Coming Soon - Union Street Food Hall + Downtown 2nd Floor Living at 117 East Union Street

The Morganton Main Street Program has worked since 1996 to bring about the renovations of the Historic Burke County Courthouse Square.  It has been acknowledged and recommended in two downtown Masterplans, in 1997 and 2018, as a priority for the community.  Finally, in 2020, the Mayor and City Council unanimously and enthusiastically awarded the contract for the project to Wilkie Construction, and made the loan request for the renovation of the Historic Burke County Courthouse Grounds.  When completed, the citizens of Morganton and Burke County will have an amphitheater, all new sidewalks and steps, improved landscaping and a much-needed repaired historic stone wall — all of which should stand strong for at least another 50 years.  It is the Main Street Program’s hope that when completed, the renovations will honor the stature of the Historic Courthouse, modernize the infrastructure, pay homage to the great women who saw to it that a stone wall of substance surrounded the grounds, and be a welcoming symbol of our community by continuing its heritage of being “The Place” to gather for our citizens and visitors.

Renovations to the Historic Burke County Courthouse Square began the week of September 14, as contractors completed demolition of the Jailhouse Gallery.

In order for contractors to work freely, and to keep citizens safe when they are near the construction site, a fence has been placed around the entirety of the Courthouse Square. The fence will remain in place for the duration of the project, which is expected to be complete by summer 2021.

The renovations to the Courthouse Square will see the construction of a new amphitheater, common area, and green space on the southern end of the property that everyone will be able to enjoy. As part of these renovations, the stone wall surrounding the square is being restored.

Currently, the original stones are being removed from a portion of the wall that borders North Green Street. These stones are being kept, and once structural improvements are made, the wall will be rebuilt using the original stones.

This page on our website is dedicated to updating the citizens of Morganton and Burke County on the project as it progresses. It is scheduled to be a 9 month project, with the goal to have an opening celebration in July 2021!  So stay tuned, and watch for monthly updates on this page.  Be sure to take a look at the renderings below that show how it all will look upon completion, and don’t miss the time lapse shots and live stream of the work as it progresses.

Last updated: September 17, 2020  

Morganton has a wide mix of businesses that comprise the downtown area. With a variety of restaurants, retail, spas and services, downtown Morganton is a lively and active community. While downtown is thriving, there are opportunities for new businesses to open and prosper. The Main Street Office is here to assist businesses. The following are opportunites that would be a good fit in our downtown.

September 12th - October 12th

Due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Historic Morganton Festival is on hold until September 10 and 11, 2021. However, we are excited to announce that the annual Sunrise Run on the Greenway is still on! The 2020 Sunrise Run on the Greenway is going VIRTUAL from September 12th to October 12th! Registration is now open for you to run your own race. You can register for a 5K or 10K anytime between now and October 12th. The virtual race will open on Saturday, September 12 (the original race date) and will end at 11:59pm on Monday, October 12. Run the 5K or 10K at any point during the month and then submit your times in your Run Sign Up profile. Run anywhere in town, state, or country! The original race routes will be included online for those interested in running the usual route.

Reel Time Lucy

Saturday, October 10th 9:00-11:00am

Live Music at the Morganton Farmers Market. Shop with your local farmers while enjoying the sounds of local talent.

Thursday, October 15 5-7:30pm

Mark your calendars now for this year's Third Thursday Art Crawls! Join local businesses and artists in beautiful Downtown Morganton for a wonderful evening of socializing & artistry. Featured artists & details to follow!

“Rewind as Art and Music Intertwine”

October 15^th, 2020

5:00-7:30pm

A form of art, music is a reflection and influence of human emotion. Jazz, country, hip hop, disco, rock, pop, classical and musical theatre are all genres heard in the modern music period of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today. Join us October 15^th, as the doors of our art crawl venues transform into portals leading to different musical eras and genres. Featuring the “musical illusion” of Marc Dobson, the man who serenades in the streets with 9.1 musical instruments all attached to his body at once.

Jay Z “Picasso Baby”, The Creation, “Painter Man”, Nat King Cole, “Mona Lisa” , David Bowie “Andy Warhol”, Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”, this is a list of musicians and their songs about art and artist. We know that visual art is influenced by music and vice versus, so let us “Rewind as Art and Music Intertwine”