LEAF Downtown Returns to Asheville NC this Weekend

July 30 - 31, 2016     Annual LEAF Downtown AVL   Celebrate community, creativity, diversity, and family in the heart of downtown Asheville NC 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. 

photo courtesy of LEAF

LEAF Downtown AVL celebrates music, art and culture presenting a powerful “Soultown” theme bringing the very best soul, funk, R&B and world music talent to one and ALL – for FREE! Get ready for a fully immersive experience, welcoming families and all walks of life to gather as one community in rhis beautiful mountain city. LEAF Downtown AVL will feature a wealth of community partner programming including the return of the Voices of Asheville tent, dozens of family activities, three stages featuring local, regional and national talent, 80+ local culinary and craft arts vendors curated in part by Asheville Grown, roaming performers galore, a one-of-a-kind VIP experience and the second annual LEAF Art Dash 5K.

 

Celebrate the French Broad River at Riverfest

August 11, 1 PM - 7 PM  RiverFest 2012   Celebrate the French Broad River with an exciting lineup of music with Asheville's own Nikki Talley leading off the afternoon, followed by Mountain Feist, and RiverFest 2012 headliner The Galen Kipar Project. There will also be kids activities, food, beer, crafts, and of course, the Anything That Floats Parade of rafts.

Anything That Floats Parade Teams of adults and/or youths build anything that floats without a motor with creativity, innovation and zaniness are encouraged. Rafts can represent a business, organization, group, or any personal theme. The parade begins at Hominy Creek Park and finishes at Jean Webb Park. The home-made crafts will be competing for the titles of Most Creative, Green Machine, Ugliest, Funniest, and Most Unique Design.

Get more information about the French Broad River and Asheville attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

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.