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Tag Archives: Downtown

UPDATED Bele Chere 2011 Preparations are Underway

Bele Chere 2011 Setup for Bele Chere 2011 is officially in full swing as the downtown area prepares for the biggest festival of the year.  Here at AshevilleLiveCam, we’ll be adjusting our cameras to give you the best views of the festival as it progresses.  If you can’t be here, then you can beat the heat by sitting back and watching the festival unfold from the comfort of your own home.  If you’re coming out, then you can see how thick the crowds are and plan accordingly.  As always, we’ll still be focusing our west cam on the Westgate Bridge every so often so you can check the traffic.

We’ll be posting lots of pics of the festival, and hopefully a video or two.  We’ve got some helpful festival links on the right side of the page, including links to the official Bele Chere site (which is currently getting hammered, so it’s kind of slow), and the official street guide and entertainment schedule.  There may also be a surprise or two in the offing, but shh… can’t talk about that.

Be sure to check back often to see what we’ve got in store for you today at AshevilleLiveCam.com!

UPDATE: I’ve uploaded a large gallery of high resolution images captured this morning as the vendors were still setting up.  Check it out below.

 

[slidepress gallery=’bele-chere-2011-setup’]

Live Views of the Clinton Rally

Preparations for the Bill Clinton Rally - Asheville NCBill Clinton will be speaking today at around 12:30 PM in an effort to drum up some more voter support for Heath Shuler in the upcoming election. Asheville Live Cam is happy to bring you live streaming views of the rally, the preparations (going on now) and the aftermath. We’ve temporarily moved the East Cam to the front page, where it will remain for the rest of the day.

From the Asheville Citizen-Times:

Clinton is stumping for U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, who faces a strong challenge from Hendersonville Republican Jeff Miller in the Nov. 2 election. Hayden Rogers, Shuler’s campaign manager, said they’ve

Bele Chere 2010 Pix

Well, events conspired against me and I didn’t get out to Bele Chere as much as I’d planned. Then when I did get out there I had a bit of a camera malfunction, so I didn’t get as many pictures and videos as I’d hoped. Overall, the festival seemed to be a pretty good one, and while I was out there I had lots of fun. Here is a small gallery of the pix I was able to get and some that my boys took. Some are from Friday and some are from Saturday:

Bele Chere 2010 Street Jugglers

The video below is one I caught while strolling around Bele Chere on Saturday evening. These guys were very entertaining. I didn’t catch their name, but they posted a response to the YouTube video and let me know they are “Forty Fingers and a Missing Tooth”, which is an awesome name guys! You rocked!

[SWF]http://www.youtube.com/v/T_0f6M99NOQ,560,340[/SWF]

Here’s another short clip of them. I caught this just as I was walking up.

[SWF]http://www.youtube.com/v/I0b4R-jIXEo,560,340[/SWF]

AshevilleLive's Faves: Best Downtown Eatery

Green Man Porter and Harmony Bowl at Laughing ...
Image by Complicated via Flickr

The votes are in and Asheville has spoken! Your favorite downtown restaurant is Laughing Seed Cafe. This poll was very interesting, because Laughing Seed started out running away with the vote, but it looked at the end like it might be overtaken by Mela Indian Restaurant. The vote broke down like this:

Laughing Seed Cafe: 30%
An exclusively vegetarian and vegan restaurant located on Wall Street, the Laughing Seed has been serving up delectable healthy food here in Asheville for as long as I can remember. Most of their menu items come in vegan options, and many even come gluten-free. I have eaten there many times, and their Low Country Rollups are a staple of my diet. I’m no vegetarian, but I can tell you that you don’t have to be to enjoy what Laughing Seed has to offer. In fact, unless you’re paying attention, you probably won’t even notice that there’s no meat on your plate! Not the least expensive restaurant on our list, but certainly among the most delicious, in my own humble opinion.

Mela Indian Restaurant: 26%
Mela’s is one of the places on our list that I have never been to, but judging from the response to the poll, I will be checking it out soon. Since I’ve never been there personally, I can’t really review it, so I’ll just leave this snippet from the New York Times (yes, that New York Times):
“This sumptuous ethnic hideaway blends imported spices with local ingredients. The dark, wood-paneled space of the Indian restaurant draws a mixed crowd with dishes like Chowpatty ragada, potato patties topped with curried chickpeas, tamarind yogurt and mint chutney, and shrimp bhuna, cooked with ginger, tomatoes and green chilies. Wash it down with a Chimay beer, brewed by Belgian Trappist monks, or a glass of Champalou Vouvray. After 10, dining tables are cleared to make way for a salsa club.”

Doc Chey’s Noodle House: 20%
Doc Chey’s serves an outstanding mix of Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Indian dishes. If you like it spicy, you’ll love Doc Chey’s, although they have plenty for the more delicate palate as well. Doc Chey’s has been a local favorite since they opened their Asheville location several years ago. They use primarily locally grown ingredients, and the things they do with them will make your mouth water. Many of their dishes are vegetarian or can be prepared that way on request. From their site: “Our approach to food is simple

David Holt and the Lightning Bolts at Diana Wortham Theater

David Holt at Bele ChereDavid Holt and the Lightning Bolts will be playing at the Diana Wortham Theater, Saturday, March 27, at 8 PM. With college degrees in biology, art and elementary education, you might not be surprised to find that David Holt, 4 time Grammy winner, is a modern Renaissance Man. He plays 15 instruments, including the paper bag, and is known as a storyteller, historian, and entertainer. He founded the Appalachian Music Program at Warren Wilson College, and has traveled the world for the US State Department as a musical ambassador. He and his band will be a treat to listen to Saturday night with, among other things, a good selection of the old fashioned banjo, his favorite instrument.

AshevilleLive's Faves: Vote Now for Fave Downtown Eatery

This is actually Tom's Restaurant, NYC. Famous...
Image via Wikipedia

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