KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — Downtown Kernersville is home to a quaint Main Street with lots of character, a place where everyone you pass smiles and waves and makes you feel at home. The street is lined with places to get a homemade meal, local shops selling items made in North Carolina, and brews crafted right in the triad.
We spent the morning there to explore what makes it a Destination Vacation with our first stop at Kernersville Brewing Company.
“We really wanted to revitalize and have people come downtown for the shopping, for the restaurants to eat and things like that,” said Eric Lauten, co-owner at KBC.
The brewery, which opened in 2018, started in a tobacco shed decades ago, true to Kernersville’s history.
“We’ve still got the recipes we’ve had for 20 plus years.”
They have some new creations on tap, like a beer called intergalactic space cats, and some tributes to friends, a brew named “Ben Jammin” after their friend Ben. “That was his license plate in high school, ben jamming,” explained Lauten.
Locals don’t just go to get a buzz, it’s also where they meet to run.
“We have the largest run club every Wednesday night in the triad,” said Lauten.
They also welcome families, from the four-legged variety to the kiddos.
“We have so many people who are regulars who come every tuesday for music bingo or whatever, it’s a family oriented place.”
Just a block up Main Street is Musten and Crutchfield, a Kernersville staple.
“We’ve been here since 1938,” said owner John Crutchfield.
The food market specializes in local products.
“We’ve probably got 40-50 vendors who are North Carolina based,” he said.
They’re famous for one thing in particular. “The main thing we are known for is pimento cheese,” Crutchfield said.
A customer visiting from Florida grabbed 5 pints!
“Small town has to have a Main Street and that’s really where really the town flourishes,” he added.
A special gem on this Main Street… Founder’s Park, where a koi pond offers a bit of respite as you watch the koi swim.
You just never know what a small town will have unless you go.
“Who knows, you might find that treasure you haven’t been able to find somewhere,” said Crutchfield.
