River Music Concert Series Continues this Firday

August 3  River Music Concert Series   Dance under the stars next to the beautiful French Broad River at Asheville's new summer concert series hosted by New Belgium Brewing and RiverLink. The new concert series has quickly become one of the most enjoyable and "must do" summer events in Asheville.

There will be New Belgium beer, a variety of taste treats provided by  favorite Asheville food trucks and the waters of the beautiful French Broad flowing right by the stage. Best of all, these events are FREE to the public. Bring your lawn chair and picnic basket and enjoy the view of the French Broad River.

Get more local information on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

Asheville Downtown Art Walk

August 3   Asheville Downtown Gallery Association Art Walk   Enjoy the fine art and craft of the Asheville Downtown Gallery Association and see on of the reasons Asheville has been voted #1 small city in the country by the readers of American Style Magazine 2 years running.

25 downtown venues participate with a complete Downtown Gallery Guide and a map available at any participating downtown gallery, the Chamber of Commerce, or Pack Place.

Get more information about downtown Asheville on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

85th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville

August 2-4   85th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival  The nation's longest running folk festival, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival showcases the top talent in traditional mountain music and dance during a three-evening festival at the wonderfully intimate Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place in Asheville NC.  Come enjoy performances by hundreds of the Southern Appalachians' best traditional mountain musicians and dancers and celebrate the treasured cultural heritage of Western North Carolina.

Since 1928, mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, balladeers and others have come to enjoy themselves “along about sundown” the first weekend in August at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. At the  2012 Festival,  performers  will take to the stage for the 85th time in downtown Asheville at 7 PM each evening.

Tickets are for sale on-line before the event.

New Belgium Brewing Unveils Plans for Asheville Brewery

New Belgium Brewing recently unveiled their plans for their new east coast brewery, slated to open in 2015.  The facility will be located in Asheville's River Arts District and will produce up to 700,000 barrels of beer annually. 

Construction of the new production facility will include the addition of bike lanes, a beer garden and a greenway which parallels the French Broad River. Although the tasting room doors won't be open for a few years, New Belgium Brewing has already become very active in the Asheville community. They have set up a dedicated Facebook Page for their new Asheville location and have partnered with RiverLink on the popular new outdoor summer festival called RiverMUSIC.

New Downtown Information Pavilion

A new downtown visitor information pavilion is now open in Pack Square Park. Visitors can pick up a map, an Official Asheville Travel Guide and other information. The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is staffing the pavilion with volunteers to help direct visitors.

Restrooms and drinking fountains are available.  The Pavilion is a more limited version of Asheville's main Visitor Center at 36 Montford Avenue which offers a full range of brochures, attraction and tour tickets, and concierge services.

Blue Ridge Parkway Family Night Tonight

July 26, 7 PM - 8:30 PM   Blue Ridge Parkway Family Night  Join rangers at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) for a night of family fun and education. Almost all of the world’s flowering plants need to be pollinated in order to survive. Come learn more about our local pollinators, play a pollination game, and bring home your very own pollinator! Registration is required. Call (828)298-5330, ext 304 for more information and to reserve your spot.

Fridays After Five at Biltmore

Head for Biltmore's Antler Hill Village and Winery for the perfect start to your weekend.  Friday's After Five feature live music, wine and beer and fun for the kids throughout Antler Hill Village. Enjoy a delicious picnic or choose from the dinner menus at The Bistro and Cedric's Tavern. Enjoy a free wine tasting at the Winery. The whole family can join in the fun with a grape stomp at the Village Green followed by a tasty snow cone or popcorn as you watch the sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This Friday's band is No Bad Days.  Access to Antler Hill Village & Winery is included in your Biltmore admission. Passholders can bring friends to Antler Hill Village for free after 5:00 PM.

Pet Friendly Vacation Rental in Asheville

Pet Friendly Chalet close to town - 1 bedroom, 1 bath, sleeps 2. Only 3 minutes to downtown Asheville. Spotless and charming little chalet in the woods with covered porch,  WIFI, dog run and lots of peace and quiet. $125-$165 night, $625-$990 week.  See rental photos and details

Asheville's Bele Chere Festival a Top Southeast Street Festival

July 27-29   Bele Chere Festival   This lively Asheville weekend event is the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and night for 200,000 festival-goers.

Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region's finest art, cuisine and music.

Visual arts at the festival are displayed at the Art Park as well as throughout the Festival grounds.  The Arts Park features some of the best artists of Bele Chere, exhibiting jewelry, photography, pottery, woodwork, paintings, and metalwork. All items sold in the Arts Park are handmade. Visit the selected artists in the Drhumor and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington Avenue.

This year's musical line-up includes Antique Firearms, an indie rock band;  ArtOfficial, eschewing the simple magic of beat machines and samples for the irreplaceable warmth of organic instrumentation, and a meticulous care for crafting music with soul;  Baby Rattlesnakes, equal parts soulful jazz, appalachian folk, and catchy pop;  Balsalm Range, a blend of jazz - bluegrass - country and gospel;  and dozens of other original and renowned musicians.

Food and Beverages at the Festival go WAY beyond the usual over-warmed wieners. Experience Foodtopia at the Taste of Asheville in Pack Square. The Taste of Asheville features local restaurants, showcasing a sampling of some of the best cuisine in Asheville, from The Corner Kitchen and the Lobster Trap to Ultimate Ice Cream and Glam Ham Pork Rinds. Pritchard Park Food Court Vendors offer both traditional festival fare along with taste treats from the Amish Baking Co., Party in a Pita, Sherri's Crab Cakes, Steak Boys Inc., Tropical Delights and dozens more.  Beverage booths are located throughout the festival for a pause to refresh with water, soft drinks, beer and wine as well as microbrews from most of Asheville's acclaimed craft brewers.

Additional Bele Chere Festival activities include: The Purina Air Dogs;  The Kids area with a a mix of crafts, rides, and performances;  Easel Rider - Asheville’s Mobile Art Lab;  Nonprofit Booths such as Hats for Humanity;  KISS Country Karaoke to sing your favorite country song; The 33rd Bele Chere 5K hosted by the Asheville Track Club;  Asheville's Urban Trail and Public Art.

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Get FREE Admission To Great Activities!


Stay with Carolina Mornings & Enjoy
Complimentary Mountain Discovery Passes:
Reems Creek Golf Club
French Broad River Rafting
LaZoom Comedy Bus Tours

Blue Ridge Parkway Family Night 7-26-12

July 26, 7 PM - Join rangers at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) for a night of family fun and education. Almost all of the world’s flowering plants need to be pollinated in order to survive. Come learn more about the local pollinators, play a pollination game, and bring home your very own pollinator. Registration is required. Call (828)298-5330, ext 304 for more information and to reserve your spot.

Historic Pisgah Forest Pottery Open Tours Today

July 20-21  Celebration at Pisgah Forest Pottery -  Pisgah Forest was established in the early 1920s as the third pottery of Walter B. Stephen. Stephen's potting began in 1904 and he established North Carolina's first art pottery, Nonconnah, in Skyland in 1913.

Several things are remarkable about this site. It has been preserved by Stephen's step-grandson, Thomas Case, virtually as it was in the 20s and 30s. The original equipment, kilns, glaze containers, etc. are as photographed in that era. Also his contributions to American ceramics are nationally recognized. His two most important are his crystalline glazes, the first developed in the South, and his cameo decorations of American folk life scenes. On the cameo works he recalled his early days in the west near the Sioux Indians.

Free guided tours of the pottery and demonstrations of Stephens's early pottery techniques by Rodney H. Leftwich, author of the book on Pisgah Forest Pottery. .These talks will be informal and ongoing both days.

Pisgah Forest Pottery is located 3 miles south of I-26 Asheville exit 33 ( Biltmore Square Mall). Follow Hwy. 191 past the Arboretum and Parkway. Event is on the left.

National Attention for Asheville's Beer Scene

Asheville's Thriving Beer Scene Receives National Attention, as reported in the Asheville Travel Blog and described by the Asheville Visitor's Bureau:

Hop-heads in Asheville have something new to celebrate. Both Lonely Planet and The Travel Channel featured Asheville on their list of top beer destinations. Here's what they had to say... 

The Travel Channel: Top 7 Beer Destinations 

They don't call Asheville Beer City USA for the heck of it. The Southern city has 11 breweries -- and counting! Asheville's brewing community is diverse, with operations that range from the nanobrewery at the Thirsty Monk pub to the heavyweight Highland Brewing Company, the third largest brewery in the Southeast. What may be a testament to the growing beer scene here is that Sierra Nevada and New Belgium breweries will expand their East Coast expansions in Asheville later in 2012. The Best Firkin Beer Festival (named after the traditional beer cask, of course) made its debut in April 2012, and plenty other beer-centric events happen year-round. 

Lonely Planet: Brewed in the USA: Top 5 Beer Cities in America 

Situated among the lush, rolling peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, Asheville is a laid-back town where outdoor lovers and beer aficionados soak up the offerings. The city’s first brewery, Highland Brewing Company, opened in 1994, which inspired nearly a dozen followers. Today, some of the town’s best breweries include Pisgah Brewing, Wedge Brewing Co. and Green Man Brewery. Don’t miss the downtown location of the Thirsty Monk, with Belgian beers on tap downstairs and American beers on tap upstairs.

Folkmoot USA at the Diana Wortham Theatre

July 22 at the Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville - Folkmoot USA Matinee and evening performances of North Carolina's International Festival. Performers demonstrate cultural heritage through colorful, authentic and original reproduction costumes, lively dance and traditional music.

Shindig on the Green this Saturday

July 21  Shindig on the Green     Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years.
The shows take place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the nation's longest running folk festival.  Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays.

Get more Asheville events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

Downtown After 5

July 20  Downtown After 5   The Asheville Downtown Association brings together some of the best musicians in the area and throughout the Southeast. Sol Driven Train and Common Foundation perform this month. The event is held at  Lexington Avenue and I-240.

This is a "green" event featuring  biodegradable food and beverage containers, staffed compost and recycling stations, a solar-powered main stage and a complimentary bike corral hosted by Asheville On Bikes.

65th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands

July 19 - 22 in Asheville NC -   65th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands.  One of the most popular NC mountain events,  this bi-annual Fair includes over 200 exhibitors, craft demonstrations,  live regional music and entertainment in downtown Asheville's Civic Center ( now officially US Cellular Center). The event brings together state-of-the-art contemporary crafts with traditional heritage crafts.

Both levels of the Center offer artisans exhibiting and selling works of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry.  The Fair  showcases the work of members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild with members living in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama.

Al Fresco Feast at Biltmore

July 21, 5:30 PM on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC -  An evening of al fresco dining and wine brought to you by Estate Executive Chef Damien Cavicchi. The event begins with a cocktail reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and live music.The “Southern French Countryside” menu will be served at a feasting table located on a secluded vista in the Biltmore vineyards.

Tickets are $185 per person and include tax and gratuity. In the event of rain, dinner will be held on July 22, 2012. For reservations, please call (828) 257-5995.

Film Screening and Filmaker Q&A at the Asheville Art Museum

July 15, 2 PM at the Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square in Asheville NC.  The Museum hosts a special Film Screening and Filmmaker Q&A for "Sick-Amour". Filmed over the course of five years, the movie chronicles multimedia artist Joel Tauber's five-year love affair with a once-beautiful sycamore tree in the parking lot of the Pasadena Rose Bowl, and his quest to revive and protect the tree.

The Los Angeles Times describes the film stating that "[Tauber's] obsession functions as a sort of spotlight, illuminating, through a tree, our dysfunctional relationship with nature".

Tauber lives and works in Winston-Salem, NC, where he is Assistant Professor of Art in New Media at Wake Forest University. Join us for a question and answer session with Joel Tauber after this screening.

The event is FREE with Museum admission.  Learn more about the Asheville Art Museum and other Asheville attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Shindig on the Green this Saturday

July 14    Shindig on the Green     Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville NC, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. "Along about sundown" ( 7 PM - 10 PM) bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays in Asheville. 

The stage shows will take place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the nation's longest running folk festival. Concessions are provided by Okie Dokies Smokehouse and The Hop Ice Cream Cafe.

River Arts District Second Saturday

July 14   River Arts District Second Saturday  Asheville’s River Arts District Artists open their studios for a day of family friendly fun, educational experiences, live demonstrations and to share their creations. Visit dozens of artists working in all types of media, available for viewing or purchase.

Pause to refresh at a variety of River District restaurants including 12 Bones Smokehouse and the White Duck Taco Shop or quench your thirst with local brews at the Wedge Brewing Company and juice at Nourish and Flourish.

Storytelling on Asheville's Front Porch

July 14, 10:30 AM in the Rhino Courtyard at Pack Place - Stories on Asheville's Front Porch Series features Pat Stone, spinner of Jack Tales, with a special opening performance with teller VixiJill Glenn.This is a free event, open to the public.

The 2012 Festival Series, themed "Stories Whispered by a Mountain Breeze", is dedicated to the memory of Ray Hicks.

Carolina Mountain Ribfest Offers World Class Barbecue

July 13 - 14  Carolina Mountain Ribfest   The WNC  Agriculture Fairgrounds hosts the Ribfest for the 6th year. You'll find World Class professional barbecue rib vendors from across the country, plus live entertainment, amusement rides, arts and crafts and more. Enjoy mouth watering, award winning BBQ Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork and Chicken, with all the traditional side dishes.

The 3-day Festival offers old-fashioned fun for all ages including top name live entertainment daily by national, regional and local acts. A full Carnival with exciting adult and children's rides and games, The Ribfest Arts and Crafts Show, Commercial Exhibits and a Custom and Classic Car Show  on Sunday from 11 AM -3 PM.

River Music Concert Series on Friday the 13th

July 13    River Music Concert Series   Dance under the stars next to the beautiful French Broad River at Asheville's new summer concert series hosted by New Belgium Brewing and RiverLink.  The July 13 concert features  Bluegrass on the river with Sanctum Sully and special guests Bobby Miller & The Virginia Daredevils.

There will be New Belgium beer and a variety of food selections provided by your favorite Asheville  vendors with the waters of the beautiful French Broad flowing right by the stage. This is a FREE event, underwritten by sponsors.  Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the great view of the French Broad River.

The Swannanoa Gathering Begins Today at Warren Wilson College

July 8 - August 11 at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa NC - Founded in 1991, The Swannanoa Gathering is Warren Wilson College's continuing education program of summer folk arts workshops held on the campus in the Swannanoa Valley on the outskirts of Asheville.

Each week offers a different instrument and/or musical style (Traditional Song Week, Celtic Week, Old-Time Week, Guitar Week, Contemporary Folk Week, Mando & Banjo Week, Fiddle Week). Public Concerts are offered at Kittredge Theatre at 7:30 PM throughout the Gathering.

Blue Ridge Stamp and Postcard Show

July 7-8 at The Biltmore Square Mall - Blue Ridge Stamp and Postcard Show. A Trade Show for stamps and postcards including supplies for collectors. Buy - Sell - Trade or just enjoy looking. Free event.

The Big Crafty this Sunday at The Asheville Art Museum

July 8 The Big Crafty The Big Crafty returns to the Asheville Art Museum. The event celebrates and showcases the fine wares of over 100 independent indie crafters, artists and makers. The complete line up of participating artists is now available online. This is a free, family-friendly event.

In addition to the Craft Event, be sure to browse the Museum's many current exhibits. Stop by the Family Art pARTy from 1 PM to 4 PM offering Hands-on art activities for all ages.

Shindig on the Green this Saturday in Asheville

July 7  Shindig on the Green    Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays.

Asheville 4th of July Fireworks

Asheville's Ooh La La Curiosity Market this Saturday

July 7    Ooh La La Curiosity Market   An outdoor market in Pritchard Park  featuring works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters ,up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with up three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts.

The Grove Park Inn Celebrates 99th Birthday this Weekend

July 6-8   The Grove Park Inn's 99th Birthday Celebration  A one-of-a-kind birthday celebration with vintage music, complimentary cake, and a champagne toast.  Enjoy a weekend full activities including  guided tours, cooking demonstrations and lots of live music.

Get details at: The Grove Park Inn and Spa

Fireworks Display in Asheville

July 4   Ingles 4th of July Celebration in Pack Square   Enjoy live music from some of Asheville's most popular bands along with a variety of family activities. The event begins at 4 PM and concludes with an amazing fireworks display starting at at 9:30 PM.