Asheville Brewing Company Announces New Release and Harry Potter Fest

Asheville Brewing Co., 1050 Hendersonville Road, now has Bavarian Rhapsody ~ On Tap.  Bavarian Rhapsody is a refreshing take on a traditional German Berliner weisse. IBU: 10 ABV: 4% Malts: Pale, Wheat Hops: Liberty.

Don't miss this week's movies, July 30 - August 6:

• Pitch Perfect 2 
• MadMax 3D 
• Spy 
• ALL 8 Harry Potter Films (Wednesday and Thursday)

And from the kitchen:
Offering Special Harry Potter menu items, through Thursday (July 30th), at the 675 Merrimon Ave. location.

• Molly's Beef Stew 
• Huffle Puff Pastries 
• Harry's Fried Tomatoes 
• Chinese Fireball Pizza 
• Magical Meatball Sandwich 
• Butter Beer 

will be available during the Harry Potter Fest.

NEW Asheville Arts Festival this Weekend

August 1 - 2, 2015     First Annual LEAF Downtown AVL   Celebrate community, creativity, diversity, and family in the heart of downtown Asheville in Pack Square Park. Enjoy two days filled with music, art, workshops, great food and drinks and a variety of family activities all with an emphasis on local talent. 

Event hours are 8/1, Noon - 10 PM and 8/2 10 AM - 6 PM. The 5K LEAF Art Dash begins at 9 AM and travels through downtown and surrounding areas while roaming artists perform on the sidelines. 

LEAF Community Arts (LEAF), a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization is comprised of LEAF Festival, LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International. In 2013,  the name Lake Eden Arts Festival was archived, honoring the history and recognizing LEAF arts education programs extend beyond the LEAF Festival.

LEAF connects cultures and creates community through music and arts. Since 2004, LEAF has served more than 42,000 youth in the Asheville Area and 10 international countries. In 2015, LEAF launched two inaugural programs – LEAF Downtown AVL and LEAF Local Events in order to further expand its mission to connect cultures and create community in the greater Asheville area.

Find more Asheville weekend events and festivals on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Weekend Asheville Craft Shows: Annual Village Art and Craft Fair

August 1 - 2, 2015   Annual Village Art and Craft Fair   Held on the grounds of All Souls Cathedral in Biltmore Village this year's Fair, the 42nd,  will include 120 juried exhibitors, making it one of the highest quality outdoor show of the year.  

View and shop for all types of fine art and crafts including ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry and more. Hours are Saturday 10 AM - 7 PM and Sunday 12 PM - 5 PM. Hosted by New Morning Gallery and Bellagio. 

Learn more about Asheville craft shows, art and craft shops and art galleries and museums on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide. 

 

The Get Right Band Performs in Pritchard Park this Week

July 30, 2015   Homegrown in Pritchard Park    This concert features The Get Right Band.  Free performances by local singer/songwriters each Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville NC. Held from 6 PM - 8 PM and sponsored by 98.1 The River radio station.

Guitar Week and Contemporary Folk Week Begins Today at The Swanannoa Gathering

July 26 - August 1, 2015    Swanannoa Gathering - Guitar Week and Contemporary Folk Week  One of the finest programs of its kind anywhere, staffed by some of the world’s best players and instructors.  New instructors this year include Clive Carroll, Dakota Dave Hull, Bill Cooley, Allen Shadd, Jonathan Brown and Josh Goforth. 

Classes are offered in a wide variety of styles ranging from Celtic and bossa nova to jazz and blues.  Contemporary Folk Week celebrates23 years with a Gathering of another group of great artist/instructors offering a wide variety of classes designed to put music back where it belongs – in the hands of the mountain music lovers.

The last week of the Swanannoa Gathering, Banjo Week, Begins on August 2.

The Gathering is held at Warren Wilson College,  7011 Warren Wilson Rd in Swannanoa NC, located between Asheville and Black Mountain NC. Warren Wilson is the country’s only liberal arts college with a national student body and integrated work and service programs.

 

Homebrew Workshop in Asheville

July 28, 2015 from 6 - 7 PM at Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC: Free homebrew workshop "Recipe Formulation"   Come learn how to put together your own homebrew recipes, and get a better understanding of the hundreds ingredients available in the homebrew market and how to use them to make your perfect beer.

The workshop will be presented by owner Alex Buerckholtz and it's FREE.

Tickets Now Available for The 9th Annual Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival

Buy your tickets NOW for The 9th Annual Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival held this year August 12 - 15, 2015. Over 50 comedians will do their best to make you laugh your Asheville off during this popular four day festival.  GET TICKETS HERE.

Performances will kickoff at The Highlands Brewing Company on Thursday and continue at the Diana Wortham Theatre for the remainder of the Festival. Laugh Your Asheville Off was recently praised in an article by Paste Magazine naming the festival as one of the top 5 must-see comedy festivals this summer.

The Compleat Naturalist Hosts FREE Program About Bats

Friday, July 24, 6:30 - 8:30 PM at The Compleat Naturalist, 2 Brook Street, Historic Biltmore Village in Asheville NC:  Bats! An Evening with Tanya Poole, NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

photo courtesy of Compleat Naturalist

This event is FREE and open to the public. Tanya Poole of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission will present an informal program on bats. If you want to learn more about them, and also find out about the current status of white-nosed syndrome, the fungal disease that has diminished many bat populations to alarmingly low levels, then this is a program you shouldn't miss. Also find out what you can do to help ensure their survival in your own neighborhood.

Light refreshments and beverages will be provided. The presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 PM, and will last about 30 minutes, followed by questions.

Please RSVP by email (info@compleatnaturalist.com) or phone (828-274-5430), or you may sign up through the Meetup Group at http://www.meetup.com/Compleat-Naturalist-Meetup-Group.

Biltmore on Schedule to Open New On Site Hotel this Year

By the end of 2015 Biltmore will open its new Village Hotel offering visitors another convenient way to enjoy the Estate's many activities and adventures.

Nestled in Antler Hill Village just steps from the Winery, Village Hotel occupies a central-to-everything location near quilt-like farm fields that stretch along the banks of the French Broad River. Stay here to be close to shopping, dining, exhibits, and an exciting range of outdoor activities.

Village Rooms will offer a charming window seat, one king bed or two double beds, 400 thread count linens, walk-in shower, refrigerator, Keurig coffee maker, 42-inch plasma television, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and an in-room safe.

Village Suites will have 700 square feet of space featuring one king bed, conversational seating, sofa bed, 400 thread count linens, walk-in shower and bath tub, refrigerator, Keurig coffee maker, 42-inch plasma television, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and an in-room safe.

Hotel amenities include:

• Fitness center
• Outdoor pool (open seasonally)
• Access to The Spa at Inn on Biltmore Estate
• Computer and printer access
• Complimentary wireless internet access
• Complimentary self-parking
• Complimentary estate shuttle service

Bookings are being accepted now with an anticipated Hotel opening near the end of 2015.

SAVE ON BILTMORE TICKETS NOW! 

Purchase your tickets online and save $10 plus youth are FREE through Labor day. 

CLICK HERE to buy Biltmore tickets online

In summertime, Biltmore is truly a place for the entire family to gather.  There are so many activities to enjoy together - paddle boarding, biking, Segway tours,horseback riding,  live music, and more.

Get Tickets Now for Asheville's Feasting for FEAST

 GET TICKETS HERE

Feasting for FEAST 2015 

The Asheville Scene presents the 5th Annual Feasting for FEAST on Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 6:00 - 9:00pm at The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Asheville NC. 

Tickets for this all inclusive event are $35 in advance ($40 on the day of), and include local food, Biltmore Wine and a FEAST beer brewed specifically for the event. “It’s a great way to try out a lot of our top chefs in one place, while supporting a good cause,” emphasizes FEAST Executive Director Kate Justen. 

This years participating restaurants: All Souls Pizza, Blue Dream Curry, Chai Pani, Cucina 24, Cúrate/Nightbell, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Gan Shan Station, King Daddy’s, Laughing Seed, Renaissance Asheville, Rhubarb, Sunny Point Cafe, West End Bakery, Westville Pub and Wholefoods.  Silent Auction and Raffle Baskets with items from: The Biltmore Estate, The Grove Park Inn, Asheville Adventures, ALOFT Hotel, LaZoom, REI, Diamond Brand and more… Special Thanks to Our Amazing Sponsors: The Asheville Scene Mission Children’s Hospital Navitat Canopy Adventures Goldenwood Financial The Leitner Family The Schmidlin Family Town and Mountain Realty Asheville Pediatric Dentistry Lizzaralde Insurance Agency Green Home Cleaning Optix Eyecare Travis Calhoun Great Beginnings Dentistry.

Shindig on the Green this Saturday in Asheville

July 18, 2015  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. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays. 

Performances include Long-standing house band The Stoney Creek Boys Bluegrass and Old-Time String Bands, Big Circle Mountain Dancers, Clog Dancers, Smooth Dancers, Ballad Singers and Storytellers. If you love old time Mountain music and Bluegrass this is the place to be

Asheville's Ooh La La Curiosity Market a Favorite Outdoor Art and Crafts Market

July 18, 2015    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 to three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts. 

 Learn more about Asheville NC craft shows on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Downtown After Five Live Concert in Asheville NC this Friday

July 17, 2015    Downtown After Five   Free live music entertainment in downtown Asheville NC.  The celebration is every third Friday, May through September, with the goal of encouraging locals and visitors to enjoy downtown Asheville and support local businesses and entertainers.  

The event is located on North Lexington Avenue (between Hiawassee and the I-240 overpass). Food and beer vendors will be available.

Asheville Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands this Weekend

July 16 - 19, 2015   Semi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands   Over 200 exhibitors, craft demonstrations, and live regional music and entertainment bring Asheville's Civic (US Cellular) Center alive with fine traditional and contemporary 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. 

This is one of the premier Asheville art and crafts event of the year.

 

Homegrown in Pritchard Park features Jeff Thompson

July 16, 2015     Homegrown in Pritchard Park  This performance features Jeff Thompson.  Free performances by local singer/songwriters each Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville NC. Held from 6 PM - 8 PM and sponsored by 98.1 The River radio station.

Shindig on the Green In Downtown Asheville

July 11, 2015   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. 

Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays. Performances include Long-standing house band The Stoney Creek Boys Bluegrass and Old-Time String Bands, Big Circle Mountain Dancers, Clog Dancers, Smooth Dancers, Ballad Singers and Storytellers. If you love old time Mountain music and Bluegrass this is the place to be.

Asheville NC FREE Concerts: Homegrown in Pritchard Park

July 2, 2015   Homegrown in Pritchard Park   This performance features Jeff Santiago.  Free performances by local singer/songwriters each Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. 

Held from 6 PM - 8 PM and sponsored by 98.1 The River radio station.

FInd links for more local entertainment on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.