Summer 24 Student Visitors

In July, Nora Criscio and Marta Pignatelli came to spend three weeks in Saluda. They stayed with six different families, one in Charlotte, four in Saluda, and one at Lake Norman. Every day, there

was an extensive list of activities. Every restaurant in town donated a free meal and we also had donated tickets to the zip line, Biltmore house, Chihuly Glass Exhibit, Flat Rock Playhouse and more. They enjoyed to trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah Inn, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, boating on the Green River, Top of the Grade Concert, paddleboarding and a cook-out at Lake Summit, kayaking on Lake Shiela, attending a performance at Tryon Fine Arts Center of Bye Bye Birdie with Mark and Kay Powers and were taken on glider fights by Rav Smith.  They were interested in art, so there was a class in fusing glass at Saluda Moon Glass Studio and a watercolor class and a jewelry-making class with Sa Smith. The above pictue shows them at a formal luncheon prepared by Maria McCall. They also met with the Executive Director of Safelight, a protective organization serving abused women and children; and spent a day at Red Bell Run, a rescue organization serving horses and other equines in Columbus.  There were tours of shops in Hendersonville, Flat Rock and Saluda, shopping at every opportunity, time with the kids their age at the host families, and more.  Feedback from the two girls and their families has been very positive.