North Carolina’s Triad is overflowing with surprises for groups. Attendees can escape to a Tuscan villa, savor some local cabernet sauvignon or befriend a bevy of monarch butterflies—all in the middle of the Old North State.
- Blandwood Mansion (336.272.5003; www.blandwood.org), the home of former North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead, is America’s oldest Italianate mansion. The downtown Greensboro building, designed in the style of a Tuscan villa, was completed in 1846. Group tours of the villa and garden are available. The Carriage House, a two-story facility located on the grounds of Blandwood Mansion, accommodates groups of up to 325 people.
- Joel Benjamin Hauser House at Westbend Vineyards (336.945.5032; www.westbendvineyards.com) is located in Lewisville, N.C. The house is made from hand-notched logs and was constructed by J.B. Hauser and his wife Margaret in 1850. Recently restored and renovated, the house is now a multipurpose meeting facility with a private covered deck overlooking the vineyards. The venue accommodates 175 people theater style or 70 guests banquet style.
- The newly renovated Broyhill Conference Center (336.793.1191; www.broyhillcc.com) is conveniently located in the heart of Clemmons, N.C., minutes from Winston-Salem. Originally built in 1926 as the Old Clemmons School, the center features all of the modern necessities to host events, with more than 7,500 square feet of meeting space.
- All-A-Flutter (336.454.5651; www.all-a-flutter.com), a monarch butterfly farm in High Point, is available for group tours with at least a two-week advance notice. Tours are offered from April to mid-October. Groups can learn about the life cycle of the monarch and see scores of these brilliant beauties flitting inside a special flight house. The extroverted butterflies may land on shoulders, especially if attendees are wearing brightly colored clothing.
