Star Gaze in Asheville

Summer’s warm nights and clear skies make now the perfect time to star gaze. The rural areas surrounding Asheville and the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway are ideal spots to escape the city lights and admire the heavens.

Prime Locations

• Craggy Gardens picnic area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, milepost 364.4. Lots of parking and picnic tables make this a family-friendly spot.
• Mount Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway, milepost 407.0. This peak boasts an elevation of 5721 feet, ensuring a dark sky free from light pollution.
• Milepost 377.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway that turns onto NC 694. This road will take you to Town Mountain Road, which overlooks downtown Asheville. Enjoy a double treat—views of Asheville’s skyline and starry skies.
• Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway, milepost 408.7. Pull into the parking lot of this charming inn located at 5,000 feet.

Summer Constellations
Looks for these star formations in the summer:

• Aquila, the eagle, featuring the star Altair
• Cygnus, the swan, featuring the star Albireo
• Lyra, the harp, featuring the star Vega
• Sagittarius, the archer, featuring the star Nunki
• Scorpius, the scorpion, featuring the star Antares

Asheville’s Drum Circle

The Asheville Drum Circle gets its groove on with a celebratory beat this past Friday. The group received a donation of drums and accessories from the Asheville Downtown Association. The donation ensures that guests and visitors can partake in the weekly fun.

The Asheville Drum Circle meets every Friday around 7 p.m. in Pritchard Park, weather permitting.

Asheville Gets Crafty with Local Bazaars

Bring home Asheville’s quirky and fun art scene with these two great upcoming bazaars:

The Bizarre Bazaar kicks off on Saturday, May 23, at Lexington Park Courtyard. (The spot is located between North Lexington Ave and Carolina Lane at the gated entrance next to Virtue.) Shop from over 20 local artists, crafters and designers from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rock out to music from local band Now You See Them, and munch on crepes and French fries from Bouchon. Can’t make it this weekend? Don’t stress, the Bizarre Bazaar is held the first and third Saturday through October 17.

Asheville’s Vintage Bazaar is on Saturday, May 30 at The Body at 66 Asheland Ave. The fun lasts from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Local vendors are selling vintage clothing and accessories, artwork, jewelry, an assortment of children’s wares and of other stylish stuff.

Asheville’s Drum Circle Gets New Drums

Join the Asheville Drum Circle on Friday, May 22, at 7 p.m. as the Asheville Downtown Association presents drums and accessories to this musical group.

The donated drums will be available to drum circle participants and passersby who want to join the fun. The gifts include a large 55-gallon bass drum, called the dun dun, two djembes, an ashiko, a cowbell, three sets of claves and three shakers.

The Asheville Drum Circle is a regular event on Friday nights at Pritchard Park in downtown. The event usually includes dozens of drummers and hundreds of spectators.

“We’re really grateful for the support of the Asheville Downtown Association and downtown businesses. This donation gives people who come without an instrument a way to connect to the group,” says Larry McDowell, one of the event’s organizers involved with the drum circle since its beginning in 2001.

Asheville in the News

We believe Asheville is a pretty unique and outstanding town. Looks like we’re not the only ones! Asheville grabbed media headlines last week.

• Tampa Tribune: Reveals why Asheville is such a delicious city with a great story on our food scene.


• CBS Sunday Morning: Stunning views of Biltmore House and gardens punctuate this show, which features a segment about retiring creatively in Asheville.


• USA Today: Asheville was named one of the top five bargain destinations for summer travel.


• New York Times: Fishing in and around the Asheville-area was highlighted in this slice-of-life travel article.

Family Farm Tour Highlights Asheville Farm-to-Table Legacy

Discover more about Western North Carolina’s local food movement and agricultural history with the Family Farm Tour from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) and its partners. Tour a wide selection of the area’s most outstanding farms and gardens on June 27 and 28, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Buy Your Ticket Early
Purchase a button for admission for $20, plus $2 shipping at www.familyfarmtour.org. One button admits everyone in your car. You may also purchase buttons at participating farms on the day of the tour for $25. Gather your friends, fill a car, choose the farms you want to visit and plan a route. There are more than enough locations to fill a schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

Sample Local Flavors
Come with a cooler and your appetite. A variety of vegetables and fruits, trout, beef, pork, lamb, eggs, artisan cheeses, herbs, mushrooms, honey and preserves are available to sample or for sale. Watch animals such as bison, llamas, baby lambs and bunnies.

Open Your Mind & Learn New Skills
See traditional skills in practice—and even try them out yourself! Demonstrations include border collie shepherding, outdoor apple butter making, milking, maple syrup tapping and wool spinning.

Learn about new ideas during a tour of renewable energy systems. See a hydroponics system, visit an edible landscape and explore a garden labyrinth. Eat bread fresh from a wood-fired oven, savor artisan ice cream and stop for a picnic at one of the many beautiful farms along the way.

Craggy Gardens Area Reopens

Just in time for summer hiking; the Blue Ridge Parkway reopens the Craggy Gardens Area on May 15! Craggy Gardens is known for its easy hiking trails, panoramic mountain views and beautiful rhododendron blooms. Guest to the Craggy Gardens area should take care when traveling, as the drive to the area will be alternating one-lane traffic.

Asheville Wins East Coast Title for Beer City USA

An independent beer movement is brewing. Over the past month, more than 16,000 craft beer enthusiasts from 46 countries cast votes for “Beer City U.S.A.” in an online poll posted by founder of the American Homebrewers Association Charlie Papazian on Examiner.com.

A Battle for the Title
With roughly 30% of votes each, the top honor of Beer City U.S.A. was ultimately split between two cities--Portland, Oregon on the west coast (an epicenter of American brew culture with more than 30 breweries) and, unexpected underdog, Asheville!

Hundreds of heated blog comments, campaigning via Twitter and Facebook, and multitude off-shoot blog posts fueled the best beer city debate in advance of American Craft Beer Week, May 11 – 17, a national celebration highlighting the culture and contributions of craft beer.

For the Love of Beer
“One thing that a poll like this indicates is the degree of beer culture and networks that exist in various areas of the country. It helps to bring to the forefront that beer culture, beer community and beer enthusiasm are relevant forces in the quest for access to better beer,” stated brewing authority, blogger and poll author Charlie Papazian.

Support Asheville Future Foodies

In April, Asheville-Buncombe Technical (AB-Tech) Community College won the American Culinary Federation’s Southeast Regional Hot Food Competition.

The team is preparing for the national competition in Orlando this July, and is kicking off a special fundraiser to get the team to Florida. Check out this fun and quirky site to discover how you can make the bus move down the road to Orlando!

Watch Asheville Video from Bizarre Foods

Did you miss last night's episode of Bizarre Foods showcasing Andrew Zimmern in Asheville? Check out this special footage from his time in Asheville with our resident "Mushroom Man" Alan Muskat.

See Asheville on the Travel Channel Tonight

Andrew Zimmern heads to the Appalachian Mountains in tonight’s episode of Bizarre Foods. Tune to the Travel Channel at 10 p.m. EST to see him sample the region’s specialties, and share a moment with Asheville’s “Mushroom Man,” Alan Muskat. Watch as Alan takes Andrew on a mushroom foray and then to The Market Place for a tasting.

Viewing Party for Locals
Catch tonight’s show with friends! Join Alan Muskat and fellow Asheville fans at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company beginning at 9 p.m. in the back game room. We’ll watch the episode together on the big screen!

River Rafting in Asheville, NC

With warm temperatures here to stay, a river rafting trip sounds cooler than ever. Check out this video from one of our local rafting businesses.

Vote for Asheville's Beer Scene

Tell the world Asheville has the best beer scene! Our fair city is currently in second place. Portland, OR holds the lead by 1%. Vote through May 7 to make your voice heard! Vote now.

Free Herb Festival this Weekend

Visit the Asheville Herb Festival at the WNC Farmers Market this weekend to enjoy fresh herbs and natural products from over 55 vendors. Offerings include herbal medicine, holistic treatment, herbal soaps and shampoos, gourmet cooking herbs, cookbooks and organic gardening information. Best of all, admission and parking is free!

Festivals hours are:

• Friday, May 1: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday, May 2: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sunday, May 3: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
  

Black Bear Sighting in Asheville

An employee with the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau woke up to a furry guest in her neighborhood this week. A local black bear strolled down the street in search of breakfast.