- [Clay] What Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples drives says a lot about him and this town.

It's a 1971 VW camper van he purchased in California for his wife Harriet.

It was painted by a California artist.

- The statement it makes is "it's Tryon," and when I say "it's Tryon," you can do what you want to within reason, you can be who you want to.

We're the friendliest town in the South, and this is part of it.

[bright music] - [Clay] Tryon is a mecca for music and art lovers.

- [Announcer] Our first place for award to Irene Swifky.

- [Clay] It's a mecca for horse lovers too.

A visit to the Tryon Historical Museum shows how the town became those things.

It tells that history through old photographs and memorabilia.

[gentle music] - [Julia] This is going to be a circus wagon with a squared off top.

- [Clay] Shop owner and Tryon native, Julia Calhoun knows the history too.

She says it all started when the Cherokees named a local mountain Tryon Mountain in honor of a treaty they signed there with Governor William Tryon in 1767.

- About 1839, they established a little post office at the foot of the mountain called Tryon City, very ambitious.

When the railroad came through in 1877, that was the major impetus for economic growth here.

- [Clay] In 1915, artists, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale opened Tryon Toy-Makers & Woodcarvers here.

Among the toys it made was Morris the Horse.

- Morris the Horse started out as a little toy about this size.

- In 1928, a local riding and hunt club commissioned Tryon Toy-Makers to create a giant version of Morris for its horse and hound show.

- And it just stuck.

He kept being brought out for parades and special events, and everybody loved him, and he just became the town mascot over the years.

- [Clay] A massive Morris replica now watches over downtown.

You can buy Morris books, Morris license plates, Morris stickers, and Morris mugs.

And around town, you'll see lots of Morris mailboxes.

In 2016, the owner of Tryon Toy-Makers asked Calhoun if she'd like to take over the business.

- In this town, that's like being given a religious mission.

What am I gonna say, no?

It has been in continuous operation since 1915, so it is 107, and I'm only the fourth owner, individual owner, which is still kind of amazing to me.

So I'm doing the same designs that Ms. Vance and Ms. Yale did.

It's really a thrill to be carrying it on.

- [Clay] Calhoun's shop is really five stores in one, selling custom rugs, books, games and puzzles, gourmet foods and fine chocolates.

- [Julia] I think I began to see it as sort of an indoor market.

- [Clay] That serves a diverse population of visitors and residents.

- We always attracted a lotta people from the Northeast and the Upper Midwest.

So Tryon had sort of a cosmopolitan edge to it that a lot of small towns, particularly in the South, don't have.

I think the fact that arts have been such a large component in development of the town makes a big difference too.

- [Clay] There are several art galleries downtown, including the nonprofit, Tryon Painters & Sculptors, where artists become members.

- And that gives them the right to show their art in the gallery, and that's basically what we're here for.

We are here for the artists and for the community.

If it weren't for us, some of our artists would not have an outlet to sell and show their art.

- [Clay] Tryon Painters & Sculptors also offers art classes.

So does the Tryon Arts & Crafts School.

Here, you can take classes and workshops in painting, sculpting, metalworking, and more.

These students are welding with copper and textured bronze, making everything from candle holders to light fixtures.

- Not only is it a learning experience, but it's fun.

You have a good time, and you go home with something nice.

[chuckles] - [Clay] Performing arts are center stage at the Tryon Fine Arts Center.

♪ You better run ♪ ♪ You better run ♪ - [Clay] There are concerts, plays, and other events in it's 300-seat theater.

- A boat is a lovely place for weeping.

♪ This used to be a wilderness ♪ ♪ Unbroken and serene ♪ - [Clay] And there are outdoor concerts at its 100-seat amphitheater.

- A lotta people actually make a choice to retire here because the art center is here.

We have an amazing population of people here, very eclectic, very well educated.

People are just tuned in, I think, to culture here, and a lot of it is because of the arts that we present here in this building but also that you can get throughout the rest of the town.

[exciting music] - The amphitheater at nearby Rogers Park hosts concerts and plays, including this Nina Simone tribute concert.

Simone was a musician and activist and a Tryon native.

[exciting music] - I'm very humbled by her talent, and to think that she grew up here, amazes me.

[chuckles] - Simone is honored in Tryon with this large mural and in a downtown plaza that bears her name.

♪ Never seen ♪ - [Clay] Across the street from the plaza is the Tryon Theatre.

It's been in continuous operation since 1938.

- [Scott] Selling tickets, showing movies, popping popcorn, I mean, it's just a hub of activity.

- [Clay] The theater shows everything from Hollywood blockbusters to small indie films.

- Basically, we program what we like to watch.

We'll show the Oscars shorts.

We'll show documentaries.

We'll show cat video.

We have a cat video fest that we show.

- [Clay] So do you watch every movie that plays here?

- Heck yeah.

- Yeah.

- But we pick 'em.

I feel personally responsible.

- [Clay] The theater is one of the venues for the Tryon International Film Festival, held each October.

- And each year, it brings about 70 to 80 films from all over the world.

But it's special for a small town like Tryon to have that kind of an opportunity to present films from all over the world for our audiences and our community.

[mellow country music] - [Clay] A few Doors down from the theater is another popular community gathering place, the Tryon Bottle.

It sells more than 200 varieties of beer and cider.

- [Hector] Pretty much the best selection south of Asheville, I think.

- And the Tryon Bottle has more than 100 varieties of wine in most all price ranges.

Hector Gonzalez's mom owns the store.

- My mom tries everything before it goes on the shelf, so if doesn't past her taste test, it doesn't go on.

- [Clay] There are wine tastings every Friday evening.

The store also sells wine and beer by the glass.

And in Tryon, you're allowed to walk out with a glass of either and stroll the main downtown thoroughfare.

- [Hector] Just, you know, go around, walk around, and visit the shops, and, you know, have a good time.

- [Clay] There are lots of interesting shops to visit downtown, including Mountain Trail Soap Company.

- It's like a fine wine.

The longer the soap sits, the better it gets.

- [Clay] Owner, Robert Mangum started making soap to treat his son's skin problems.

- Came up with my own recipe of oatmeal, goat's milk, and honey soap unscented, and it seemed to do the trick for those guys.

- [Clay] It also gave Mangum the chance to leave his full-time job in law enforcement and live his dream of being self-employed.

His shop sells about 25 varieties of soaps, as well as lotions, scrubs, candles, and more.

- And since I have a shop on the main street, people can walk by, sniff the air and smell my soap, and that draws them inside.

- [Clay] I've always been kind of an Ivory guy, but I think you made me a convert.

- I like that.

[mellow bluegrass music] - [Clay] There are three wineries within 20 minutes of Tryon.

They offer tastings, tours, and an entertainment.

[mellow bluegrass music] They represent a rebirth of Tryon's old grape industry that thrived here in the early 1900s.

- So much so that, in fact, the Waldorf Astoria in New York City had a menu and at the bottom it said, "For sale, Tryon grapes."

[light music] - [Clay] Tryon's rich equestrian history lives on at Harmon Field.

It's a town park that's been hosting horse competitions and other recreational activities since 1927.

[light music] The area's horse heritage inspired the Tryon International Equestrian Center, about 20 minutes east of town.

- Folks from the Lowcountry and from Florida would come to the edge of the mountains to the Foothills to enjoy horse sport in their summers, and that's been a tradition here for well over 100 years.

- [Announcer] Joining us out here in a platinum Performance, use that channel search.

- [Clay] Some call this 1,600-acre equestrian center Disneyland for horse lovers.

[horse whinnies] Its arenas host horse competitions and shows more than 40 weeks a year.

[group applauds] - And everybody can ride a horse here, whether it's a trail ride through the woods or whether it's a ride on our carousel.

Lots of choices for folks to enjoy this sport and just be around great, fun family entertainment.

[light music] - There are seven restaurants, 15 shops, and lodging for both horses and their owners.

The center also hosts concerts and other special events.

There's a certain wow factor people have when they see this place.

Isn't there?

- Right, right.

We see it every day, and, in fact, I still say it myself some days.

it's pretty amazing what's happened here.

[water rushes] - [Clay] People also get a wow out of Pearson's Falls and Glen, just outside of town.

This 90-foot-high waterfall is the centerpiece of a 270-acre nature preserve.

It's owned and managed by the Tryon Garden Club.

It's just one of many places in the area for hiking and other outdoor recreation.

[gentle music] Mayor Peoples says Tryon does have a lot to offer, but he says there's one thing above all else.

- It's the people.

Hey, Michael.

If you are from a place where people like each other and where people are friendly and support each other and when people need help, there's a hand out there, that's what we are.

We're that community.

Nearly perfect, always Tryon.

[gentle music] - [Deborah] Tryon is located near the South Carolina/North Carolina border, about 45 miles south of Asheville.

For more information on visiting Tryon and the surrounding area, visit firstpeaknc.com.