Summer Fun Abounds this Weekend

Looking for something fun to do this weekend in Asheville? Check out one (or more) of these crowd pleasers.

• Mountain Folk & Dance Festival, July 31-August 1: Celebrate Asheville’s rich musical heritage with this festival that features Southern Appalachian music and dance. Held at the Diana Wortham Theatre, this festival is the oldest of its kind in the nation.
  


• Asheville Antiques Fair, July 31-August 2: One of the oldest Antiques Fairs in the Southeast convenes this weekend at the Asheville Civic Center. The event features over 60 antique dealers, expert evaluations of personal heirlooms and guest speakers.
  


• Village Arts & Craft Fair, August 1-2: Discover the unique and unusual at this annual celebration in Biltmore Village. This year’s fair will host 125 exhibitors from 20 states. From unique clothing to jewelry to painting, this event has it all.

Asheville Street Musician

A local street musician showcases his tunes on Pack Square. Asheville has a plethora of roadside artisans from spray-painted ladies to saxaphone players, painters and (of course) musicians. Live entertainment plus great food adventures only add to the to-do list that Asheville offers.

Asheville’s Moogseum Celebrates Musical Legacy

The Bob Moog Foundation, created to honor musical pioneer Bob Moog, reveals the first sneak peek of Asheville’s Moogseum. Bob was the inventor of the Moog synthesizer and a pioneer of electronic music. He spent his final years in Asheville and set up a company here that continues his musical vision.

Although the completion of the Moogseum is still years away, you can learn more about Moog's legendary career at the The Orange Peel's mini-Moogseum.

Grand Slam Asheville Gets New Star: Andre Agassi

Grand Slam Asheville made a surprise announcement this week by introducing Andre Agassi as part of the lineup. Agassi takes the place of Novak Djokovic, one of the previously announced stars.

The main event for Grand Slam Asheville is now a best of three-sets match featuring Agassi and Marat Safin. Agassi and Safin are both former world #1s. The event has been moved from August 6 to August 28, providing fans ample time to purchase tickets to this legendary match.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Civic Center box office. Prices range from $49 to $200. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Mission Children’s Hospital.

Bear Visits Asheville Visitors Center

On Monday, July 20, the Asheville Visitors Center had an early morning visitor. Looks like he just wanted to enjoy the morning scenery and explore the trash cans; he ran away once he saw our morning staff arriving.

Asheville Wins Craft Beer Poll

Congratulations to Asheville’s amazing beer scene! An outpouring of fan support earned Asheville the top spot in Imbibe magazine’s Internet poll of the “Best Craft Beer City in America.”

Asheville took first place with over 55% of the votes. Earlier this year, Asheville also won the East Coast title for Beer City U.S.A.

Ride the Shuttle to Bele Chere

Getting to and from Bele Chere is a breeze this year thanks to the city’s Park-and-Ride Shuttles. Simply park at one the designed pick-up locations and ride to and from Bele Chere. Roundtrip transportation is $2.00.

Park-and-Ride Locations

• West Asheville at the K-Mart on the corner of Patton Ave. and Louisiana Ave. Shuttle drops off at the Civic Center on the corner of Haywood St. and Flint St.
• East Asheville at the Asheville Mall near the Sear’s entrance. Shuttle drops off at the corner of Market St. and College St. in the City/County Plaza.

Shuttle Schedule

• Friday: 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 11:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  

Vote for Asheville as Best Craft Beer City

Asheville is fighting for the title of Best Craft Beer City on Imbibe magazine’s web site. The poll pits Asheville against some of the best beer regions in the country. Asheville and Portland, OR, are currently battling for first place. Asheville and Portland faced off earlier this year in the Examiner’s poll for Beer City U.S.A.

Vote Now
Show your love for Asheville and its amazing craft beer scene by voting now.

A Day at One of Asheville's Tailgate Markets

Local baker Steve Bardwell of Wake Robin Farm sells bread at last week's Wednesday Afternoon Downtown Tailgate Market. Asheville's tailgate markets are about reconnecting with the land, and meeting people who devote their lives to bringing food from the farm to your table. Experience Asheville's truest flavors for yourself by visiting one of our many farmers markets.

Asheville Dog Appears on The Regis & Kelly Show

More proof that Asheville is anything BUT your ordinary city. Asheville citizen Maggie the Wonder Dog struts her stuff on The Regis & Kelly Show on Thursday, July 30.

Maggie lives up to her name with a variety of tricks. Her most stunning trick is the ability to calculate math problems, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division!

Maggie will show off her calculating prowess by counting audience members on The Regis & Kelly Show. Her past performances have included stints on Oprah, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Animal Planet and television shows overseas.

Can’t wait until next week to see Maggie’s skills at work? Check out her repertoire of tricks.

Photo courtesy of Jason Sandford

Culinary Students Compete in National Competition

Asheville’s culinary school lived up to its Foodtopian Society roots this month! A-B Tech’s Culinary Team won a silver medal and third place nationwide in the American Culinary Federation Student Team Championship in Orlando on July 14.

The competition requires student teams to prepare 24 plates of a four-course signature meal, while also being judged on their floor skills. Medals are awarded based on the number of points teams earn from a possible 40, with A-B Tech finishing with 33.75. (A score of 34 is needed to receive gold.)

A team from A-B Tech has made it to nationals for three of the past four years after winning first place in state and regional competition.

This year’s team members were: (left to right)
Front row: Anna McClintock and Shannon Ginn
Back row: Steven Goff, Travis McCloud and Michael Aanonsen

Coaches were Chef Charles deVries, Chefs John Hofland and Michelle Kelley. (Not shown)

Free Family Fun at Bele Chere

Make plans to be in Asheville July 25-26 for the largest free street festival in the Southeast! This year, Bele Chere features free live music on four stages with a diverse line-up. Musical performances include Americana, bluegrass, world, reggae, rock and blues artists. The festival also boasts array of arts and crafts, street entertainment and children’s activities. Those in search of a taste of the city can sample delights from local restaurants and vendors in two food courts.

Labor Day Fun in Asheville

It’s not too early to start planning Labor Day fun. Asheville’s already planning ahead for a memorable holiday weekend with the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival (LAAFF)

On September 6 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., three blocks of N. Lexington Ave will be brimming with local art, food, beer, music, street performers and random acts of creativity.

LAAFF is an experience the whole family can get into. Kids will love the chance to make art, dance and get their faces painted. Adults will enjoy bicycle jousting, local brews and an eclectic culinary and artistic experience. There will be lots of fun new vendors this year as well as a new game: Big Wheels for Big Kids.

Multiple stages at the festival will showcase a variety of performances including rock and roll, indie pop, funk, folk, ragtime, reggae, world beats, singer-songwriters, bluegrass, old time, African drummers, clowns, magicians, contortionists, belly dancers, modern dancers, vaudeville actors, break dancers and hula hoopers.

See Nature with Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours

No need to travel to the tropics to fly through a rain forest. The first Canopy Tour in the North Carolina Smokies is now as close as a short drive! Enjoy a three-hour glide and slide experience that simulates flying and is fueled by gravity and a gradual elevation change.

Fly High Above Trees
More than just a zip line ride, Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours takes you through multiple eco-systems. The route takes you above the forest floor blanketed with mountain laurel, dogwood, fern, rhododendron, flame azalea, wild magnolia and other native plants. Your Canopy Ranger will also share the natural and cultural history of the gorge as you travel from section to section.

See Nature from a New Perspective
While traveling over a half-mile course across 20 acres, guests will use three Sky Bridges and five transfer bridges to get to the 11 zip line sections that zigzag from the slope sides, trees and elevated platforms. State-of-the-art equipment is provided including a helmet, full body harness, trolley, gloves, and a tether safety line. Professional Canopy Rangers accompany each group and provide all the necessary instruction.

The Canopy Tour is scheduled to launch July 10 and will be a four-season experience, as weather permits. The tour is located 12 miles west of Bryson City, North Carolina at the Falling Waters Adventure Resort in the Nantahala River Gorge.

A Food Tour of Asheville

Wondering why we call Asheville the home of the Foodtopian Society? See for yourself--take your taste buds on a virtual tour of our city with these delicious blog posts!

Our Featured Bloggers

From left to right: Alison McConnell from Humble Gourmand, Brian Geiger from The Food Geek, Tami Hardeman from Running With Tweezers, Diane Cu from White on Rice Couple, Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen, Todd Porter from White On Rice Couple. Kneeling is Helen McSweeney from Tartelette. (Photo courtsey of Alison L. McConnell.)

Asheville Food Blog Posts

“Asheville Trip to Foodtopia,” Part 1 and Part 2 by Helen McSweeney of Tartelette

“Asheville, North Carolina—Local, Homegrown & Handmade” by Diane Cu and Todd Porter of White on Rice

“A Most Impressive Addition” and “Acquiring Tastes” by Brian Geiger of The Food Geek

“Xanadu Cocktail: Basil and Grapefruit” By Jaden Hair

“Ode to Asheville” by Alison McConnell of Humble Gourmand

“Say Cheese” by Tami Hardeman of Running with Tweezers

Tennis Champs Battle it out at Grand Slam Asheville

Love tennis? Come to Asheville! Two of the world’s top tennis players are set to do battle on Thursday, August 6, at the Asheville Civic Center. Grand Slam Asheville will bring together world-ranked #4 and 2008 Australian Open Champion Novak Djokovic and former world-ranked #1 and two-time Grand Slam Champion Marat Safin for a head-to–head, best-of-three-sets match.

Grand Slam Asheville will also feature local tennis talent. Asheville’s very own Maya Blue Stauffer-MacDowell will go up against a player currently ranked in the top 100 in the Women’s Tennis Association. The 16 year-old Stauffer-MacDowell is a rising senior at T.C. Roberson High School and one of the top junior players in the Southeast. 

Tickets go on sale July 6 through Ticketmaster and at the Civic Center box office. A portion of proceeds will benefit Mission Children’s Hospital.