Faith, NC

Faith is a Rowan County town whose calendar has been taken over by one very specific tradition: the Faith Fourth of July. The celebration dates to 1946, grew from post-incorporation veteran picnics, and now runs for a week with barbecue, fireworks, a parade, games, and a midway. Faith was incorporated in 1903, and the nearby Shuping's Mill Complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town's story is easy to recognize: a mill-country settlement, an old Main Street, and a holiday gathering that brings the wider region to town each summer.