Popular Culture
The Esmerelda Inn & Restaurant
Just as it was in the late 19th and early 20th century, the Hickory Nut Gorge region is a popular area for movie and film companies. Most recently, Lake Lure and surrounding has been home to the filming for movies such as Dirty Dancing, Firestarter, Dogs of Hell, and A Breed Apart. Not only has Lake Lure been a part of movies, but also a 1942 documentary, Colorful North Carolina, and it was the home of the 2006 HGTV Dream Home.
September 14-16, 2012 marked the 3rd Annual Dirty Dancing Festival at Lake Lure. This festival includes dance lessons at the Pavilion, a lakeside screening of Dirty Dancing at Firefly Cove, a Lake Lift Competition, and even the famous Watermelon games hosted by the National Watermelon Association. The festival also offers a charity golf tournament to benefit The Foundation Performing Arts Center and a silent auction, food vendors, arts and crafts, as well as a beer and wine garden. In addition, there is a self-guided film scenes tour, where tourists can go see the locations of specific scenes from the movie, Dirty Dancing (The dirty dancing festival, 2012).
At the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, tourists can check in to a Dirty Dancing style cabins, including Baby’s Bungalow, Johnny’s Cabin, and even the Jennifer Grey Suite. These cabins are specifically designed to mimic the style of cabins the actors and actresses stayed in during the film, Dirty Dancing (Lake lure tours, 2013).
September 14-16, 2012 marked the 3rd Annual Dirty Dancing Festival at Lake Lure. This festival includes dance lessons at the Pavilion, a lakeside screening of Dirty Dancing at Firefly Cove, a Lake Lift Competition, and even the famous Watermelon games hosted by the National Watermelon Association. The festival also offers a charity golf tournament to benefit The Foundation Performing Arts Center and a silent auction, food vendors, arts and crafts, as well as a beer and wine garden. In addition, there is a self-guided film scenes tour, where tourists can go see the locations of specific scenes from the movie, Dirty Dancing (The dirty dancing festival, 2012).
At the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, tourists can check in to a Dirty Dancing style cabins, including Baby’s Bungalow, Johnny’s Cabin, and even the Jennifer Grey Suite. These cabins are specifically designed to mimic the style of cabins the actors and actresses stayed in during the film, Dirty Dancing (Lake lure tours, 2013).
The floor Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced on in Dirty Dancing
Film stars used to try to avoid the limelight by retreating to The Esmerelda Inn & Restaurant. Located in the sleepy little Hickory Nut Gorge is the 120-year-old inn known for being a stop on the Pony Express and an inspiration to writers of all kinds. The inn was built in 1891 by Colonel Tom Turner and destroyed in a fire in 1917. However, it was rebuilt on the same foundation. Once discovered, the small inn was not only used as a hideout for movie stars, but it also became the spot for filming many movies. It has been said that Lew Wallace finished writing the script in room nine of the Esmerelda. A fire tore through the inn in 1997 and again it was restored, holding onto its historical value. During this renovation, the floor from the gymnasium of the Chimney Rock Boy’s Camp was donated as the lobby floor for the inn. This floor also happened to be part of the floor Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced on in Dirty Dancing (The esmerelda inn & restaurant, 2013).
Entry to Firefly Cove
What is now know as Firefly Cove, lying on the outskirts of Lake Lure, was once known as the Chimney Rock Camp for Boys. Built in the early 1900s, the camp was an attraction for young men, and eventually ladies as well. It was part of Dr. Morse’s resort plan and even when the stock market crashed in 1927, the camp flourished for 50 more years. In place of the camp is now the community known as Firefly Cove, but memories and even signs from the camp still remain (Firefly cove at lake lure, 2013).