July 24th will mark the start of Asheville's 31st annual 'Bele Chere' Music and Art Festival and the influx of 350,000 estimated festival-goers. According to their website, "The festival features four stages of free- live music and an impressive array of arts and crafts; as well as entertainment and activities for children. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains of Western North Carolina- come join us for one of the Southeast's largest free outdoor street festivals."
Though still a couple of months away, here at AshevilleLive we are keeping this festival on our radar and plan on bringing you a series of reports ranging from exciting events to see and participate in, to some of the changes being made for 2009. One of the additions to this year's festival will be a "battle of the bands-style contest" conducted in conjunction with WNC Magazine and the Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department called "Last Band Standing: Road to Bele Chere 2009".
Other events we'll be keeping an eye on include the 30th Annual Bele Chere 5k, the Lexington Avenue Drumming Tent, and Rashad McCant's "Shoot for the Cure", in which one lucky festival-goer will have a chance to win $10,000 with proceeds benefiting breast cancer research.
So stay tuned to AshevilleLive for upcoming reports with more information on how to maximize your fun at the largest street festival in the southeastern United States.
Just around the corner and its time for the Montford Music & Arts Festival. Come out and witness Montford come to life. Bring the kids, comfy shoes and be ready to enjoy some great music and good times. There are going to be some great performers at this year’s event, including; Snake Oil Medicine Show, Pure Fiyah Reggae Band, the Good Ole Boys, Westsound and more, so do not miss it!
You will also find incredible local pottery, jewelry, fabric arts, hand carved wood, and amazing paintings. Have some fun and help paint the community mural, get a massage, and buy some fresh plants for your garden. Do not forget to bring your appetite, you’ll discover Jamaican Pasta, Greek Cuisine, and a sampling of Thai Foods as well.
This street festival, including musical acts and a juried art show, highlight the artistic strength of one of Asheville’s oldest neighborhoods. Celebrating its sixth anniversary, this festival is free to the public, and sponsored by the Montford Neighborhood Association. For more information, call or email Sharon Fahrer at 828-777-1014 or Ben Scales at 828-225-4840 for directions or more info.
Montford Music & Arts Festival Schedule: 10:00 Tater Diggers 11:00 Kon Tiki12:00 Ira Bernstein & John Herrmann 1:00 Vollie McKenzie & the Lead-Foot Vipers 2:00 WestSound 3:15 Good Old Boyz 4:45 Snake Oil Medicine Show 6:15 Pure Fiyah Reggae Band
Plus, the Mountain Dragon Lion Dance Troupe will perform complete with gongs, drums, and a spectacular display of martial arts; Hoop dancing; and Morris Dance by Asheville Morris Men and Ash Grove Garland, featuring a Maypole celebration at around 1:00p.m.
Come on out to Hot Springs this weekend for the 12th annual French Broad River Festival. Three days of absolute magic. The line up is going to make for a great festival. Reverend Horton Heat, Acoustic Syndicate, Larry Keel and the Natural Bridge, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Josh Phillips and the Folk Festival and Jen and the Juice are just a few of the musicians performing. And with this weather, is there any place better to be than in Hot Springs.
You will also be able to shop for some really good outdoor gear at the Silent Auction or with the vendors. There will also be a raffle so bring some cash for the Live Auction too. And if you are up for it, join one of the races. The “Paddle with the Pros,” the 12th Annual French Broad River Raft Race or the 5th Annual FBRF Mountain Bike Race. If you are not up for the race, you can enjoy the excitement as a spectator.
The festival crew is requesting everyone carpool to cut down on waste as well as save as much room for camping. There will be a $10 charge for all vehicles that you will get back if you park at the farther lot once you unload your car. The weekend is sure to be a great time, I hope to see you there.
Dining Out for Life in Asheville NC is a fabulous fundraiser. Take a moment to plan your meals out and you’ll see this is an “easy way to make a meaningful contribution without spending more than you normally would each meal. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner at participating restaurants today, April 30th and help in the fight against HIV and AIDS.”
Dining Out For Life® is an annual fund raising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. In exchange for their financial support, restaurants are listed in a city wide marketing campaign in an effort to increase customer traffic.
More than 3,500 restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds from this one special night of dining to the licensed agency in their city. Nearly $4 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of agencies throughout North America. With the exception of the annual licensing fee of $600, all money raised in these cities stays there.
Please help us continue our Education and Prevention services throughout WNC and insure that no one faces HIV alone by dining out for breakfast, lunch or dinner at over 85 fine restaurants. It is the most satisfying meal you will ever eat!
Chicken Coops in the city? But of course, where else would we be able to find delicious fresh local eggs in such abundance.
On first thought you may not envision Urban Chickens, however in Asheville it’s becoming a popular hobby. Especially with the help of Asheville City Chickens, and their proposed changes to Asheville’s Animal Control Ordinance, these fresh local eggs may be right next door or in your own backyard before you know it.
Asheville City Chickens is a diverse group of Asheville residents dedicated to awareness, advocacy, and education concerning urban chickens in Asheville. We believe that responsible urban chicken ownership can be part of sustainable urban agriculture and can lend Asheville residents more control over their food sources.
On April 28th the Asheville City Council meeting will discuss the Animal Control Ordinance. With any luck it will soon be easier for people to keep backyard chickens. Asheville City Chickens helps teach Asheville residents responsible practices for raising these animals in an urban setting, complete with an emphasis on positive neighbor and community relations.
Just as I was looking at our tomato starts in the kitchen this morning, I realized I had very little seeds in the herb department. I really want to plant a medicine herb garden and culinary herb garden. Then I realized it’s almost time for the Asheville Herb Festival. What a great way to celebrate spring and her wonders.
“Our 20th annual festival will take place May 1-3, 2009 at the WNC Farmers Market in Asheville, offering by far the best selection of herb plants in the southeast.
The WNC Chapter of the NC Herb Association represents the incredibly wide variety of herbalists and herb businesses in North Carolina: herb growers and vendors, natural gardening and landscaping specialists, and makers of herbal ointments, balms, soaps, teas, medicines, and other products. We hope you’ll join us and more than 25,000 other herb lovers when we celebrate the 20th annual Asheville Herb Festival May 1, 2, & 3, 2009, at the WNC Farmers Market.
This year, herb lovers from across the Southeast took advantage of some of the best herbs, plants, products, literature, and herb talk in the southeast. Many visitors were excited to learn that many of the most popular herbs, having developed around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, are drought-tolerant.”
Come on out and share in the green plants. Get your garden hooked up with all the best from this year’s herb festival. We’ll see you there.
Come one come all; have some healthy, family fun at Martin Luther King Park today, Saturday April 18th
Join us for the Second Annual AED: Asheville’s Earth Day Celebration! Just Announced: the fabulous musical line up; Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Laura Reed & Deep Pocket, Zach Deputy, Jen and the Juice! It’s going to be a great day!
This FREE, all day event is focused on providing a fun, entertaining setting to educate and promote conscious awareness and green living for the families and individuals of the Asheville community. The mission of Asheville Earth Day is to provide a FREE activity for people of all ages and backgrounds of the Asheville community, gathering to educate and celebrate that every person can make a difference for environmental change. And together we can make a difference globally. Asheville has long been known for its music and beautiful scenery…BUT more importantly, for its eclectic, environmentally conscious, health oriented citizens and community.
Earth Day Event Overview: Fun full day celebration, of environmentally conscious individuals and families gathering together in support of healthy living and community collaboration of effective “green practices. The Eco-Village will highlight Asheville’s numerous Earth Friendly businesses and local non-profit organizations. A Kids-Village will be encouraging environmental awareness for children and young adults, including fun activities and games that focus on “Living Green”
"AED is fun for children and their parents at the 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration!! While wonderful music fills our ears and moves our feet let's play and celebrate our planet. Activities include face painting, clay sculpture, field day games, and arts and crafts out of recycled materials. The showcase "re-creation" will be a big sized bug to help us catch the bug of less human impact on the Earth and will be in a skit the children create with adult help. So bring recyclables from your home. For instance if you have alot of tupperware lids with no container bring those? Got alot of empty egg cartons? You get the drift. Come out and ENJOY!" --- Kids Area Management
You will not want to miss this fun family event, starting at 10:00am today, Saturday April 18th at Martin Luther King Park. Also check out Asheville’s Earth Day after party at Stella Blue. I look forward to see lots of you there this year!
No matter what else you have going on, take some time this week to dye a few Easter Eggs.
Thanks to the numerous farmers nearby and the Asheville City Chicken movement, it should be easy to find some inexpensive fresh local eggs.
Keeping with the healthy theme this Easter, here are some great organic Easter Egg coloring recipes:
Crush ingredients and Boil in water for ~5 minutes: (the longer eggs remain in dye the brighter the colors will be)
Orange: Paprika Dark Orange: Chili Powder Yellow: Orange/Lemon Peels, Shredded Carrots, Onion Skins, Cumin, Curry Powder, Turmeric Blue: Blue Berries, Blackberries, Grape Juice Green: Try spinach, Kale Red: Organic Rose Hips Tea or Pomegranate Juice Brown: Organic Coffee grounds or Used Tea Bags Pink: Fresh Organic Beets or Cranberries Lavender: grape juice + lemon juice + red onion skins
For the regular food coloring method, try these Easter Recipes for more exotic coloring. Following each color listed below, add the number of drops of each food coloring to about 2 - 4 ounces of vinegar for dipping:
Lime - 24 yellow, 4 green Purple - 15 blue, 5 red Cantaloupe - 24 yellow, 2 red Jade - 17 green, 3 blue Plum - 10 red, 4 blue Spearmint - 12 green, 6 yellow, 2 blue Raspberry - 14 red, 6 blue Maize - 24 yellow, 1 red Watermelon - 25 red, 2 blue Teal - 15 green, 5 blue Grape - 17 blue, 3 red Fuchsia - 18 red, 2 blue Orange Sunset - 17 yellow, 3 red Jungle Green - 14 green, 6 yellow
Have fun and snap a few photos of your Easter Egg Masterpiece! I'd love to see how they turn out.
Local honey is not only sustainable and environmentally positive in supporting local lovers of nature it is also best for you. It’s true, indulging in local honey is one of the best things you can do for your allergies. It makes perfect sense; it’s becoming immunized to the pollen in your area.
We are lucky enough to live in Haw Creek and enjoy honey from the blossoms around us. Haw Creek Honey is an Asheville favorite. Greg Rogers, better known as the Honey Man, is friend to the bees and delivers the most delicious honey I’ve ever had.
From blackberry to wild flower or my all time favorite Sourwood, you can take your choice in flavors. You can purchase bottles of Haw Creek Honey at all the local health food grocers, such as GreenLife, the French Brood Co’op, and Earth Fare. Or you can go straight to the source and get honey from the Honey Man himself.
To find the sweet spot, turn into Haw Creek, take a right onto New Haw Creek Rd and just before you turn to go to Evergreen or the East Asheville Recreation Club, turn right onto Graham Rd. Yes it’s true, you will find the honey pot overflowing on Graham Road, the address is 15 Graham Rd. or you can call 298-7639.
Organic Shopping is EASY in Asheville with all our choices. Of course Earth Fare is stocked with organic produce, specialty cheeses, free range meats along with all your herbal supplements, dried and bulk herbs, and homeopathics. Both stores have a huge selection as well as delicious deli food ready to take or dine in. And now with the South Asheville store in Hendersonville Rd. there is another location along with the one in Westgate shopping center in West Asheville.
If you are in the north side, GreenLife has everything you need whether it’s a full shopping trip or a healthy lunch on the go. And how do you always run into everyone you know while shopping there, the store has its own gravity field it seems and eventually pulls us all in. GreenLife’s organic and local selection is as broad as Earth Fare’s and don’t forget to bring your own bag!
The French Broad Co-op is an easy stop for shoppers downtown. Fresh organic produce, yummy snacks, bulk items and all your herbal supplements and teas, the Co-op is surprisingly well stocked for its small size. For those of us who end up running form one side of the store to the next the Co-op is a nice relief, there everything you need is within a few foot steps reach.
The Corner Market in the Grove Arcade also has a fair selection of organic and healthy choices. Adjacent to the Fresh Quarter, the fruit and veggie stand which has local small farm produce for very reasonable prices. Wherever you around town there’s sure to be organic healthy food just around the corner.….
Today, the Hop Ice Cream Café will be kicking off soccer season with a sweet deal. The local owners Greg and Ashley Garrison will be giving 20% of today’s sales to ABYSA, (Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association.) That’s right 20%! That’s not all, they are also holding a drawing for a FREE 9” custom made ice cream cake.
”As owners of the Hop, we love to see locals supporting locals. In tough economic times, local businesses and organizations feel the pressure just as much or more than national groups. We believe that by teaming up with ABYSA we can not only raise awareness about our business, a locally owned and operated store for over 30 years, but also support a program that keeps kids active and involved in the community. So join us for cool treats, hot drinks, and fun at the Hop for the ABYSA fundraiser!”
The Hop makes all their ice cream from scratch in the store with natural ingredients. For those who can’t partake in the delicious mocha ice cream and world of other flavors, they also serve lactose free alternatives made with soy. Surprise the kids with ice cream after school today and feel good about supporting your community. I may see you there!
Evergreen Charter Community School’s 6th annual CAFÉ is March 7th 7:30 pm at the Haywood Park Hotel Ballroom. Evergreen celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and is going all out with a spectacular line up of musicians, artists and food. Caring Artists For Evergreen is a fun-filled fundraising event.
The silent auction is an impressive display of local artist’s finest work, from oil paintings to ceramics, there is something that will strike everyone’s fancy. The musical guests this year is an incredible line up of local bands. Woody Wood (Hollywood Red) and Je Widenhouse (Squirrel Nut Zippers and Firecracker Jazz Band) and other members of the Mad Tea Party, Firecracker Jazz Band and the Snake Oil Medicine Show. This collection of talent will have everyone dancing all night.
Of course all proceeds go to Evergreen Charter Community School. The event is open to the public, general admission tickets are $25, $30 at the door, so plan ahead. You can purchase tickets on the school website at www.evergreenccs.org or by calling Evergreen at 298-2173.
The Asheville City Market is an initiative by Buncombe County Cooperative Extension and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). This market plans to host 50-100 Vendors selling produce, meats and an array of products in the parking lot of the Asheville Public Works building on South Charlotte St. Sat. 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
There are so many wonderful tailgate markets in Asheville during season you barely have to go the store. Take your pick or cruise them all and discover your community and connect with the people growing your food and sharing these mountains.
The French Broad Food Coop Downtown Market on Saturday Mornings since 1990 has been voted Asheville’s best tailgate market for over five years. From organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers to local honey, goat cheese, free range eggs, locally raised meats. Enjoy some baked treats as you shop and enjoy. 76 Biltmore Ave. Saturdays 8:00 AM- 1:00PM, Wednesdays 2:00 PM-6:30PM. Starting in late April.
Chicken Coops in the city? But of course, where else would we be able to find delicious fresh local eggs in such abundance. 
No matter what else you have going on, take some time this week to dye a few Easter Eggs. 
Local honey is not only sustainable and environmentally positive in supporting local lovers of nature it is also best for you. It’s true, indulging in local honey is one of the best things you can do for your allergies. It makes perfect sense; it’s becoming immunized to the pollen in your area. 
Today, the Hop Ice Cream Café will be kicking off soccer season with a sweet deal. The local owners Greg and Ashley Garrison will be giving 20% of today’s sales to ABYSA, (Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association.) That’s right 20%! That’s not all, they are also holding a drawing for a FREE 9” custom made ice cream cake.
