A row of hand-painted rocking chairs honoring veterans and military families has pulled into Concord this month, with the display set up at the Cracker Barrel on 7809 Lyles Lane. The chairs are part of a traveling installation called Rockers Across America, and visitors are welcome to look them over or simply sit a spell, since the chairs are meant to be enjoyed and not just admired from a distance.
Concord's Cracker Barrel is one of only ten locations nationwide chosen to host the display, according to Queen City News, which reported that Cracker Barrel brought the tour to the Charlotte area as part of the chain's broader push to recognize veterans and military families during Veterans Month. Per Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., the Rockers Across America collection is scheduled to be displayed at the 10 select locations from Nov. 9 through Nov. 30.
Chairs Tell Real Military Stories
Each rocking chair design draws on real-life military experiences tied to longtime guests, employees, and the artists' own families, the station's report notes. One of the chairs was created in honor of Mike Madden, whose military service inspired the artwork. Madden said he felt humbled by the recognition, telling Queen City News, “I am extremely humbled and consider it a great honor to have been selected,” while adding that he believed others were more deserving.
A separate report from Yahoo identifies that chair design as “Serving Others,” created in honor of Mike Madden, described there as a former Marine and 16-year Cracker Barrel district manager. The exact number of chair designs in the full collection is described differently across sources — Cracker Barrel's own sweepstakes page references two original designs by artists Victoria Barnhill and Emma Gilbert, while FoodDrinkLife describes the collection as including four rocking-chair designs — and the available reporting does not resolve that discrepancy.
A Regular Customer's Family Story
Barbra Edens, described as a regular Cracker Barrel customer, is among those connecting personally with the tribute. Her father served in World War II and her eldest son served in the Air Force, the same account notes. Edens said she considers sharing veterans' stories meaningful and has tried to pass them along to her grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Cracker Barrel's official sweepstakes materials also describe one chair design as inspired by a 91-year-old Army veteran, featuring an eagle and Army aircraft soaring across the American landscape, according to the company's own sweepstakes page. That page also lays out the fine print for anyone hoping to win one of the chairs: entry is open to eligible legal residents of the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., who are at least 18 and have reached the age of majority, with no purchase necessary and a limit of one entry per person. The sweepstakes closes Nov. 30, 2026.
Donation Tied to Wounded Veterans
Beyond the chairs themselves, Cracker Barrel and its foundation said they are partnering with the Gary Sinise Foundation on a $100,000 donation to support that organization's custom homebuilding program for the nation's most severely wounded veterans, according to the company's news release. For Concord visitors, the rocking chairs at the Lyles Lane location offer a tangible way to engage with those stories in person while the tour remains in town through the end of the month.
