Union Mills: Crafts, Music, and Farm Visits

A trip to Union Mills can be shaped by a range of interests: crafts and music, a visit to Encompass Farm, or gem hunting at the Gem Mine at Thermal City Gold Mine. Offerings range from exhibitions and hands-on activities to concerts and a field visit to a working farm. If you’re looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide which experience you want to shape your trip and what requirements you’d like to keep in mind.

Crafts at the Union Mills Learning Center

Parsons Wood Artistry uses space at the Union Mills Learning Center. Visitors can view exhibits featuring antique and modern pyrography tools and try their hand at decorating wood or leather using pyrography. The exhibit and the hands-on activity appeal to two different interests: you can focus on the tools or try the technique yourself on a material. The contrast between antique and modern tools makes the exhibit especially interesting for visitors who want to see different types of tools as well as take part in the hands-on activity. The Union Mills Learning Center also hosts events including craft festivals. The venue therefore brings together exhibits and hands-on activities with events focused on crafts.

Concerts and Events

Music can also shape your stay. The 2026 concert program lists monthly concerts featuring various artists at the Union Mills Learning Center. There is no admission charge for the music; admission arrangements may change. So check the specific date and current admission information before visiting. If a concert is what makes the difference for you, the individual date matters more than the program’s monthly schedule.

Encompass Farm: Order Pickup and Field Visits

At Encompass Farm, it’s worth distinguishing between picking up an order and visiting the main field. Orders can be picked up at 210 Ferguson Ridge Rd, Union Mills, NC 28167; pickup details may change. Visitors can also explore the main field, where vegetables and flowers are grown. This visit is subject to the conditions of a working farm. If you mainly want to pick up an order, check the current pickup information; if you’re planning to visit the field, keep the conditions of ongoing farm operations in mind. The address provided is for pickup; when exploring the main field, the working-farm conditions are also important.

Gem Hunting and Mineral Museum

At the Gem Mine at Thermal City Gold Mine, there are two different ways to explore minerals. The covered sluices let visitors search for gemstones in rain or sunshine. There is also a mineral museum. Searching the sluices is a hands-on activity, while the museum offers a second focus for the visit. Unlike pyrography at Parsons Wood Artistry, the emphasis here is not on decorating wood or leather, but on gem hunting and minerals. These differences can help you weigh hands-on crafts against a mineral-themed experience according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Forest City, Rutherfordton, Chimney Rock, Spindale, Ellenboro, Lake Lure

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