral history and documentary recording the history, culture, and language of Chatham County. Voices of Chatham was created in collaboration between NC State’s Language & Life Project and the Chatham County Historical Association. 

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• You can find a transcript of this episode here.

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Fortnite was an unlikely hit from an unlikely place: North Carolina-based Epic Games. Innovative game design and smart leveraging of social media and live streaming catapulted it into becoming one of the world's biggest video games. And today, Fortnite is a bona fide cultural phenomenon. But can the memes and viral dance moves go on forever?

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Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.

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This week we're launching a new kind of episode where we spend an ordinary day in the life of someone doing something extraordinary. Join us as we tag along with renowned North Carolina-based muralist Dare Coulter while she works to bring a very big and very public artistic vision to life.

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Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.

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It’s Election Week in America–and if you’re like us, you’re probably a little burned out with politics. So we’re offering up something different. This week, we ask three veteran political reporters a single question: what’s the most bizarre story you've ever covered?

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Special thanks this week goes out to WUNC’s Colin Campbell and Kate Sheppard of The Assembly.

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Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.

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Known as the "Furniture Capital of the World," North Carolina is famous for its high-quality furniture. And for over a century, it's been the heartbeat of the American furniture industry. But in recent decades, that business has changed dramatically, decimating the workforce and leaving average American consumers with two less-than-ideal options: high-end luxury products or cheap and mostly disposable mass-produced stuff.

Featuring: 

Thanks to the team at the High Point Market Authority for their help during Market week, especially Ben Muller. Special thanks also this week to NC State Libraries' Special Collections Research Center.

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The North Carolina State Fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States, drawing nearly a million people each year. And it's in full swing right now. We went yesterday and brought you back some funnel cake.

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