For three decades, anyone who walked into De Provence et d'Ailleurs on Morris Street got a "bonjour." Danielle de Ville d'Avray Tester told The Mountain Ledger that she greets everyone who comes through the door, the way shops do in France. After a while her customers started saying "bonjour" first. She opened the shop in 1996, in an old Morris Street building that had once been part of a motel. She expected to run it for maybe five years. She told the Ledger she plans to sell down the inventory and close by the end of this year.
That makes this holiday season the last one for her shop. It's also the first one for two new shops. Mortimer's Craft Butchery and Bakery and The Lodge both opened on Valley Boulevard this year. When their owners talked to the Watauga Democrat, they sounded a lot like Tester did. All three describe a shop built around knowing the person at the counter and teaching them something. Blowing Rock is losing one of its best-loved shops, and the way that shop worked is carrying on in two new storefronts on a different street.
What Tester said a small shop is for
The Ledger profile is worth reading in full, but one passage explains this whole season. Tester said the personal connection is what a small retailer can offer that the internet can't. Her advice to new shopkeepers was to find something distinctive, know the story behind what they sell, and pay attention to whoever walks in. She stuck to that the whole way through. She has no website and no Facebook page, and she still writes sales tickets by hand on an old cash register.
She also told the Ledger why she's ready to stop. Some of the small French producers she bought from disappeared after Covid, and others no longer ship to the United States. Shipping on her last big order ran about 20 percent, plus a 15 percent tariff. A few people have asked about buying the business. She told the Ledger she doubts that would work, because customers come in for her.
If De Provence et d'Ailleurs has been on your holiday list for French soaps, linens, hand creams or a gift for someone who loves France, the weeks between now and the end of December are the last chance to shop there. She hasn't announced an exact closing day, and the shop has no website to check, so stop in.
The two Valley Boulevard openings, side by side
| Shop | Address | Open since | What it's built around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortimer's Craft Butchery and Bakery | 8062 Valley Blvd. | July 1; ribbon cutting Sept. 25 | Whole-animal butcher counter, from-scratch bakery, planned butchery and baking classes |
| The Lodge | 7815 Valley Blvd., where the old Scotchman stood | Sept. 25; ribbon cutting Oct. 21 | Wines from around the world, guided tastings, meet-the-maker evenings |
Mortimer's took more than a year to open
A.J. and Ashley Nowell's shop opened more than a year late. The Watauga Democrat reported that the building was supposed to be shared with a cigar and tobacco shop. It had flooded not long before the couple took it on and wasn't structurally sound. They poured new floors and added foundation support.
A.J. has been a whole-animal butcher for more than 20 years. He told the paper he seams out individual muscles to sell as steaks instead of cutting across them the way large processors do. He sources all his meat from local farmers and suppliers and plans to feature a different farm each month. He also has two classes in the works. One covers breaking down an animal. The other is a consumer guide to buying meat that shows shoppers how lesser-known cuts can save money.
Ashley runs the bakery side and makes everything from scratch. She said the scones and pies are the most popular items and often sell out before they reach the display case. She takes custom orders and told the paper she was planning Thanksgiving pies. Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 26. If you want a Mortimer's pie on the table, message the shop through its Facebook page to ask about holiday orders. Don't wait until the week of. The couple also said they plan to start selling coffee and tea in the coming months, so you can pick up a scone and that night's dinner in one stop.
The Lodge offers "tours" instead of flights
Marlon Carias ran his own software company for 25 years. He first came to Blowing Rock at age 10 and made it his permanent home in 2015. He told the Watauga Democrat he waited about a month after opening to hold the ribbon cutting because he wanted everything right for the people he calls "family members," not customers.
The shelves carry wines from around the world. There's a rotating shelf of local craft beer and imported ales, plus meads, ciders, sake, olive oils, balsamic vinegars and cured meats. A large stone fireplace anchors the tasting area, along with an elk the shop named Scotty in honor of the Scotchman. Carias calls his tastings "tours," and the shop plans guided tastings, meet-the-maker evenings and seasonal pours. A barrel stands ready for visiting winemakers, importers and sommeliers who come to teach. He told the paper the idea came during the pandemic, when he ran out of wine and wondered why a good selection always meant a long drive.
Tester said to know the story behind what you sell. The Nowells plan to teach people how to buy meat. Carias said "our job is to really expand the palate." All three shops sell the explanation along with the product.
A third new stop at Shoppes on the Parkway
The Watauga Democrat also reported that Timber and Trail Furniture Company is opening a showroom at Shoppes on the Parkway. Owner Allan Coats sources handmade furniture and goods from local workshops and shows them alongside rugs, lighting and accessories. That's useful to know for Thanksgiving weekend, because Shoppes on the Parkway is also where the free parade shuttle picks up.
Thanksgiving weekend, hour by hour
Thanksgiving weekend still centers on Memorial Park and Main Street, and parking works differently that weekend. Here's the sequence from the Christmas in the Park page:
- Friday, Nov. 27: Christmas in the Park and Lighting of the Town. It's held in Memorial Park on Main Street. The town lights up at about 5:30 p.m. The posted afternoon lineup of Santa visits, caroling and live music is last year's schedule and is labeled "likely to change," so check closer to the day.
- Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Free shuttle from the Shoppes on the Parkway lot to Main Street.
- Friday at midnight: Main Street parking closes and stays closed until just after the parade.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m.: The Christmas Parade on Main Street. The shuttle runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day.
If you'd rather park than ride, free parking is on Maple Street and in the two Wallingford Street decks by the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum and the American Legion. There's more at Davant Field on Clark Street, which connects to downtown by a walking path through Broyhill Park. The Blowing Rock School lot on Morris Street opens to the public on weekends, and school groups often charge a small fee as a fundraiser. For anything else, Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation is at 828-295-5222. The same weekend kicks off the local choose-and-cut Christmas tree season.
Chetola runs the longest stretch of the season
The Festival of Lights at Chetola Resort opens Friday, Nov. 27, and stays lit through Sunday, Jan. 31, 2027. The displays come on at dusk, and it's free and open to the public. You can drive or walk the loop around Chetola Lake.
The Chetola events calendar lists three more things to plan around. Lake carriage rides run Nov. 27 and 28 and require timed reservations. Storytime with Santa at Haven runs those same two nights from 5 to 8 p.m., with hot chocolate and cookie decorating, and no reservation is needed. Santa returns to Haven on Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and no tickets or reservations are needed for those visits either.
The lights stay on through the last night of the 29th annual Blowing Rock WinterFest, Jan. 28 through 31, 2027. WinterFeast at Chetola opens it on Jan. 28, followed by the Artisan Ice Stroll on Jan. 29. The Polar Bear Plunge, the Rotary Chilly Chili Challenge and the beer garden all fall on Jan. 30, and the Hendrick Hunt wraps up on Jan. 31.
Downtown's next big opening is still months away
Downtown's next big dining opening isn't coming this season. The Green Park Inn first welcomed guests in 1891, and it's being redeveloped into a 40-room hotel with eight three-bedroom cottages, event spaces, a private wine cellar and a historical museum. Its restaurant will be Rooster's Wood-Fired Kitchen, from Charlotte-based Noble Food & Pursuits. The Watauga Democrat reports that the hotel and restaurant are expected to open in summer 2027. Until then, this year's new places to pick up holiday dinner and a bottle to go with it are on Valley Boulevard.
If your plans for the year ahead include a question about what your home is worth, Sasha Elliott and the Harper Realty team know this town's streets, shops and seasons firsthand. Request a free home valuation, and we'll give you a straight local answer before WinterFest weekend.
