Editing Lake Lure, North Carolina (section)

===Tourism===
[[File:Lake Lure Flowering Bridge NC 210719.jpg|thumb|Lake Lure Flowering Bridge]]
Recreation and tourism have become crucial to the town's economy; challenges to this industry have included the [[2016 Southeastern United States wildfires#Western North Carolina fires|Party Rock wildfire]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://wlos.com/news/local/some-worry-about-economy-tourism-as-wildfires-rage-on-in-lake-lure|title=Some worry about economic, tourism impacts as wildfire rages on in Lake Lure|last=Le|first=John|work=[[WLOS]]|date=November 11, 2016|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115230240/http://wlos.com/news/local/some-worry-about-economy-tourism-as-wildfires-rage-on-in-lake-lure|archive-date=November 15, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/nation-world/amid-wildfires-north-carolina-getaway-turns-to-ghost-town/article_898ff7dd-10d3-5b1e-9d82-1878e68b3258.html|title=Amid wildfires, North Carolina getaway turns to ghost town|last=|first=|work=[[Johnson City Press]]|date=November 18, 2016|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112234333/https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/nation-world/amid-wildfires-north-carolina-getaway-turns-to-ghost-town/article_898ff7dd-10d3-5b1e-9d82-1878e68b3258.html|archive-date=January 12, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina#Economic|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://carolinapublicpress.org/30217/western-nc-tourism-leaders-react-to-devastating-impact-of-pandemic/|title=Western NC tourism leaders react to devastating impact of pandemic|last=Reardon|first=Melissa|work=[[Carolina Public Press]]|date=April 6, 2020|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112233838/https://carolinapublicpress.org/30217/western-nc-tourism-leaders-react-to-devastating-impact-of-pandemic/|archive-date=January 12, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1999, [[Pine Gables]] was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

Lake Lure was a primary filming location for ''[[Dirty Dancing]]'', and hosts an annual festival event honoring the movie.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.starkinsider.com/2017/09/time-life-dirty-dancing-festival-lake-lure-n-c.html|title=Having the "time of your life" at the Dirty Dancing Festival in Lake Lure, N.C.
|last=Nieder|first=Janice|work=starkinsider.com|date=September 12, 2017|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113015912/https://www.starkinsider.com/2017/09/time-life-dirty-dancing-festival-lake-lure-n-c.html|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thecinemaholic.com/where-dirty-dancing-was-filmed/|title='Dirty Dancing' Filming Locations: A Guide
|last=Borde|first=Rishabh|work=The Cinemaholic|date=February 2, 2020|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113015716/https://www.thecinemaholic.com/where-dirty-dancing-was-filmed/|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

Located on Memorial Highway,<ref name="The Right Track Toy Train Museum">{{cite web|title=The Right Track Toy Train Museum|last=|first=|url=https://hickorynutchamber.org/list/member/the-right-track-toy-train-museum-941|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113015207/https://hickorynutchamber.org/list/member/the-right-track-toy-train-museum-941|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> The Right Track Toy Train Museum, opened in 2011, features a large display of toy train memorabilia previously belonging to Larry Keyes. Larry's widow, Peggy, opened the museum to honor her late husband, and 100% of the museum's proceeds are donated to pancreatic cancer research.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://styleblueprint.com/everyday/lake-lure-north-carolina-dirty-dancing/|title=2 Days in Lake Lure, NC: The Real-Life Dirty Dancing Resort Town|last=Ferrier|first=Lindsay|work=[[StyleBlueprint]]|date=|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113015330/https://styleblueprint.com/everyday/lake-lure-north-carolina-dirty-dancing/|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Rocky [[Broad River (Carolinas)|Broad River]] Bridge, built in 1925 and closed to traffic in 2011, re-opened as the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in 2013, with gardens spanning the {{convert|155|ft|m|adj=on}} span of the bridge and expanding. Prior to the grand opening, the tourist attraction had already been visited by tourists from 36 states and 14 countries.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wyff4.com/article/new-attraction-draws-thousands-even-before-official-opening/7006071|title=New attraction draws thousands, even before official opening|last=Field|first=Carol|work=[[WYFF]]|date=October 17, 2013|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918113653/https://www.wyff4.com/article/new-attraction-draws-thousands-even-before-official-opening/7006071|archive-date=September 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Referred to as "The Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/lake-lure-flower-bridge-park-nc/|title=Take A Journey Through This One-Of-A-Kind Bridge Park In North Carolina|last=Rakestraw|first=Emily|work=onlyinyourstate.com|date=November 6, 2017|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113013315if_/https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/lake-lure-flower-bridge-park-nc/|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> the Flowering Bridge featured garden beds, a mobile phone tour, a Sensory Tour for visually-impaired guests, and the Rainbow Bridge, which served as a memorial for the deceased pets of visitors. It had been recognized by the [[National Wildlife Federation]] as a [[National Wildlife Federation#Certified Wildlife Habitat|Certified Wildlife Habitat]] and met the criteria to be designated as a [[Monarch Watch#Monarch Waystation Program|Monarch Waystation]] by [[Monarch Watch]].<ref name="Lake Lure's Flowering Bridge">{{cite web|title=Lake Lure's Flowering Bridge|last=|first=|url=http://www.townoflakelure.com/lake-lures-flowering-bridge.php|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113013948/http://www.townoflakelure.com/lake-lures-flowering-bridge.php|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> The bridge was briefly closed in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mountainbreezenews.com/2020/12/31/lake-lure-flowering-bridgethe-lake-lure-flowering-bridge-year-in-review/|title=Lake Lure Flowering Bridge…The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge year in review|last=Clark|first=Debbie|work=[[The Mountain Breeze]]|date=December 31, 2020|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113014302/http://mountainbreezenews.com/2020/12/31/lake-lure-flowering-bridgethe-lake-lure-flowering-bridge-year-in-review/|archive-date=January 13, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 27, 2024, the bridge was severely damaged and the gardens mostly destroyed due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene; as of December 2024, clean-up and assessment are in progress.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lakelurefloweringbridge.org/ |title=Lake Lure Flowering Bridge |website=Lake Lure Flowering Bridge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205035449/https://lakelurefloweringbridge.org/ |archive-date=2024-12-05 |access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref>