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Asheville Posts

Bele Chere 2011 Closes In On Asheville Streets

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Bele Chere 2011 FlyerHold onto your hats Asheville. If you think that the summer has been hot so far—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

In less than two weeks, the City of Asheville, the Bele Chere Board of Directors, and an eclectic army of supporters dedicated to continuing the tradition of “beautiful living” here in North Carolina, will descend on the downtown area to launch the 33rd Annual Bele Chere Festival. The Festival, which was first held back in 1979 on a patch of land that spanned about three city blocks, has now grown into the largest street festival of its kind in the southeast, drawing well over a quarter million visitors each summer—and consuming every available inch of Asheville’s central business district for the better part of three days.

Over the course of the event—which will officially kick-off at 12pm on Friday, July 29th and wrap-up at 6pm on Sunday, July 31st—a wide variety of musicians, artists, vendors, and “home folk” will gather to celebrate the special ingredient that has helped to make Asheville great: its people. And true to the spirit of southern hospitality, Bele Chere’s organizers will ensure that there is something fun for everyone:

Children and Youth. For the littles, the Arena Level of the Asheville Civic Center will be transformed into an alcohol-free Children’s Area featuring free crafts, children’s performances, and ticketed rides.

Music Aficionados. Love music? No problem. The Festival will host more than 40 bands representing diverse lyrical traditions including Rock & Roll, R & B, Bluegrass, Top 40, and Gospel.

The Artistic. Consider yourself crafty? Great! Visit Bele Chere and greet some of the most skilled artisans from across the nation as they show and sell high-quality works in metal, fabric, paint, and other popular mediums.

Silver Foxes. Who says that young people should have all the fun? Join Asheville’s “young at heart” at the Bele Chere Senior Oasis as they enjoy all of the same fun as the younger set—and maybe more—in a cozy, air-conditioned venue.

So whether you’re a swinging single, married with children, a forward-thinking elder, or somewhere in between, plan to join the fun at this year’s Bele Chere Festival. After all, you’ve only got one life to live. Why not make it beautiful?

Asheville, NC Claims “Beer City” Title In 2011 Again!

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Asheville beerOnce again, Asheville has managed to climb to the top of the charts for beer production. It just seems that no one else can seem to catch up as far as the Beer City title is concerned. This is the third year that Asheville has won this coveted award, taking it with over seven thousand votes and blowing away the competition. Cities like Portland and St. Louis were in the running, but no one could come close to Asheville. It really is the very best place to go if you want to find great beer and a town with under one hundred thousand people that has gathered around the beer industry.

Now, it is important to note that winning the Beer City award is not something that a city can do just by producing a lot of product. If that were the case, St. Louis, with the main Budweiser plant, would be much farther up the list. This is about producing the best product, the beer that people actually want to buy. It is about small-town brewers who want nothing but to craft top-notch styles of beer that perhaps only sell to a few thousand people. They are not looking to make it big; they are looking at their brewing efforts as a form of art.

This is an idea that Asheville has embraced on all fronts, not just that of beer. The downtown district is full of little shops that are locally owned. The money that goes into the city’s economy tends to stay in the city’s economy. Everything is done in Asheville with a distinct sense of identity and pride. The people who live and work in the city want to show the world who they are, but they want to be true to who they are without absorbing everything from the rest of the world. This is true in their restaurants, their produce markets, and their breweries.

In Asheville, there are many different kinds of beer to be had. Those who are used to drinking the same generic lagers day after day will be shocked to find how many choices they have. The beauty of this is that no two Asheville beers are quite the same. A brown ale made by one company is going to be different than a brown ale made by another. Everyone wants to put their own spin on the beer that they are making. They know that this creates small niches for different beers, but they love this individualism.

What this has led to in Asheville is a town that rallies around itself. The people of Asheville are proud of what they have accomplished. They are proud of what they have and what they have done. They all seem to support this small-town mentality, this close-knit tightness that is not often found in a town with eighty thousand people. The beer is just an offshoot of this mentality, one more way that they can come together and create, and what a wonderful offshoot it is.

{Re}Happening 2011 :: Black Mountain, NC

Friday, April 8th, 2011

ReHappening 2011

This Saturday, the former Black Mountain College campus at Lake Eden will be revisited by a gathering of creative minds and bodies to share their work and inspire others. The second annual {Re}Happening will feature performances and installations from artists working in a variety of mediums, including sculptural video installation, to interactive sculpture, and multimedia-based performances. Tickets for the opening dinner are sold out, but after-dinner tickets are still available. Come out and enjoy a fantastic evening of art and inspiration!

Asheville Claims Top Travel Destination In 2011

Monday, January 31st, 2011
Grove Arcade, Asheville, NC

Asheville, North Carolina has been selected as the top travel destination of 2011. Not only are the new locals proud to say they are recent transplants to the area, but tourism is up across the city. Recently given the title of “Beer City USA“, Asheville is host to several award-winning microbreweries, which can be found throughout the city. If beer-tasting is not for you, visit a few of the 30 art galleries and numerous music venues. Whether you enjoy the classics or prefer a more modern sound, you will find just the scene you are looking for.

Asheville offers guests a choice of hotels to fit any personality. Whether you are staying one night or one week, a great time to visit is fall when the leaves are turning and the scenery is full of color. It is no wonder that more than one published author and several Presidents have all had the chance to visit this scenic spot. This city seems to work as an inspiration piece for those who call it home, or those just passing through.

Along with the modern brews and music of Asheville, you can dip into the rich history that surrounds the city. History buffs travel from miles to investigate and marvel at the architecture and the stories behind it. Take advantage of the historic trolley tours or perhaps the urban trail which boasts 30 stops which tell the tale of a particular moment in Asheville history.

Traveling with family? Asheville offers a host of activities that the whole family will enjoy. Depending on the season, you can find outdoor activities in or around the water, or perhaps a museum to enjoy if the weather calls for it. Taking a trip with someone special? Check out one of the many spas in Asheville that offer a day of relaxation for you and your partner. There are endless options when it comes to deciding how to spend your day in Asheville. There is so much to do, no matter the company. Take some time to consider all of the options or just head out and see where the city takes you.

Asheville’s River Arts District Welcomes Walk Ins

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

River Arts DistrictAsheville’s River Arts District houses the studio’s of more than 140 artists. Each June and November they open nearly every door to allow strollers to look around at their leisure enjoying not only the art but the process by which it’s created.

This coming weekend marks this year’s second Asheville River Arts District Studio Stroll. Patrons can walk along the sidewalks of the charming area, entering the studios and asking questions of the artist who works within. From 10 am to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday (November 13th and 14th) Asheville’s historic Trolley will transport walkers between the studio’s of every kind of artist imaginable.

Several restaurants in the area are excited for the weekend of passionate people able to really observe the inner workings of this unique collection. Be sure to visit the 12Bones Smokehouse, Clingman Cafe, Wedge Brewery, and the Roots Cafe while you’re in the area!

The days are sure to be fun and educational as the plethora of art available will include, pottery, painting, woodworking, photography, sculptors, weavers,, jewelers, and more! Bring your family and friends to the River Arts District located along the French Broad River and discover a small piece of Asheville that will astonish you.

For those who may not be available during those hours, there will be a preview of some of the studios on Friday night. The list is coming soon to the Studio Stroll website.

Asheville Hosts 1st Annual “Moog Fest”

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Our great city of Asheville North Carolina consistantly puts together some of the best festivals ever. This year is no different. For the first time the annual Moog Fest will move from New York City to Asheville!

Dr. Robert Arthur Moog was born and raised in New York City, although the last thirty years of his life were lived in Asheville, and attended Queen’s College. After college he invented the Moog Synthesizer. Bob Moog went on to contribute many more instruments to the music world in general.

Due to all of the above, people around the world come together once a year to celebrate the life of this great man.

This year’s musical guests will include Big Boi, Alex B., Bonobo, Claire and the Reasons, and many many more. Although artists will often use the instruments and items invented by Bob Moog, the list was not compiled of people who use these items most often. Instead the guests were chosen because they “…embody the essence of Bob Moog’s visionary and creative spirit”.

The entire experience promises to be an amazing spot for education, via workshops, muscial inspration and entertainment, via concerts, and an excellent time spent with friends. Also, many venues in the downtown Asheville area will provide food and drinks during the three day event.

So if you live close or are able to travel far, come to Asheville on October 29th – 31st and celebrate Bob Moog and life lived in passionate pursuit of musical expression.

Google Fiber Asheville Means Ultra High Speed

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Google Fiber Asheville is a movement. It represents a call for change. It is the desire to be among the first to take a step into the future. Google wants to bring ultra high speed fiber optic network systems into a few selected American cities. Those of us in Asheville, NC would love to be included among those. In the midst of all this proposed progress, there are some wanting to hold it back.

The whole controversy revolves around a project sponsored by Google to build state-of-the-art fiber optic networks in various parts of the country. These systems would bring subscribers service that would provide Internet speeds up to 100X faster than broadband networks available now!

These connections would not only be lightning fast, but they would ultimately be more efficient in other ways as well. They are more stable while simultaneously offering the capability to carry television, telephone and the World Wide Web all in a single line. This would be the biggest improvement available today for Asheville’s communication infrastructure.

Asheville is a city that would be perfect for the Google project. It is a growing city with diverse commerce, a high level of education and an existing base of qualified IT professionsals. But, while most people see nothing but positive effects from the program, there are those who want to hold the program back.

There is state legislation that wants to stop cities, like Asheville from having these programs because they would be municipally owned. The supposed problem is that a city-owned system would compete with existing commercial systems and the state would therefore lose tax revenues from those companies. Never mind the fact that Asheville citizens would be have the best Internet access in the world and for free!

Yet Another Accolade for Asheville’s Beer Scene

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Sometimes there’s nothing quite like a round of microbrews at lunch to get those creative juices flowing. You’d be amazed at what a little barley and hops can do to stimulate some ideas for a new marketing campaign or logo concept. (Well…at least that’s our story and we’re sticking to it!)

Just when we’ve almost taken the Asheville beer scene for granted, we get a little reminder of how great our little town is:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Underdog Asheville beat out brew king Portland in a battle for “Beer City USA” in 2009 and some Pacific Northwesterners will never forgive them. But they should. Along with a big city-worthy music scene, a drop-dead-gorgeous mountain backdrop and good old southern hospitality, Asheville has one brewery for every 10,000 of its citizens, including the rocking Highland Brewing Company. That puts it right at Portland’s heels with the second most breweries per capita in the U.S.”

Bonus: Asheville also holds three annual beer fests – Brewgrass, Oktoberfest and Winter Warmer — throughout the year.”