North Carolina’s first-ever digital mural trail is now open to the public in downtown Carthage after being unveiled earlier this month. The Carthage Digital Video Mural Trail features specially-made bronze-plated plaques with QR codes applied to all five murals in the Moore County town. The QR codes link to video stories about each mural, creating a unique interactive experience for those wanting to learn more about the artwork. 

The digital mural trail is a project created and funded by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Each mural tells a story, but we felt people viewing them may want to know more about each one than just the artwork itself. The video associated with each mural tells a deeper story about each one and provides incredible context to why they are there,” said Phil Werz, president and CEO of the CVB, in a press release. “The experience also creates an opportunity for the CVB to market the state’s first digital video mural trail and give people a reason to visit and spend time not only exploring the murals, but also local shops and restaurants that are popping up in downtown Carthage.”

The CVB also announced that the Duke Energy Foundation will donate a total $10,000 to the Carthage Century Committee and Carthage Mural Committee in order to fund the next mural project in the town. 

The Carthage Digital Video Mural Trail is the third program launched to support the statewide Year of the Trail initiative being promoted by VisitNC. Four of the murals were painted by noted statewide mural artist, Scott Nurkin. The latest mural, Landmarks and Legacies, was created by Dan and Jordan Dreyer.

On April 11, the CVB launched the first in a series of three Sandhills Story Trail Adventures, an interactive display featuring Winnie-the-Pooh and his cast of characters. The first of the Story Trails is on display at Nick’s Creek Greenway in Southern Pines. 

The story trails feature large, life-size cutouts of Pooh and his friends that can be viewed in a series of stations. People can scan a QR code and read the next chapter or listen to it on their smartphone. Future stories in the series will be displayed along Moore County trails to be determined later this year. The entire story trails series was created, written and voiced by the CVB, primarily by Destination Storyteller Dan Dreyer.

On March 20, the CVB launched the Pinecone Pathways Program, a partnership with glassmakers at Starworks in Star, NC. That 10-week program features 200 glass pinecones hidden on trails throughout Moore County.

The Year of the Trail celebrates North Carolina’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways that showcase our diverse landscapes – grand mountain vistas, quiet rivers, vibrant urban greenways, coastal forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. 

North Carolina is the Great Trails State, where each of North Carolina’s 100 counties can enjoy the proven benefits of trails, which are also the backbone of the state’s growing $28 billion outdoor recreation economy.

The NC General Assembly designated 2023 as the Year of the Trail, an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition advocating for increased state investment in all types of trails statewide.

To learn more about the Carthage Digital Video Mural Trail and to view the videos visit https://www.homeofgolf.com/digital-mural-trail/. 

For more information about Year of the Trail programs in Moore County, visit https://www.homeofgolf.com/moore-trails/.